December 17, 1961: Messina-Lazio 1-2
- Dag Jenkins
- Dec 17, 2025
- 9 min read
Lazio win promotion clash on Straits
A comeback win in Sicily pushes the Biancocelesti into Serie A slots
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had been relegated to Serie B for the first time in their history. For the first ten matches the manager had been Fulvio Bernardini and then former player Enrique Flamini had taken over with Jesse Carver as technical director. The only highpoints were beating Roma 2-1 and reaching the Coppa Italia final which they then lost 0-2 to Fiorentina. Top scorer was Orlando Rozzoni with 13 goals (11 in A).
This season the manager was Paolo Todeschini. He had played for Lazio in 1948-49 and had recently coached Milan (with Giuseppe Viani as T.D). The lower category brought numerous changes to the squad.
The main new arrivals were defenders Vincenzo Gasperi (Atalanta), Gilberto Noletti (Milan - on loan), Gianni Seghedoni (Bari), Diego Zanetti (Novara), midfielders Nello Governato (Como), Graziano Landoni (Messina) and forward Dimitri Pinti (Vicenza).
Some big names left, these included keeper Bob Lovati (would retire early in season but never leave Lazio), defenders Franco Janich (Bologna), Franco Carradori (Brescia), Bruno Franzini (Bologna), midfielders Pierluigi Pagni (Cosenza - on loan, he would return and stay another 6 years), Ugo Pozzan (Pisa), Egidio Fumagalli (Novara) plus forward Amos Mariani (Napoli). Eight players with 550 league games between them.
So far Lazio had won 5, drawn 6 and lost 2 (including most recent game 0-2 at home to Pro Patria). The Biancocelesti were in 2nd place on 16 points, with Modena and Messina.
In Coppa Italia, Lazio had got through the first two rounds (Genoa 3-1 and Palermo 1-0 at home) and would now play Roma in April in the last 16.
Messina had finished 6th in Serie B the previous season under manager Bruno Arcari. The top scorer was Achille Fraschini with 12 league goals. The squad included former Lazio, Per Bredesen (1952-53).
This season the manager was future Lazio manager, Umberto Mannocci. The main new arrivals were: goalkeeper Mario Rossi (Arezzo), defender Filippo Regni (Arezzo), midfielder Stefano Bernini (Palermo) plus forwards Bruno Benetti (Fiorentina), Giampiero Calloni (Pro Patria), Paolo Lazzotti (Fiorentina) and Eugenio Fascetti (Juventus).
Leaving Sicily were: goalkeeper Gino Zappetti (Arezzo), defender Mario Kirchmayr (retiring), midfielders Graziano Landoni (Lazio), Per Bredesen (Ørn-Horten) and Achille Fraschini (Napoli) plus forward Ulderico Sacchella (Bari).
In Serie B this year Messina were doing well again. The Giallorossi had won 6 (including Napoli 2-0 at home), drawn 4 and lost 3. The Peloritani were joint 2nd with Lazio and Modena on 16 points.
They were already out of the Coppa Italia, they beat Cosenza 2-1 at home but then lost the East Coast derby to Catania 0-1 away.
A promotion clash today in Messina between two sides on the same points. Messina had already beaten promotion hopefuls Genoa and Napoli at home and had the best attack with 21 goals. Lazio came from a bad defeat while Messina from a win but today was another day.
The match: Sunday, December 17, 1961, Stadio Giovanni Celeste, Messina
It was an uncharacteristic freezing day on the Straits of Messina. The game was played in sleet in front of about 12,000 spectators.
Lazio were missing midfielder Guido Gratton and forward Claudio Bizzarri while Messina were without goalkeeper Ademaro Breviglieri and forward Italo Carminati.
After a balanced first quarter of an hour the game suddenly came alive. In the 14th minute Vincenzo Gasperi and Adelmo Eufemi were not impeccable and allowed Bruno Benetti to shoot but it went just wide. A minute later the Giallorossi scored, Giampiero Calloni sent Paolo Lazzotti down the right and the Tuscan raced into the area and beat Idilio Cei coming off his line, 1 -0.
Lazio then dominated territory and possession but played too horizontally and had difficulty being dangerous.
Lazio however managed to equalise in the 40th minute with long range cracker by Gasperi, 1-1 at half time.
Lazio then went ahead early in the second half. In the 52nd minute Eufemi sent a long ball forward and Paolo Ferrario was clever in getting between Angelo Stucchi and Giuseppe Bosco then lobbed the keeper, 1-2.
Messina responded energetically and Nicola Ciccolo had an effort cleared off the line by Eufemi and then a Benetti shot was well saved by Cei.
Lazio were still active on the break and former Messina player Graziano Landoni went close to punishing his old club.
The game was end to end and entertaining. Diego Zanetti acrobatically blocked a Lazzotti strike that looked destined for the back of the net.
