January 18, 1914: Lazio Roman 3-1

Simon Basten
10 hours ago
4 min read

Seven wins in a row

Lazio continue their triumphant march also beating Roman

Other games in January
Season 1913-14

The season so far

The formula for this season was the same as the previous one. Two main sections: a northern one made up of the three groups of ten teams with the top two of each group meeting in a final group to determine the northern winner, and a centre-south championship. The latter was made up of two groups, Tuscany and Lazio. The winners of the two regional groups would meet in a semi-final with the other semi made up of the two Neapolitan teams. The winners would meet in the centre-south championship final. The northern and southern champions would then meet to determine the national champion.

The previous season had seen Pro Vercelli beat Lazio in the final. There was no contest as the Piedmontese club were the strongest in Italy at the time. The best news however was the introduction of the centre-south Italian teams to the competition.

The Biancocelesti had played six games so far winning every single one. No competition but they had to continue this way.

The match: Sunday, January 18, 1914, Campo della Farnesina, Rome

Despite the far from perfect pitch, Roman started the game attacking furiously and Clemente Serventi was called upon more than once to salvage the situation. Lazio did not start well but during the course of the first half gained more and more control. In the 22nd minute the Biancocelesti scored. After a number of passes in the penalty box between Amedeo Coraggio and Angelo Zucchi II the move was finished off by Camillo Bona who made it 1-0.

The visitors reacted but Lazio were dominating and in the 43rd minute Fernando Saraceni dribbled past a couple of players and let loose a shot which beat Pasquale Lissone for the second time.

In the second half, Roman forced the Biancocelesti on the defensive, but Serventi managed to save everything. Lazio played on the counter attack and went close to 3-0 many times.

However, Arturo Meille managed to reduce the deficit before a Carlo Maranghi penalty sealed the final 3-1.

Another great win for the Biancocelesti but Roman definitely played well too.

Who played for Lazio

Serventi, Monetti, Levi II, Zucchi II, Coraggio, Di Napoli I, Saraceni I, Bona, Fioranti, Maranghi, Corelli

Manager: Baccani

Who played for Roman

Lissone, Cosimi, Pina, Pedoni, Talamone, Meda, Sassi, Albertazzi, Tommasina, Donati, Garuti

Referee: Pedroni

Goals: 22’ Bona, 43’ Saraceni, in the second half Meille, Maranghi (pen)

What happened next

Lazio won every single game in their group, easily qualifying for the semi-final. In the first semi-final between Lazio and SPES Livorno, the Biancocelesti won comfortably away from home 3-0 and then again 1-0 in the return match. In the Neapolitan clash, Internazionale Napoli prevailed over Naples 3-2 on aggregate.

In the first leg of the final, Lazio only won 1-0 at home but in the second they demolished Internazionale 8-0, qualifying for the national final for the second year running.

For the final it was clear to everybody that Casale were way stronger than Lazio and this is exactly what happened. The Piedmontese crushed the Biancocelesti 7-1 in the first leg and then 2-0 in Rome too.

It was however a great achievement for Lazio who were clearly the strongest team in the centre-south, but from a football point of view these clubs were still miles away from the rich northern ones and would be for quite some time.

Let’s talk about Carlo Maranghi

Born in Genoa on January 15 1888, Maranghi began his football career in the late 1900s, a time when organized competitions were still evolving. He first played for Andrea Doria in 1908, competing in Italy’s early top-level championship, the Prima Categoria. He later represented Spinola and Genoa CFC, gaining experience at some of the country’s earliest and most influential clubs.

In 1912, Maranghi moved to Rome to join Lazio, a club that was rapidly growing in prominence. His arrival coincided with Lazio’s rise on the national stage, and he quickly became a key member of the team. Known for his versatility, Maranghi was capable of playing both defensive and attacking roles, a valuable quality in an era with limited substitutions and tactical specialization. His commitment, physical resilience, and adaptability made him a respected figure within the squad.

Maranghi’s most significant sporting achievements came with Lazio, as he helped the club reach the Italian championship finals in both the 1912–13 and 1913–14 seasons. Although Lazio were defeated in those finals—first by Pro Vercelli and later by Casale—these appearances marked the club’s emergence as a national contender and remain landmark moments in its early history. His playing career was later disrupted by the outbreak of World War I, which interrupted Italian football and limited official competitions.

After retiring from active play in the early 1920s, Maranghi continued to serve Lazio off the field. During the 1923–24 season, he acted as vice-coach, contributing his experience and knowledge to the club’s technical development during a transitional period in Italian football.

Beyond sport, Carlo Maranghi pursued a successful career in medicine, becoming a surgeon—an uncommon dual path that reflected the amateur spirit of early footballers, who often balanced athletic pursuits with professional vocations. He died in Rome in 1940 at the age of 52.

He officially made 73 appearances with 21 goals but there were probably more of both.

Lazio Career

Season	Total appearances (goals)	First Category	First Division	Other
1912-13	4	4	-	-
1913-14	18 (11)	15 (10)	-	3 (1)
1914-15	15 (5)	13 (5)	-	2
1915-16	1	-	-	1
1916-17	5 (2)	-	-	5 (2)
1918-19	3	-	-	3
1919-20	18 (8)	11 (4)	-	7 (4)
1920-21	5 (1)	5 (1)	-	-
1921-22	4	-	4	-
Total	73 (27)	48 (20)	4	21 (7)