May 31, 1942: Milan-Lazio 2-5
- Dag Jenkins
- 2 days ago
- 10 min read
Historic thrashing of Rossoneri in Milan
A Puccinelli hat-trick and a Piola double give Lazio a score line for the history books
Also on this day:
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had finished 14th (out of 16) so only narrowly escaped relegation. They had three different managers: Hungarian Géza Kertész (1-6), compatriot Ferenc Molnár (7-17) and Dino Canestri (18-30). The highlight was beating Roma 2-0 with two goals by Silvio Piola, the other derby was 1-1. Lazio reached the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia after eliminating Triestina, Milan and Spezia but then lost to Venezia 1-3 away. Top scorer was Piola with 10 league goals.
This season the manager was Austrian Alexander Popovic and things were going better. The main new players were: defender Maximiliano Faotto (back from Napoli), midfielder Bruno Camolese (back from Vicenza) and Albanian forward Loro Boriçi (Vllaznia Scutari).
Leaving were: midfielder Vittorio Dagianti (Salernitana) and forward Umberto Lombardini (Ala Littoria - on loan).
So not many important changes to the squad but Lazio were currently joint 4th with Genoa on 31 points. The Biancocelesti had won 11 (including Bologna 5-1, Triestina 5-0, Juventus 2-1 at home and Inter 1-0 away), drawn 9 (including Milano 2-2 and derby 1-1 only a week earlier) and lost 7 (including first derby 1-2). Lazio were unbeaten in the last five matches and the recent point against high flying Roma confirmed their good state of form.
In the Coppa Italia the Biancocelesti had been eliminated by today's opponents Milano (A.C Milan) 2-4 in the last 16.
Milano (A.C Milan temporarily Italianized for political reasons) had finished 3rd under Guido Ara. The Rossoneri had drawn 0-0 away to Lazio but won 3-0 at home. Top scorer was Aldo Boffi with 18 goals (16 in A).
This season the manager was former player Mario Magnozzi (1930-33). The main new arrivals were: goalkeeper Giovanni Rossetti (Redaelli), defender Franco Ventura (Seregno), midfielders Luigi Rosellini (Napoli), Ernesto Sandroni (Savona) plus forward Angelo Bollano (Liguria).
Leaving were goalkeeper Egidio Micheloni (Juventus), defender Bruno Berra (Napoli), midfielder Umberto Menti (Napoli) plus forward Pietro Buscaglia (Savona).
In Serie A Milan were currently 9th on 26 points. They had won 10 (including derby 2-1), drawn 6 (including Lazio 2-2) and lost 11. A week earlier they had lost 0-1 away to Sampierdarenese and were winless in the last four games.
In Coppa Italia the Rossoneri were through to the final to be played on June 21 and 28 against Juventus. They had eliminated Fiorentina 4-1, Lazio 4-2, Reggiana 6-0 and Venezia 2-1, all at home.
The match: Sunday, May 31, 1942, Arena Civica, Milan
A cloudy day in Milan saw just under 10,000 spectators gather at the old Arena Civica built in 1807.
Milano were without defender Enrico Boniforti plus forwards Aldo Boffi and Giuseppe Meazza. The Rossoneri fielded two future Lazio players: Leandro Remondini (1945-48) and Paolo Todeschini (1948-49 and manager in 1961-62) while Ernesto Sandroni would play in the Teresa Herrera Trophy and the semi-final of the Latin Cup in the summer of 1950, on a brief loan from Venezia.
Lazio were missing Argentine midfielders Alberto Fazio and Salvador Gualtieri.
In the early stages the teams missed a chance each. First Gino Cappello for Milano was off target and then Aldo Puccinelli shot just wide for Lazio.
The first goal of the game came in the 14th minute. Silvio Piola was surrounded by several defenders but intelligently managed to square the ball to Puccinelli who had no problem scoring. Milano 0 Lazio 1.
Milano went close to equalising in the 18th minute but Uber Gradella saved from a Cappello header. A minute later however the forward was more successful when he volleyed in a Giorgio Granata cross. Milano 1 Lazio 1.
The score only remained level for three minutes. Piola again set up Puccinelli in the middle of the area and his shot hit the inside of the post and went in. Milano 1 Lazio 2.
Lazio's lead lasted even less. A minute later Granata put a through ball to Cappello who surged forward and beat Gradella coming off his line.
Lazio took back the lead in the 34th minute. This time it was Puccinelli who repaid Piola's previous favours by teeing up the Piedmontese striker in front of goal for an easy close-range finish. Milano 2 Lazio 3.
Lazio then scored another but it was disallowed for a dubious offside while Milano went close to levelling but Granata missed a seemingly easy close-range chance. Halftime with the Romans in front in an exciting game.
In the second half for at least fifteen minutes it was all Milano. The Rossoneri pushed forward with all their energy and Lazio were forced on the defensive. The hosts had shots by Paolo Todeschini and Cappello saved by Gradella who then did well on a venomous Luigi Rosellini corner.
