Piola destroys Juventus
Four Piola goals send the Zebras back home with their tails between their legs
Also on this day: November 8, 1998: Lazio Empoli 4-1. Lazio thrash Empoli with goals from Negro, Salas and Mancini. Manager of the day: Giovanni Martusciello
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had arrived fourth under the guidance of Alexander Popovic. Overall, quite a good year for the Biancocelesti in difficult circumstances. Playing football while elsewhere there was a World War cannot have been easy for the players nor for the fans. But the show must go on.
Popovich was confirmed for this season and the new players were forward Hengelbert Koenig from Catania and defender Alessandro Capponi from Ferrara (a more Italianised name for Spal, those were the times). Leaving Lazio were Maximiliano Faotto (Ascoli), Bruno Camolese (Vicenza) and Otello Zironi (Modena). Giuseppe Baldo had decided to retire.
The Biancocelesti had little ambition but in the first five games so far there had been some illustrious wins against Ambrosiana Inter and Bologna, but two defeats away from home (Livorno and Bari). They were currently 7th.
The match: Sunday, November 8, 1942, Stadio PNF, Rome
In the 3rd minute Silvio Piola was able to get past Carlo Parola and shoot, but it was slightly too high. In the 10th minute after a corner taken by Mario Ventimiglia, Ugo Locatelli managed to beat Uber Gradella but Alessandro Ferri saved on the line. On the subsequent counter attack, Silvestro Pisa to Enrique Flamini who passed to Hengelbert Koenig who shot. He hit the woodwork but Piola scored on the rebound.
Piola shot time and time again, but they were always just out. Parola had to go off injured and when he came back on he moved to the wing (there were no substitutions at that time). Francesco Capocasale took his place in the centre of defence.
After thirty seconds in the second half, Vittorio Sentimenti III was (possibly) fouled by Alberto Fazio and the referee gave Juventus a penalty which Sentimenti took and scored. Lazio 1 Juve 1.
The draw did not last long. Two minutes later, Sentimenti III missed an easy goal and on the counter attack Flamini tried a shot which took on a strange trajectory fooling Giuseppe Peruchetti. Lazio back in the lead. Which became 3-1 when in the 50th minute Piola tried another shot which went under the belly of the keeper.
In the 62nd minute Giuseppe Meazza passed to Ventimiglia, big whack, Gradella did what he could, Savino Bellini was ready for the tap in. 3-2.
One minute later Piola was stopped with a foul in the box by Capocasale. Penalty for Lazio and Piola made it 4-2. Juventus were completely out of the game and in the 64th Piola scored his fourth, 5-2.
In the 77th minute apparently Luciano Ramella touched the ball with his hand in the box. Third penalty of the day and the specialist Sentimenti III scored his double.
Entertaining match, terrible referee.
Who played for Lazio
Gradella, Monza II, Romagnoli II, Fazio, Ramella, Ferri, Puccinelli, Pisa I, Piola, Flamini, Koenig
Manager: Popovic
Who played for Juventus
Peruchetti, Foni, Varglien (II), Capocasale, Parola, Locatelli, Bellini, Borel II, Meazza, Sentimenti III, Ventimiglia
Manager: Borel II
Referee: Pizziolo
Goals: 12’ Piola, 46’ Sentimenti III (pen), 48’ Flamini, 50’ Piola, 62’ Bellini, 63’ Piola (pen), 64’ Piola, 77’ Sentimenti III (pen)
What happened next
Lots of goals scored but also lots of goals conceded. This is a good summary of Lazio’s 1942-43 season. After this game they lost 6-5 against Genoa and then beat Roma 3-1, and this is just an example.
They won against strong teams but this was balanced with poor performances and defeats with weaker teams. Lazio finished 9th.
In Coppa Italia, Lazio lost to Roma in the quarterfinals.
Ramella topped the appearances and played all the 33 matches. Top scorer was obviously Silvio Piola with 21 goals. This was his last season with Lazio.
Lazio 1942-43
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals Scored |
Serie A | 30 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 56 |
Coppa Italia | 3 | 2 | - | 1 | 6 |
Total | 33 | 12 | 8 | 13 | 62 |
Top five appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Ramella | 33 | 30 | 3 |
Flamini | 30 | 27 | 3 |
Puccinelli | 30 | 27 | 3 |
Gradella | 28 | 25 | 3 |
Fazio | 27 | 24 | 3 |
Monza | 27 | 24 | 3 |
Pisa | 27 | 25 | 2 |
Top five goal scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Piola | 21 | 21 | - |
Pisa | 9 | 8 | 1 |
Koenig | 8 | 6 | 2 |
Gualtieri | 6 | 5 | 1 |
Borici | 4 | 3 | 1 |
Manola | 4 | 4 | - |
Let’s talk about: Luciano Ramella
Luciano Ramella was born at Pollone (near Biella) on April 10, 1914. He started playing football in the youth teams of Juventus and made his debut in Serie A on December 23, 1934 in the home match against Alessandria. That year Juventus won the scudetto. After two years, and just two appearances, he signed for Pro Vercelli in Serie B and stayed there for two seasons with 57 appearances and four goals.
In 1938 he moved to the capital to play for the right side of the Tiber. He is considered one of the best midfielders the Biancocelesti have ever had. Full of energy, great vision, modest but determined. He was also very attached to the club, also because he married the daughter of the Vice President Olindo Bitetti, Gloria. He played six seasons for Lazio with 153 appearances and five goals including the 1943-44 season where due to the war Lazio participated in the Roman Championship (which they won). After a two-year break where he played for Como (winning the Lombardy Tournament) he returned to the capital but in two years played just once. He then closed his career playing for Palombara, near Rome, in 1948-49.
Once he stopped active football he emigrated to Brazil with his wife and bought a coffee plantation. Later on, he was joined by his team mate Salvatore Gualtieri. In 1951 the two former players agreed to join a club created by a train manager near the plantation called “Forza Lazio”. The club even won a regional championship. In return for the footballing services, the manager gave them the use of two freight wagons they could use for their wood and coffee, plus a tractor and a generator.
With Gualtieri he helped the Italian Federation organise a friendly between Italy and Brazil in 1956. He also helped Lazio, becoming technical director and with Alfredo Notti managed the Biancocelesti during their tour of Spain and Portugal before the Latin Cup in June 1950. Lazio played the Teresa Herrera Trophy beating Atletico Madrid 3-1, but lost the two games of the Latin Cup against Benfica and Atletico. He also helped organise the Biancocelesti’s tour in Brazil in 1957.
He died in Tomazina in Brazil on March 6 1990.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Roman Championship |
1938-39 | 27 (1) | 25 (1) | 2 | - |
1939-40 | 33 | 30 | 3 | - |
1940-41 | 22 (1) | 18 (1) | 4 | - |
1941-42 | 30 | 28 | 2 | - |
1942-43 | 33 | 30 | 3 | - |
1943-44 | 8 (3) | - | - | 8 (3) |
1947-48 | 1 | 1 | - | - |
Total | 154 (5) | 132 (2) | 14 | 8 (3) |
Sources
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