For the Biancocelesti Juan Carlos Morrone and Ferrari both devoured good chances on the counterattack.
The last fifteen minutes were all Messina. Cei saved low on a Stefano Bernini header and again on a long range shot by Stucchi. In the 85th minute the Biancoscudati thought they had equalised. Stucchi crossed, Ciccolo nodded the ball to Calloni who poked the ball in. The locals celebrated and referee Roversi pointed to the centre circle but in the mayhem the linesman had had his flag raised the whole time, Ciccolo was offside.
The Sicilians were furious and still desperately tried to salvage a point but apart from a few potentially dangerous scrambles in Lazio's area never really threatened. Final score Messina 1 Lazio 2.
A good game of football which could have gone either way but it was Lazio who clinched the important promotion points. The Messina fans however were livid and there was crowd trouble after the game and the riot police had to intervene.
Lazio were now joint 2nd, with Modena on 18 points. Messina dropped down to joint 4th, on 16 points with Pro Patria and Brescia.
Who played for Messina
Rossi, Dotti, Stucchi, Radaelli, Bosco, Spagni, Benetti, Lazzotti, Calloni, Bernini, Ciccolo
Manager: Mannocci
Who played for Lazio
Manager: Todeschini
Referee: Roversi
Goals: 15' Lazzotti, 40' Gasperi. 52' Ferrario
What happened next
Lazio finished 4th and narrowly missed out on promotion by one point. Todeschini was replaced after 21 matches by Bob Lovati for 5 games and then Carlo Facchini took charge for the last 11 games. Lazio won 14, drew 14 and lost 10. Top scorer was Juan Carlos Morrone with 15 goals (14 in B).
It was therefore not a great season but it could have been enough for promotion had it not been for an extremely controversial episode. On March 4 Lazio played Napoli at home. Lazio were 4th on 27 points and Napoli 5th on 26, so it was an important game. In the 76th minute Giovanni Seghedoni took a free kick for Lazio and scored with the referee pointing to midfield. Lazio celebrated wildly and Pontel, the Napoli keeper, looked gutted but had no complaints. Then the unexpected happened, the linesman claimed the ball had not gone in as a ball boy had picked it up outside the goal and convinced the referee to disallow it. The ball had obviously gone in and then out again through a hole in the net. The Lazio players found the hole but the referee was not interested. The TV images would later show the goal was perfectly valid but it was too late. At the end of the season Napoli were promoted one point ahead of Lazio…with Genoa and Modena.
In Coppa Italia, Lazio then lost to Roma in the last 16 on penalties after a 0-0 draw (Pedro Manfredini scored all 6…).
Messina finished 7th (4 points from promotion). In the remaining games the Giallorossi won 8, drew 7 and lost 9 (including Lazio 1-4). The Top scorer was Nicola Ciccolo with 16 league goals.
Of today's Messina, as mentioned, the manager Mannoci would coach Lazio from 1964-66 and players Piero Dotti (1964-67), Nicola Ciccolo (1965-66) and Eugenio Fascetti (1964-65) would also wear the Biancoceleste jersey. Fascetti would later of course become a Lazio legend as a manager (1986-88).
As mentioned the three promoted teams were champions Genoa, Napoli (who also surprisingly won the Coppa Italia) and Modena. At the other end Novara (for corruption), Prato and Reggiana slipped down to Serie C.
Let's talk about Paolo Ferrario
Paolo Ferrario was born in Milan, on March 1, 1942.
At eight years old he entered the Milan academy and in 1959-60 joined the first team squad while also winning two prestigious Viareggio youth tournaments in 1959 and 1960.
Milan were reigning champions but finished 3rd under Luigi Bonizzoni. Ferrario played 5 league games, 2 in Italo-French Coppa dell'Amicizia with 1 goal (Toulouse) and 1 game in the European Cup with 1 goal (Barcelona at Camp Nou in 1-5 defeat).
In 1960-61 he played for Lazio on loan. The manager was first Fulvio Bernardini (1-10) and then Enrique Flamini (10-34) but it was a terrible season and Lazio were relegated for the first time. The best result was beating Roma 2-1. The Biancocelesti reached the final of Coppa Italia but lost 0-2 to Fiorentina. Ferrario played 7 league games with 1 goal (Juventus).
In 1961-62 he returned to Milan but almost immediately came back to Lazio on loan. In Serie B the managers were Paolo Todeschini (1-21), Bob Lovati (22-27) and then Carlo Facchin (28-38). Lazio narrowly missed out on promotion by one point and a fair amount of controversy. In March they had a perfectly good goal disallowed against Napoli when the referee, against all evidence, claimed the ball had not gone in and out through a hole in the net but not in at all. Napoli later got promoted by one point. Ferrario again played 7 league games with 1 goal (winner against Messina away) and 1 game in Coppa Italia.
