In 1980 a tired Umberto Lenzini was faced with a number of problems. Firstly, money was running out. He had invested heavily in the summer transfer window with the objective of taking Lazio back into Europe. Using the money for the sale of Bruno Giordano to Milan he planned to get Alberto Bigon and Stefano Chiodi, two of the players who only a year earlier had contributed to Milan winning their tenth scudetto, plus a number of interesting young players as well as Dutch champion Rene Van der Kerkhof. But the plan had collapsed due to the totonero scandal. Lazio and Milan were relegated to Serie B, Giordano, Lionello Manfredonia, Massimo Cacciatori and Pino Wilson had been given many years of suspension and the club was in serious financial difficulty. Furthermore, Loreto Rutolo, a member of the board, had seemingly tried to take over the club and Sor Umberto was in trouble. Lacking the strength to go on, Lenzini left the club to his younger brothers, Aldo, who became president, and Angelo, managing director. Rutolo became vice president.
Aldo Lenzini was born in Walsenburg, Colorado, USA on December 26, 1916. His family had emigrated to the States from Fiumalbo, a small village in the Apennines near Modena. They owned an emporium near Colorado Springs. The family returned to Italy when he was 11. Together with his brothers, Umberto and Angelo, they started a construction company. The Lenzinis built extensively in the areas of north and west Rome in areas such as Valle Aurelia, Cassia, Pineta Sacchetti and Balduina which are now just off-centre but in the 1960's were mainly uninhabited.
After taking over from his brother, he was in charge of finding the first sponsor to put on the Lazio jersey for the 1981-82 season. The choice fell on Tonini, a food company based in Piedmont specialised in the production of grissini (breadsticks).
The season did not go well. Due to a missed penalty in the last but one game against Vicenza, Lazio came fourth. No Serie A for at least another year.
On July 23, 1981, the club was purchased by a group of entrepreneurs led by Gian Chiaron Casoni who became the new president. This was the end of the Lenzini era which had started in the 1960s.
Aldo Lenzini died in Rome on January 12, 2004.
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