June 21, 1931: Lazio-Triestina 1-0

Lazio Stories
Jun 21
7 min read

Ziroli shows the way

Both teams waste a series of chances before the Roman winger fires home three minutes from time

The season so far

Lazio had finished 15th the previous season. The manager was Ferenc Molnar briefly replaced by Pietro Piselli and then Molnar again. Top scorer was Luigi Ziroli with 11 league goals.

This season they had added Brazilian duo Octavio Fantoni II and Joāo Fantoni I (Cruzeiro), Aldo Mattei III and Giovanni Zanni (both from Juventus). Having left Lazio were Francesco Rier (Juventus) plus Luigi Saraceni and Ugo Ciabattini (both retired). The manager, Hungarian Ferenc Molnar, was confirmed but had been replaced from the 27th fixture, on May 10, by Cesare Migliorini. The new manager had won 3, drawn 1 (the derby 2-2) and lost 1 (Juventus 1-3 away). Then from the recent 32nd fixture Migliorini had been replaced by player Amílcar Barbuy and Lazio had lost 2-3 at Ambrosiana Inter.

Lazio were currently in joint 10th position with Brescia. The Biancocelesti therefore were in a carefree mid-table situation. They had won 13 (including Milan 1-0 and Legnano 2-0 away, Juventus 2-1 and Inter 1-0 at home), drawn 5 (including Roma 1-1 and 2-2) and lost 14.

Triestina had finished 16th the previous season on the same points as Lazio. The manager was Austrian manager Rudolf Soutschek. The Alabardati had won 11 (including Juventus 1-0 away), drawn 6 (including Lazio 3-3 at home and 0-0 away) and lost 17. The top scorer was Renato De Manzano with 11 league goals.

This season the manager was Hungarian István Tóth. The main new arrivals were: defender Elio Loschi (Udinese) and forwards Ettore Brossi (up from youth side), Gino Colaussi (Itala Gradisca) and Giovanni Rebolino (Rivarolese - Via Taranto).

Leaving Trieste were: defender Italo Righetti (FBC Liguria), midfielders Rudolf Plemich (retiring) and Aldo Vollono (Juventus) plus forwards Antonio Budini (Faenza), Giorgio Pitacco (Lecce) and Rodolfo Ostromann (Legnano).

Triestina were currently 14th on 24 points. With two games to go they were already safe with a seven-point cushion on 17th placed Livorno on 17. The Rossoalarbardati had won 8 (including Ambrosiana Inter 5-0, Lazio 2-1, Milan 3-1 all at home), drawn 8 (including recent 1-1 at Legnano) and lost 16.

An end of season with not much to say for either side, but Lazio higher in the table and keen to try and possibly finish 8th.

The match: Sunday, June 21, 1931, Stadio PNF, Rome

A hot and humid day brought just under 10,000 spectators to the P.N.F Stadium for a 5.35 p.m. kick-off. Today was the penultimate league fixture of the season but not Lazio's last home game.

Lazio were without winger Carlo Cevenini and forward Piero Pastore.

Triestina were missing goalkeeper Alessandro Bonetti and forward Gino Colaussi.

Lazio played in unusual Lilac shirts while Triestina played in their classic red.

The visiting "Muli" (Mules) had the upper hand in the first few minutes but Piero Pasinati and Renato De Manzano did not over trouble keeper Ezio Sclavi.

Lazio showed their faces in attack in the 4th minute and Luigi Ziroli tested Egidio Umer for the first time.

In the 8th minute Octavio Fantoni II went on a superb run but his initiative was then wasted by Gino Lamon. Lazio then had a series of corners but they produced nothing more than a Lamon header over the bar.

Both sides then had chances; a Mario Malatesta effort went just high and Pasinati threatened Sclavi following a Marino Furlani mistake.

Triestina then had a period of predominance with attempts by De Manzano saved and Bruno Castellani off target.

In the 26th minute Lazio stirred and Umer had to be alert on a Ziroli strike.

The visitors then took back control and in the 39th minute Sclavi saved on Nereo Rocco, in the 41st came out bravely on Pasinati and in the 42nd denied Rocco again.

In the 43rd minute Lazio had a sitter with Aldo Spivach who missed from close range with the keeper on the ground. The striker from Udine was imitated by Pasinati just before the referee blew for halftime, 0-0. Triestina would have been winning on points.

Lazio started the second half better and Spivach finally hit the target but Umer saved well. In the 51st minute João Fantoni I hit a shot wide following a counterattack, in the 52nd Ziroli did the same and in the 54th Umer blocked a Fantoni I attempt.

At this point Triestina reacted and came back into the game with force.

Sclavi was busy in the 57th minute on Rocco and in the 59th on De Manzano while in the 70th Orlando Tognotti headed away what looked like a sure goal by Pasinati.

Lazio interrupted the flow of play in the 75th minute but Umer showed feline qualities to deny a combination between the two Fantoni cousins.

In the 79th minute Lazio insisted but an inviting freekick by Ziroli was not exploited by Spivach. Umer was busy again in the 83rd minute following a corner.

Triestina then had a period of pressure in which, in the space of three minutes, Sclavi was called into action on Castellani and Rocco.

