January 22, 1956: Lazio Fiorentina 2-2

Simon Basten
Jan 22
4 min read

A great comeback

Oliveri with a brace in the second half gives Lazio a deserved point

Other games in January
Season 1955-56

The season so far

After the mediocre 1954-55 season, Lazio realised that they had to do more as far as transfers were concerned. So, for the current campionato Lazio spent a lot of money. In came forwards Arne Selmosson and Lorenzo Bettini from Udinese plus Ermes Muccinelli from Juventus, defenders Giovanni Molino (Torino) and Nicola Lo Buono (Trani). Roberto Lovati and Franco Carradori returned from their loan spells at Torino and Palermo. Leaving Lazio were legends Aldo Puccinelli and Romolo Alzani as well as Per Bredesen, Vittorio Bergamo and Renato Spurio. Carlo Parola left active football but stayed as assistant to manager Luigi Ferrero. The technical director was still Roberto Copernico.

It had not been a good season so far. Lazio were 12th on 14 points together with Inter and Genoa, just three points above the relegation zone. They had won five games but three away from home, including a great win in Milan against Inter. Jesse Carver, who had previously managed Juventus, Torino and Roma, had come in as new technical director in place of Roberto Copernico but had also taken over the manager role since Luigi Ferrero had resigned.

The match: Sunday, January 22, 1956, Stadio Olimpico, Rome

Fiorentina weathered the storm in the first half, emerging unscathed from a period that could easily have ended with a heavy deficit, given Lazio’s impressive attacking display. By the 20th minute of the second half, the Viola had rather fortuitously opened up a two-goal lead and appeared to have the match under control.

At that point, however, the Tuscans made the fatal mistake of believing the contest already decided. They slowed the pace of their play, allowing Lazio to mount a fierce and determined comeback. Fiorentina—now held to their third consecutive draw—performed well below their established reputation, reinforcing the impression, already circulating in recent days, that Fulvio Bernardini’s side may be showing the early, if still latent, signs of a downturn.

Lazio had dominated the opening stages and came close on two occasions to turning their superiority into goals. In the 7th minute Arne Selmosson, clean through on Giuliano Sarti, failed to find the target, and in the 16th Ermes Muccinelli’s effort was dramatically cleared off the line by the young Giampiero Bartoli, deputizing for Ardico Magnini.

The turning point came in the 8th minute of the second half. Against the run of play, Maurilio Prini broke clear, reached the by-line, and delivered a pinpoint cross for Giuseppe Virgili, who had the simplest of finishes.

Prini was again the provider in the 65th minute, swinging in a cross from left to right that found Botelho Julinho in space; the Brazilian struck first time to double the lead.

Lazio appeared beaten, but they refused to surrender.

In the 73rd minute Rinaldo Olivieri pulled one back with a spectacular overhead kick on a Selmosson cross. Lazio believed they could do it and pressed on. Just two minutes later Olivieri struck again, rising to head Muccinelli’s cross past a statuesque Sarti.

Fiorentina at this point threw caution to the wind and attacked. The Biancocelesti moved back. Roberto Lovati saved on Michelangelo Montuori and in the 85th minute Selmosson raced towards the penalty box. He went in and Giuseppe Chiappella decided he wanted a souvenir from the match grasping the Swede’s jersey. It should have been penalty but the ref was not impressed.

At this point the two teams called it a day, satisfied with the point. A great performance from Lazio, despite the black out that allowed the Viola to go ahead.

Who played for Lazio

Lovati, Molino, Di Veroli, Burini, Sentimenti V, Carradori, Muccinelli, Selmosson, Bettini, Martegani, Olivieri

Manager: Carver

Who played for Fiorentina

Sarti, Bartoli, Cervato, Chiappella, Rosetta, Segato, Julinho, Gratton, Virgili, Montuori, Prini Manager: Bernardini

Referee: Jonni

Goals: 53' Virgili, 64' Julinho, 72’ Olivieri, 74' Olivieri

What happened next

Things went decisively better under Jesse Carver and the Biancocelesti started to climb up thanks also to a table that had a lot of teams within just a few points. After match 26 they were fourth together with Atalanta, Spal, Roma, Padova, and Sampdoria. Third place was reached three games from the end of the season and then maintained (in the company of Inter). Lazio had beaten Bologna, Inter, Milan and Napoli away from home plus Roma and Juventus at the Olimpico.

The interesting fact was that the game against Roma had been postponed due to snow, something that happens very rarely in the capital.

Selmosson was the player with most appearances (34) and the leading goal scorer together with Muccinelli (10).

Let’s talk about Rinaldo Olivieri

Rinaldo Olivieri was born in San Benedetto del Tronto, on January 1, 1935.

He started to play football in his hometown and was noticed by Spal after 15 appearances and two goals in Serie C. He did not have great technique but was certainly a goal scorer, one of those forwards who was always in the right spot at the right time.

He stayed two years in Ferrara becoming an idol. After having saved the club from relegation in a playoff in 1955, in the summer he was sold to Lazio in exchange of a lot of money plus Sivgard Löfgren. He did not play much, just 11 appearances with four goals, but he did play more for the reserves team that won the scudetto (14 games, 6 goals).

In 1956 he signed for Triestina. That year they were relegated but he stayed on and in the next season they won the Serie B league and got promoted back to Serie A. In 1958 he left for Atalanta who were in Serie B. Another promotion and four consecutive Serie A campaigns in his five seasons in Bergamo. In 1963 he returned home to Sambenedettese in Serie C, was top scorer in the third tier and then in 1965 he decided to retire.

Olivieri played one game for Italy Under 21s.

Once he stopped playing he tried a managerial career and was head coach at Sora for one season in 1971-72.

He died on February 5, 1991.