Great win for the Biancocelesti
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Two goals in the first 20 minutes give Lazio a precious victory.
Also on this day: March 3, 1991, Lazio Juventus 1-0. Forever the gentleman, Zoff jumped off his bench at the final whistle only to regain his composure within seconds, after a Riedle header had given him the satisfaction of beating his former team. Player of the day: Pedro Troglio
The season so far
The previous year Lazio had arrived tenth. The club’s main objective had been to have a comfortable year and to avoid relegation, so in the end mission accomplished. For the 1934-35 season the club was more ambitious. The Biancocelesti had signed a promising centre forward from Pro Vercelli, Silvio Piola, another forward Felice Levratto plus midfielder Giuseppe Viani from Ambrosiana Inter, goalkeeper Giacomo Blason from Triestina and the World Champion Attilio Ferraris IV. Leaving Lazio were Pietro Buscaglia (Torino), Bruno Bedosti (Anconitana), Duilio Salatin and Pepe (Brazil), Giovanni Battioni and Augusto Mattei (Aquila), Mario Tonali (Pisa) and Raggio Montanari (Foggia).
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The season had started very well. After the first five games, Lazio had won them all except one, beating Livorno 6-1 and Juventus 5-3, and were top of the table together with Fiorentina. But after the draw in the derby, the Biancocelesti lost four consecutive games. They then won three out of four and lost the last match of the first half of the season 1-0 against Ambrosiana Inter. They were sixth together with Triestina.
Unfortunately, the year would be characterised by the death of Ottavio Fantoni II, cousin of Joao Fantoni I. During the game against Torino on January 20 he injured his nose. It seemed nothing particularly serious but the injury caused an infection. After two weeks of great suffering, Fantoni II died.
After beating Livorno and drawing at home with Triestina, the Biancocelesti were currently fifth.
The match: Sunday, March 3, 1935, Stadio Littoriale, Bologna
Lazio started well and after just two minutes they were already ahead. Attilio Ferraris IV passed the ball to Felice Levratto who sent a cross in the box. Joao Fantoni I got there first and scored.
Bologna reacted and a Carlo Reguzzoni-Bruno Maini one-two allowed the latter to shoot at goal but Giacomo Blason managed to parry. The Lazio goalkeeper repeated himself in the 11th minute off an Angelo Schiavo free kick. In the 21st minute Ferraris IV passed to Levratto who beat Gastone Martelli for speed and hammered the ball towards the goal. The violent shot hit the inside post and went in. 2-0 for the Biancocelesti.
The Rossoblu reduced the deficit in the 33rd minute. Giordano Corsi passed to Rafael Sansone who managed to dribble past Francesco Gabriotti and pass to Francisco Fedullo who, with a powerful shot, beat Blason. In the 41st minute a possible game changer. Levratto, for a foul on Martelli, was sent off.
In the second half, Bologna doubled their efforts but the Biancoceleste defence managed to hold steady. In the 60th minute a bicycle kick from Reguzzoni was saved by Blason. In the 75th minute the referee showed the red card to Corsi. Bologna tried to knock down the Lazio defensive wall but to no avail.
Great win for the Biancocelesti
Who played for Bologna
Gianni, Fiorini, Bernardi, Martelli II, Donati, Corsi, Maini, Sansone, Schiavio, Fedullo, Reguzzoni.
Manager: Weisz
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Who played for Lazio
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Blason, Menegazzi, Serafini, Viani I, Ferraris IV, Gabriotti, Demaria, Fantoni I, Piola, Bisigato, Levratto
Manager: Alt
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Referee: Scotto
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Goals: 2’ Fantoni I, 21’ Levratto, 33’ Fedullo
What happened next
Lazio had an excellent attack but not such a good defence. There had been some heavy defeats (6-1 against Juventus away but also 4-1 and 5-3 at home against Milan and Fiorentina). However, the wins against Juventus, Napoli and Inter at home had shown that Lazio could compete with the stronger clubs. Lazio also beat Pro Vercelli 6-0. The Biancocelesti finished 5th.
Ferraris IV was the player with most appearances (30), Piola with the most goals (21)
Lazio 1934-35
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals Scored |
Serie A | 30 | 13 | 6 | 11 | 55 |
Top five appearances
Player | Serie A |
Ferraris IV | 30 |
Bisigato | 29 |
Blason | 29 |
Piola | 29 |
Viani | 28 |
Top five goalscorers
Player | Goals |
Piola | 21 |
Fantoni I | 8 |
Guarisi | 8 |
Bisigato | 5 |
Levratto | 4 |
Dimaria | 4 |
Let's talk about Virgilio Felice Levratto
Virgilio Felice Levratto is a mythical figure in the Italian football world. His shot was so powerful that he often broke the goal and he was nicknamed Sfondareti (goal breaker).
Born on October 26 1904 at Carcare near Savona, Levratto started playing football at a very young age for Savoja Vado Ligure first and then for Lampos Vado Ligure. He was very well-known locally and news of this incredibly powerful youngster obviously arrived to Nicolò Campetta, president of Football Club Vado. At 14 Virgilio Felice signed his first semi-professional contract. It was 1918, the first World War was over and the national football competitions returned after the war break. Vado were in the Third Division.
In 1922 Vado played the first Coppa Italia and they reached the final against Udinese, which was played on July 16, 1922 at Vado. The match ended goalless so they continued playing. The first to score would win the Cup but only until sundown. If it was still goalless the match would be repeated in Udine. Udinese decided to go for the draw, but Levratto got the ball, dribbled past two defenders and then gave the ball an almighty whack, that not only finished in the top hand corner but was so powerful that it broke the net. A legend had just been created.
Despite playing in the Second Division, he was called by Vittorio Pozzo to play in the Olympic Games of 1924 in Paris. In the game against Luxemburg, one of his shots hit the goalkeeper, Etienne Bauch, in the face. He started bleeding from the mouth. The shot had caused a deep cut to the goalkeeper’s tongue. The medics managed to stitch it together and Bauch went back in goal. Shortly after Bauch was faced by Levratto yet again. What should he do? Be brave or run away? He chose the second option and Levratto, taking pity on the poor chap, deliberately kicked the ball wide.
He left Vado in 1924 and moved to Verona. After a year he was back in Liguria and played for Genoa 1893. He stayed with the Rossoblu for seven seasons with 188 appearances and 84 goals. In 1932 he signed for Ambrosiana Inter and in 1934 he moved to Rome to play for Lazio. He stayed two years with Lazio playing alongside Silvio Piola. He made 53 appearances and scored 9 goals.
He then ended his career with Savona where he played his final years and helped them win the Serie C championship in 1939-40.
He played 28 games for Italy with 11 goals, winning a bronze medal in the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam.
When he finished playing, he became a manager and coached, among others, Savona, Messina and Lecce. He was assistant to Fulvio Bernardini at Fiorentina from 1953 to 1958 and won the scudetto in 1955-56.
In 1959 he became the protagonist of an Italian song. A famous popular quartet in Italy, Quartetto Cetra, got to know him and wrote a song about an imaginary player, named Spartaco, who was so good, he was better than Levratto.
Levratto died in Genoa on June 30, 1968. He was a mythical player and despite the fact that he did not really win much, he became a legend that still lives on today.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia |
1934-35 | 23 (4) | 23 (4) | - |
1935-36 | 30 (5) | 27 (4) | 3 (1) |
Total | 53 (9) | 50 (8) | 3 (1) |
Sources