Fourth consecutive win as Lazio conquer Naples
Despite the misleading final score, a hard-fought match eases Lazio towards Lega Sud Final and potential national glory
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had finished 4th in the Lazio regional group so did not qualify for the next stage of the First Division Championship. Lazio's manager was Guido Baccani and Serie A was won by Pro Vercelli for their 7th title.
This season Baccani had been confirmed as usual, and things were going better. Lazio had won the Lazio regional group with 8 wins, 1 draw and one defeat. They had therefore progressed to the Lega Sud Interregional Semifinal group consisting of four teams (Internaples, Libertas Palermo and Ideale Bari). Lazio had won all three matches so far (Napoli 4-0, Libertas Palermo 3-2 and Ideale Bari 3-0). The winner of the group would then play the Lega Sud Final to get to the National Final for the Scudetto.
Internaples was a new club. It was formed in 1922 with a merger between Naples and Internazionale Napoli, so this was their first Serie A competition. In the Campania regional group the Biancazzurri had played 8 games, winning 5 (2 by adjudication, one for crowd trouble and one for the opposition not showing up), drawing 1 and losing 1, arriving second behind Savoia Torre Annunziata. In the Semi Final phase the Neapolitans had so far lost all three (Lazio 0-4, Ideale Bari 0-1 and Libertas Palermo 1-2).
Today was the first of the three return matches to decide who progressed to the Lega Sud Final. Lazio were clear favourites.
The match: Sunday, May 27, 1923, Stadio Militare dell'Arenaccia, Naples
A big crowd turned out for this match, on a hot May day.
The Neapolitans came out on the attack. Lazio goalkeeper Ettore Agazzini immediately showed his good form with several excellent saves. He was then lucky when Vincenzo Valente hit the post from close range, the ball then reached Osvaldo Sacchi who, with the keeper down, managed to hit the same post again.
After these initial threats, Lazio changed gear and started to react. The Romans became increasingly dangerous with swift moves by top scorer Fulvio Bernardini, Augusto Faccani, Dante Filippi and Aldo Fraschetti. In the 13th minute Lazio took the lead. Pio Maneschi skilfully went round defender Claar II and scored, 1-0 Lazio.
After this lively start the game slowed down. It remained balanced but without the intensity and goal scoring chances of the opening fifteen minutes. Half time Internaples 0 Lazio 1.
The second half too saw Lazio unable to show their superiority and the game remained open. Internaples increasingly pushed forward looking for an equaliser. In the 78th minute a big chance came to Sacchi but Agazzini saved. Then, a minute later, came a huge opportunity for the Campani. The referee awarded a penalty for an infringement by Ugo Dosio. Swiss Jean Steiger stepped up but Agazzini pulled off an excellent save (Steiger would later be one of newly formed Napoli's early managers in 1927).
The missed penalty completely demoralised the locals. Their heads dropped and Lazio took advantage. In the 83rd minute Maneschi got his second and doubled Lazio’s lead. Two minutes later "Fuffo" Bernardini definitely closed the contest.
The score line was flattering for Lazio. It had been far from easy but the important thing was their fourth consecutive win. They were on target for possible national glory. Special mentions were due to Fernando Saraceni I and Dosio, who had defended brilliantly, and of course to Agazzini.
Who played for Napoli
Cavalli, Steiger, Claar II, Fiori, Jaquinto, Cafaggi, Fariello, Ghisi II, Pastore, Gigliesi, Sacchi
Who played for Lazio
Agazzini, Dosio, Saraceni (I), Faccani, Parboni, Orazi, (I), Fraschetti, Filippi, Bernardini, Maneschi, Saraceni (II)
Manager: Baccani
Referee: Lucignano
Goals: 13' Maneschi, 83' Maneschi, 85' Bernardini
What happened next
A week later Lazio beat Palermo 10-2, with 5 goals by Bernardini. It must be said however, that the Rosaneri had started in ten men and were soon reduced, through injury, to nine, when they were 1-0 up. Lazio then beat Ideale Bari 6-0 to reach the Lega Sud Final.
On June 24, Lazio drew 3-3 away at Savoia Torre Annunziata (after being 3-1 down). The return game in Rome, on July 1, was easier and Lazio triumphed 4-1 (with a Bernardini hat-trick). This meant Lazio would play Genoa for the Scudetto in a two-legged final.
Unfortunately, the Liguri proved to be superior and won both games, 4-1 and 2-0. Especially in the second game, Lazio played extremely well and were applauded off by their fans. The Biancocelesti had gone close again to the Scudetto but would have to wait a little longer … Lazio’s top scorer was Fulvio Bernardini with 24 goals.
Internaples did not show up for their next game against Ideal Bari and then lost the last one 2-1 away to Libertas Palermo.
Lazio 1922-23
Competition | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | Goals scored |
First division | 20 | 15 | 2 | 3 | 65 |
Top five appearances
Player | First Division |
Agazzani | 20 |
Saraceni I | 20 |
Fraschetti | 20 |
Filippi | 20 |
Bernardini | 20 |
Maneschi | 20 |
Top five goal scorers
Player | First Division |
Bernardini | 20 |
Filippi | 15 |
Maneschi | 14 |
Regazzoni | 4 |
Fraschetti | 3 |
Let’s talk about Pio Maneschi
Pio Maneschi was born in Secondigliano (Naples), on January 25, 1898.
At 18 he joined Lazio. He started playing regularly from 1918 after the war period. He stayed at Lazio until 1925. In his first six years he was always coached by Guido Baccani (he was at Lazio 17 years). Lazio went close to winning the title in 1923, reaching the Finale Nazionale but losing to Genoa.
In Maneschi's final year at Lazio in 1924-25, the manager finally changed and in came Hungarian Dezső Kőszegi. The Biancocelesti went close to reaching another final but lost a Lega Sud semifinal play-off to Anconitana 1-0 (the Marchigiani then lost to Alba Roma, who were then defeated by champions Bologna, 6-0 on aggregate).
In these years Maneschi played 56 league games (there were far fewer games then) and scored an impressive 20 goals.
In 1925 he stayed in Rome but joined Alba Roma (which in 1926 became Alba Audace). His move was helped by promises of wages by the then president Albino Farneti. In his first year the Biancoverdi reached the national final. In the Lega Sud final Maneschi scored two goals against Internaples. In the Scudetto matches Juventus proved too strong and won 12-1 on aggregate. In his second year the fascist regime imposed the first proper national league. Two groups of ten teams competed and the top three in each went on to a mini league to award the title. Alba came 9th and were relegated. The Scudetto was won by Torino but was then taken away for match fixing… obviously not a modern invention.
In his two seasons with Alba Audace, Maneschi played 18 games and scored 6 goals.
In 1927 Alba merged with other local teams and formed A.S Roma. Maneschi returned to Lazio, who had refused to join the new club and remained proudly independent. He stayed two more seasons but only played 6 games. His first manager was Austrian Franz Sedlacek but the following season he was sacked early on and replaced by Fernando Saraceni, then Augusto Rangone and finally Hungarian Ferenc Molnar. All these changes did not prevent Lazio from qualifying for the following year's first single table edition of Serie A.
In 1929 Maneschi joined Viterbo in the second division South. A year later he played a final season with Ilva Bagnolese, in his hometown of Naples.
Maneschi was an attacking midfielder and was known for his physical strength. In Rome he was nicknamed "Er Braciola" (Pork Chop). He was versatile and was sometimes used in central defence. He was tactically intelligent and at Lazio especially had a good goal scoring rate. He never won a Scudetto but reached two finals, Lazio 1923 and Alba Audace 1926.
He died in Rome on May 17, 1970
Sources