In the 62nd minute however it was Lazio who scored again. Piola got away from Giuseppe Vannucci and still running, fired an unstoppable shot past Giovanni Rossetti. Milano 2 Lazio 4.
Lazio were on a high and in the 73rd minute made it five. It was with a solo effort by Puccinelli, he ran forward juggling the ball with his head several times and then drilled the ball into the net. A brilliant goal and Milano 2 Lazio 5.
In the last fifteen minutes the home side tried to make the score line more respectable with Granata and Cappello but Gradella was on top form. Lazio could have increased their lead too but Piola seemed to have decided the devil had suffered enough. Final score Milano 2 Lazio 5.
A great win for Lazio. Piola and Puccinelli had combined superbly and humiliated a weak Milano defence. The midfielders Luciano Ramella and Enrique Flamini had also put in excellent performances. A win with a three-goal margin away to Milan was something which would not happen often in Lazio's history (in fact against the Rossoneri had only occurred in 1934-35 and after today has never happened again).
For now, the Biancocelesti were still 4th with Genoa on 33 points but had gained a point on 6th placed Juventus.
Milano were still 9th on 26 points.
Who played for Milan
Rossetti, Remondini, Toppan, Antonini, Vannucci, Sandroni, Bollano, Todeschini, Cappello IV, Granata, Rosellini
Manager: Magnozzi
Who played for Lazio
Gradella, Romagnoli II, Monza II, Camolese, Ramella, Ferri, Baldo, Pisa I, Piola, Flamini, Puccinelli
Manager: Popovic
Referee: Galeati
Goals: 14' Puccinelli, 19' Cappello IV, 22' Puccinelli, 23' Cappello IV, 34' Piola, 62' Piola, 73' Puccinelli
What happened next
Lazio finished joint 4th with Genoa. In the last two matches the Biancocelesti beat Atalanta 2-1 at home and Venezia 2-0 away and ended with 37 points. Top scorer was Piola with 21 goals (18 in A).
Milan finished joint 9th with Fiorentina and Sampierdarenese on 27 points. A week later the Rossoneri drew the derby 2-2 and then lost 0-2 at home to Livorno. Top scorer was Boffi with 28 goals (22 in A).
Milan then lost the Coppa Italia final to Juventus 2-5 on aggregate.
The Scudetto was won by Roma while Napoli and Modena went down to Serie B.
A brief history of A.C Milan
Milan were founded in 1899 as Milan Football and Cricket Club. The club was formed by a group of Englishmen and Italians, including the first president Alfred Edwards.
In 1900 they joined the FIF, Italian Football Federation and in 1901 won their first Scudetto. They won the title again in 1906 and 1907.
In 1908 some of the members, in disagreement with the policy not to have foreign players, left the club and founded the Football Club Internazionale Milano (modern day Inter).
In 1919 the Rossoneri became Milan Football Club. In 1926 the San Siro stadium was built while Inter played at the Arena Civica.
In 1936 they became Milan Associazione Sportiva and in 1945 Associazione Calcio Milan.
In 1951 they won their 4th Scudetto and the Latin Cup. These were the years of great Swedish trio Gre-No-Li, Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm. More league titles followed in 1955, 1957, 1959 and 1962 (with José Altafini as top scorer).
In 1963 they won their first European Cup, under Nereo Rocco, defeating Eusebio's Benfica 2-1 at Wembley. These were the years of a rising star, Gianni Rivera.
In 1967 they won their first Coppa Italia, under Arturo Silvestri, defeating Padova 1-0 in the final in Rome.
In 1968 they won both the Scudetto (9th) and the Cup Winners Cup, defeating SV Hamburger 2-0 in the final.
In 1969 they won their second European Cup defeating Ajax 4-1 and a year later won the Intercontinental Cup beating Estudiantes La Plata 4-2 on aggregate. In the same year Gianni Rivera won the Golden Ball.
In the 1970's they won the Coppa Italia three times (1972, '73 and '77) and the Cup Winners Cup for the second time in 1973 defeating Leeds United 1-0.
In 1979 they finally won the Scudetto again, their 10th title which earned them their first star on their jerseys. The manager was former player Nils Liedholm.
The euphoria did not last long as in 1980 they were relegated to Serie B for their involvement in the Totonero betting scandal (with Lazio).
They bounced straight up again but were relegated again in 1982, this time on the pitch. They then won the second flight league but the early 80's were mediocre years for the Rossoneri.
Things improved from 1986 with the arrival of entrepreneur Silvio Berlusconi as new owner while Dutch stars Marco Van Basten and Ruud Gullit were added to Italians Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi.