In the 87th came the breakthrough and it came for Lazio. Fantoni II fed Lamon who crossed, defender Lorenzo Gazzari messed up but so did Spivach, fortunately Ziroli resolved the comedy of errors and fired and unstoppable shot past Umer, 1-0.

Triestina were momentarily rattled and Lamon forced Umer to limit the damage.

In the last few minutes, the Alabardati regrouped and attacked. A De Manzano powerful strike was deflected into corner and then Tognotti walled a last Castellani effort. The referee Gama then whistled for full-time: Lazio 1 Triestina 0.

Not a bad game to be at the end of the season and with neither team having great motivations. Lazio had snatched the two points but the visitors had played well and a point each would have been fairer. Both sides had several goal-scoring chances but their forwards were wasteful. Luckily, for Lazio, Ziroli saved the day.

Lazio were now 8th, on 33 points with Modena.

Triestina were still 14th, on 24 points.

Who played for Lazio

Sclavi, Tognotti, Mattei II, Pardini, Furlani, Fantoni II, Ziroli, Fantoni I, Spivach, Malatesta, Lamon

Manager: Barbuy

Who played for Triestina

Umer, Gazzari, Loschi, Cuffersin, Rigotti, Villini, Castellani, Pasinati, De Manzano, Capitanio, Rocco

Manager: Toth

Referee: Gama

Goal: 87' Ziroli

What happened next

Lazio then won their last game 2-0 at home against Modena and finished solitary 8th, on 35 points. The top scorer was Piero Pastore with 13 league goals.

Triestina then drew with Genova 1893 1-1 at home and ended 14th, on 25 points. The top scorer was De Manzano with 10 league goals.

The Scudetto was won by Juventus for the 3rd time. The two teams going down were Legnano and Livorno.

Let's talk about Luigi Ziroli

Luigi Ziroli was born in Rome on September 27, 1903.

He started playing as a youngster with Roman club Juventus Audax but in 1924, at 21, he joined S.S Alba.

In 1924-25 the Romans won the Lazio regional group, the Lega Sud semi-finals and then the Sud final beating Anconitana. They thus qualified for the national final but lost to Bologna 0-6 on aggregate.

In 1925-26 the Albini again qualified for the national final but this time lost to Juventus 1-12 on aggregate.

In 1926 SS Alba merged with another Roman club, Audace Roma, and became Unione Sportiva Alba Audace.

In 1926-27 Alba Audace finished 9th in the Divisione Nazionale and were relegated. At the end of the season however, Alba merged with Fortitudo Pro Roma and Roman to form the new A.S Roma. This was a decision promoted by the fascist party for Rome to have one single strong club to contrast the powerful and seemingly unbeatable northern clubs. Fortunately, Lazio managed to avoid the merger and remained fiercely independent and proud.

In his three seasons with Alba/Audace, Ziroli played 49 league games and scored 19 goals.

In 1927-28 he found himself playing for the newly formed Giallorossi. Roma finished 8th in the B group of the Divisione Nazionale so did not qualify for the title group. They then won the CONI Cup (for the teams excluded from the title race). Ziroli played 19 league games with 3 goals (Livorno, La Dominante x2) and 7 games in the CONI Cup.

In 1928 he left the capital and joined Venezia. The Venetians were in the Divisione Nazionale but finished 11th and were relegated, under Hungarian manager Antal Mally. Ziroli played 18 league games and scored 10 goals.

In 1929 he returned to Rome and joined Lazio. It was the season of the first ever single national Serie A. The manager was first Ferenc Molnár then Pietro Piselli and then Molnár again and Lazio finished 15th. Ziroli played 31 league games and was top scorer with 11 goals (Cremonese x3, Padova x2, Bologna, Genova, Alessandria, Ambrosiana-Inter, Modena, Torino).

In 1930-31 Lazio did better and finished 8th. They had three different managers, Ferenc Molnár, Cesare Migliorini and finally Amílcar. The highlights were beating Juventus 2-1 and Inter 1-0 at home and Milan 1-0 away while both derbies were draws. Ziroli played 28 league games with 2 goals (Ambrosiana-Inter, Triestina).

Ziroli then left Rome and joined Palermo where he stayed nine seasons. The Rosanero immediately won promotion to Serie A. They then finished 13th, 12th, 7th, 15th (relegated), 7th, 7th, 7th and 14th. Ziroli played 194 league games with 9 goals. His lower goal scoring rate was due to the fact that in Sicily he played mainly as full-back. His managers included, future Lazio, Tony Cargnelli plus Hungarians Gyula Feldmann, Karoly Csapkay, Gyula Lelovics and Árpád Hajós.

Ziroli then spent one last season, in 1940-41, with Mater, a local Roman club who were in Serie C (in 41-42 they even got promoted to B). He then retired at 37.

Ziroli started as a left winger but then moved to full-back at Palermo.

At Lazio he stayed two seasons. He was nicknamed "Ziroletto" and was a popular player. He was very prolific in his first season with 11 goals. He played a total of 59 games for Lazio with 13 goals.

Luigi Ziroli died in Rome on July 6, 1968.