Lazio close season in fifth place
In the last match of the season Lazio win in Venice and consolidate fifth position
The season so far
In the previous season Lazio managed to avoid relegation in the last game of the season so for this one there was need for a change but the lack of money only allowed President Remo Zenobi three signings: Maximilliano Faotto, Bruno Camolese and Albanian Loro Borici. To compensate the expenditure, a few reserves left. Austrian Alexsander Popovic was the new manager.
The season had been a good one so far. At the end of the first half Lazio were ninth but in the second things improved considerably and Lazio had climbed to fourth place, shared with Genoa. There had been some very good wins, 5-0 to Bologna, 5-1 against Triestina and a 5-3 away win vs Milan. Lazio had beaten Inter, Milan and Juventus at least once, not a good season for the big three, but had lost the first derby and drawn the second.
Today’s match was the last of the season.
The match: Sunday June 14, 1942, Stadio Pierluigi Penzo, Venice
Venezia started the game strongly and Uber Gradella made some great saves in the first half on shots from Ezio Loich and Valentino Mazzola.
But in the second half Lazio scored. In the 53rd minute Silvio Piola set up Aldo Puccinelli for the Biancocelesti’s first goal and then yet another assist from Lazio’s star centre forward, just when Venezia were putting on more and more pressure on the Biancoceleste defence, allowed Giuseppe Baldo to double in the 84th minute.
Who played for Venezia
Fioravanti, Tortora, Di Gennaro, Arienti, Puppo, Stefanini, Begnini, Loik, Pernigo, Mazzola, Novello.
Manager: Rebuffo
Who played for Lazio
Gradella, Romagnoli II, Monza II, Fazio, Ramella, Ferri, Baldo, Pisa I, Piola, Flamini, Puccinelli
Manager: Popovic
Referee: Pizziolo
Goals: 53’ Puccinelli, 84’ Baldo
What happened next
Lazio finished 5th on equal points with Genoa but with a worse goal difference. The players with most appearances were Enrique Flamini and Alfredo Monza (32) and the leading goal scorer was obviously SIlvio Piola with 21.
Lazio 1941-42
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
Serie A | 30 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 55 |
Coppa Italia | 2 | 1 | - | 1 | 6 |
Total | 32 | 15 | 9 | 8 | 61 |
Top five appearances
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Flamini | 32 | 30 | 2 |
Monza | 32 | 30 | 2 |
Gradella | 31 | 29 | 2 |
Ramella | 30 | 28 | 2 |
Pisa | 29 | 27 | 2 |
Top five goal scorers
Player | Total | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
Piola | 21 | 18 | 3 |
Pisa | 14 | 14 | - |
Puccinelli | 9 | 9 | - |
Gualtieri | 6 | 4 | 2 |
Romagnoli II | 4 | 4 | - |
Baldo | 4 | 4 | - |
Let's talk about Alfredo Monza
Alfredo Monza was born in Busto Arsizio on August 12 1911. He started playing football in the youth teams of his local club, Pro Patria, and debuted in Serie A on March 19, 1930 against Pro Vercelli. He was part of the reserves for a couple of years but then promoted to the first team starting from 1931-32.
After relegation, he signed for Livorno where he played for a couple of seasons proving to be one of the best left backs in the country. While in Tuscany he also played for the Italian National B team.
He signed for Lazio in 1935. He would go on to play 222 consecutive league games for the Biancocelesti, one of the best Lazio left backs of all time. The only goal he scored for Lazio was one to remember. An amazing shot from 60 metres in a Lazio-Bologna on November 5 1939. He would play a total of 253 games for Lazio over 8 years. While in Rome he played another match with the Nazionale B against Czechoslovakia.
During the war, since he was in the army, he played in Northern Italy for Cremonese and Legnano, and ended his career with Vigevano, Crema and Rovereto.
With 376 Serie A total career appearances, he is one of the top 100 players with most games in the top tier.
After he retired he became a manager for L’Aquila for the 1953-54 season and then Pescara in 1957. In 1958 he was called to manage Lazio together with Dino Canestri and save the team from relegation which he did. In 1958-59 he was assistant to Fulvio Bernardini.
He invested his money in two hotels in Rome and remained in the capital. He never missed a Lazio game and occasionally also went to the away matches. In the 1970s he became very friendly with Luciano Re Cecconi.
In the last game of the triumphant 1973-74 scudetto season on May 19, 1974, Lazio had to play in Bologna and he went up to celebrate the title. On the road home in the early hours of May 20, there was a massive accident, as his bus with other supporters crashed into a lorry. Monza, as well as another two people, lost their lives.
Alfredo Monza was an exceptional player and wonderful human being. Above all, he was a Laziale.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Mitropa Cup |
1935-36 | 33 | 30 | 3 | - |
1936-37 | 36 | 30 | - | 6 |
1937-38 | 31 | 30 | 1 | - |
1938-39 | 32 | 30 | 2 | - |
1939-40 | 32 (1) | 30 (1) | 2 | - |
1940-41 | 30 | 26 | 4 | - |
1941-42 | 32 | 30 | 2 | - |
1942-43 | 27 | 24 | 3 | - |
Total | 253 (1) | 230 (1) | 17 | 6 |
Sources