In 1962-63 he went to Simmenthal Monza on loan in Serie B. In Brianza he played more regularly, 27 league games and scored an impressive 17 goals. Monza finished 9th.
In 1963-64 he was ready to return to Milan where he stayed three seasons. The Rossoneri finished 3rd, 2nd and 7th. Ferrario played a total of 33 league games with 16 goals, 1 in Coppa Italia and 1 in the Fairs Cup with 1 goal (his best year was 1964-55 when he played 20 league games and scored 12 goals). The managers were Luis Carniglia and then Nils Liedholm the first year, Liedholm the second and Liedholm and Giovanni Cattozzo alternated in the third. His teammates included Lazio connections Giuliano Fortunato (1967-72) plus greats such as Giovanni Trapattoni, Giovanni Lodetti, Cesare Maldini, Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, Gianni Rivera and José Altafini.
In 1966-67 he joined Cesena for a year. The Bianconeri were in Serie C and finished top and promoted. Ferrario played 22 league games and scored 13 goals.
In 1967-68 he spent a season at Bologna in Serie A. The Rossoblu finished 5th but Ferrario only played 6 league games with 2 goals (Cagliari, Vicenza). The managers were Luis Carniglia, Giuseppe Viani and then Cesarino Cervellati. His teammates included former Lazio, Franco Janich (1958-61) and future Lazio, Sergio Clerici (1977-78).
In 1968-69 he played for Perugia in Serie B. The Umbri finished 8th under Guido Mazzetti. Ferrario played 21 league games and was top scorer with 6 goals. His teammates included former and future Lazio. Costantino Fava (1967-68, 1970 and 1971) plus future Italian champion with Lazio, Luigi Polentes (1969-77).
In 1969 Ferrario went back to Cesena and stayed three seasons. The "Cavallucci" (Seahorses) were in Serie B and finished 11th, 16th and 6th. Ferrario played 73 league games with 21 goals plus 3 games in Coppa Italia. The managers included Cesarino Cervellati, Luigi Bonizzoni, Giovan Battista Fabbri and Luigi Radice. One of his teammates was future Lazio, Paolo Ammoniaci (1975-79).
In 1972-73 he spent a season at Ternana in Serie A but only played 4 league games and the Rossoverdi were relegated under Corrado Viciani. His teammates included Lazio connection, Giorgio Mastropasqua (1980-82) plus future world champion in 1982, Franco Selvaggi.
Ferrario then played for Bellaria (Rimini) in 1973-74 in the Serie C, playing 10 league games with no goals and then his last club was Novese (Novi Ligure) in Serie C where he played 24 league games with 9 goals but the Biancocelesti were relegated.
At 33 he retired.
In his youth he played 6 games for Italy U21s with 6 goals. He won the Mediterranean Games in 1963.
He then had a long managerial career. He started in the Cesena and Milan youth sectors. He then had spells at Messina (1979, C2, sacked), Teramo (1980-81, C2, 5th), Venezia (1982, 5th tier, sacked), Ravenna (1982-83, C2, 12th), Conegliano (1983, 5th tier, sacked), Ospitaletto (1983-85, C2, 3rd and 3rd), Rondinella (1985-86, C1, 12th), Trento (1986-88, C1, 9th and 9th), Modena (1988-89, C1, 5th), Rimini (1990, C2, sacked), Trento (1990-91, C1, relegation), Ospitaletto (1993-95, C2, 2nd and promotion, 17th in C1 and relegation), Novara (1995-97, C2, 1st and promotion, 17th in C1 and relegation), Brescia (1996-97, U19s), Brescia (1997-98, A, from 11th game to 31st, sacked), Triestina (1998, C2, sacked), Cesena (2000-01, C1, briefly between two other managers) and finally Olbia (2007, C2, sacked). Not a memorable career but with two promotions and he could say he coached Andrea Pirlo (Brescia 1997-98).
Ferrario was a striker. He was nicknamed "Ciapina" (after a famous partisan turned criminal, Ugo Ciapina) due to his goal poaching abilities (in Italian these types of opportunist goals are called "gol di rapina", literally robbery goals). His best season was with Milan in 1964-65 and he previously had the privilege of scoring at the famous Camp Nou in Barcelona. He played a total of 56 Serie A games with 19 goals and 128 in B with 46 goals.
He was with Lazio for two seasons on loan. They were difficult years with a relegation and a failed promotion chase (not helped by a bizarre refereeing decision). He failed to really leave a mark in the capital, playing a total of 15 games and scoring 2 goals.
Lazio Career
Season | Total games | Serie A | Serie B | Coppa Italia |
1959-60 | 1 | - | - | 1 |
1960-61 | 8 (1) | 7 (1) | - | 1 |
1961-62 | 8 (1) | - | 7 (1) | 1 |
Total | 17 (2) | 7 (1) | 7 (1) | 3 |
Sources
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