Lazio win the reserves’ scudetto

Simon Basten
Jun 20, 2024
2 min read

Season 1955-56

Game 6, Final Group Stage, Cadetti League

Wednesday, June 20, 1956

Stadio Torino, Rome

Lazio Juventus 3-1

Lazio reserves beat Juventus and win a deserved scudetto

The Cadetti League was a tournament for the reserves created by the Italian Professional League in 1954 for Serie A and B teams and played mid-week. It was compulsory to participate. Each team could use a maximum of three players who had played the previous weekend.

There had been a reserves league which had been played for seven years until 1934-35. In 1952-53 it returned and had been won by Lazio in a final group with Fanfulla, Milan and Bologna. It was substituted by the Cadetti League.

In the 1955-56 season Lazio had qualified with Fiorentina from their geographical group which was made up of Roma, Livorno, Bologna, Prato and the Viola. They had won 5, drawn 2 and lost 3.

Then there was a semi-final group with Fiorentina, Salernitana and Bari which Lazio topped winning four, drawing one and losing the last game.

This led to a final group with Brescia, Milan and Juventus. Lazio were first on eight points after beating Brescia away, Milan both at home and away, drawn in Turin with Juve and at home with Brescia.

Today was the last game. Victory would mean scudetto.

The match

Lazio went in front almost immediately. Rinaldo Olivieri on the right crossed into the box and Giorgio Bravi had no difficulty in putting Lazio ahead.

Juventus tried a comeback and in the 8th minute first Giampiero Bandini and then Attilio Giovannini limited a Luca Frateschi attempt. After this the Biancocelesti went for a second but shots from Mario Deotto, Enrique Martegani and Franco Carradori were parried by Carlo Mattrel. But on the half hour the Juve keeper could do nothing on a splendid shot from Nicola Lo Buono who was playing in midfield today.

The game faded with the exception of a marvellous bicycle kick from Giovannini in the 40th minute that went just wide.

Juventus put their foot on the accelerator in the second half and reduced the deficit with Angelo Caroli in the 62nd minute. But with one minute left in the match Olivieri made it three, giving Lazio their second Reserves title after the 1952-53 victory.

Who played for Lazio

Bandini, Spurio, Di Veroli, Conio, Giovannini (39’ Napoleoni), Carradori, Bravi, Deotto, Martegani, Lo Buono, Olivieri