In 1987-88 they won the Scudetto again, under Arrigo Sacchi. A year later they added another Dutchman Frank Rikjaard and won the European Cup for the 3rd time defeating Steaua Bucharest 4-0. They also won their first Italian Supercoppa beating Sampdoria 3-1 and the Intercontinental Cup again beating Atletico Nacional from Colombia 1-0
These were glory years for Milan and more trophies followed; 5 league titles (1992, 1993, 1994, 1996 and 1999), 2 European Cups/ Champions Leagues (1990, 1994), 3 European Super Cups (1990, 1991, 1995), 4 Italian Supercoppe (1989,1993, 1994, 1995) and 1 Intercontinental Cup (1990). In 1992 Fabio Capello took over from Sacchi who had become the Italy head coach but the successes had continued.
In 1996 Capello left for Real Madrid and the Rossoneri won their next Scudetto in 1999 under Alberto Zaccheroni.
The new millennium saw Carlo Ancelotti arrive as manager in 2001 and more trophies came in between 2003 and 2008; the Champions League twice (2003 and 2007), the Scudetto (2004), the European Super Cup twice (2004, 2008), an Italian Supercoppa (2005) and World Cup for Clubs (2008).
In 2010 Max Allegri became manager and in 2011 Milan won their 18th Scudetto and in 2012 the Italian Supercoppa.
Their next trophy was not until 2017 when they won the Italian Supercoppa, under Vincenzo Montella.
They won the Scudetto again in 2022 under Stefano Pioli while their last trophy was the recent Italian Supercoppa in January 2025 when, under new manager Sergio Conceição, they defeated city rivals Inter 3-2 after being 0-2 down.
For 2025-26 Massimiliano Allegri will be back.
The Milan colours, red and black, were chosen by founder Herbert Kiplin who was inspired by his first club as a player, Notts Olympic from Nottingham who wore the same colours.
The Milan flag is a combination of the Rossoneri colours and the flag of the city of Milan, a red cross on a white background. The red was to represent fire and the black to instil fear in their opponents. Their symbol is the devil and have always been known as "Il Diavolo".
Milan's top five for number of appearances are Paolo Maldini (902), Franco Baresi (719), Alessandro "Billy" Costacurta (663), Gianni Rivera (658) and Mauro Tassotti (583).
Top five goal scorers are; Gunnar Nordahl (221), Andrij Shevchenko (175), Gianni Rivera (164), José Altafini (161) and Aldo Boffi (136).
Milan players have won the prestigious Golden Ball award six times; Rivera 1969, Ruud Gullit 1987, Marco Van Basten 1988, '89, '92, George Weah 1995, Shevchenko 2004 and Ricardo Kaká 2007.
Other great players not mentioned yet who have worn the Milan jersey include; Renzo De Vecchi (1909-'13), Cesare Maldini (1954-'66), Juan Alberto Schiaffino (1954-'60), Carlo Galli (1956-'61), Giovanni Trapattoni (1958-'71), Giorgio Ghezzi (1959-'65), Giovanni Lodetti (1961-'70), Bruno Mora (1962-'69), Karl-Heinz Schnellinger (1965-'74), Pierino Prati (1966-73), Angelo Anquilletti (1966-'77), Fabio Cudicini (1967-'72), Roberto Donadoni (1986-'96, 1997-'99), Carlo Ancelotti (1987-'92), Jean-Pierre Papin (1992-'94), Dejan Savićević (1992-'98), Zvonimir Boban (1992-2001), Marcel Desailly (1993-'98), Roberto Baggio (1995-'97), Manuel Rui Costa (2001-'06), Andrea Pirlo (2001-'11), Filippo Inzaghi (2001-'12), Rivaldo (2002-'03), Alessandro Nesta (2002-'12), Clarence Seedorf (2002-'12), Marcos Cafu (2003-'08), Ronaldo (2007-08), Ronaldinho (2008-'11), Thiago Silva (2009-'12), Zlatan Ibrahimović (2010-'12, 2019-'23) and many more.
Milan are one of the big three of Italian football. It has been calculated that, in Italy, Juventus have almost nine million fans, Inter and Milan almost four million. Wherever you go in Italy you will find Milan fan clubs, especially in the provinces and Romagna, Marche, Puglia, Calabria and Sicily.
In Milan the Rossoneri fans used to be called "casciavit" (screwdrivers in dialect) due to their original working class backgrounds as opposed to the "baùscia" (boasters) of Inter, more from the middle classes. These differences however have faded in more recent times.
The historic "Ultras" groups were Fossa dei Leoni, Brigate Rossonere and Commandos Tigre but they have nowadays all merged into Curva Sud Milano.
Milan fans main rivals are obviously Inter but they also have a strong rivalry with Genoa and lesser ones with Verona, Lazio, Atalanta, Fiorentina, Sampdoria and Cagliari. Their friendships include Brescia, Reggina, Olympique Lyonnais and Sevilla.
Famous Milan fans include: playwright, actor and more Dario Fo, actors Ugo Tognazzi, Diego Abatantuono, Giorgio Panariello, Gene Gnocchi and Claudio Bisio, film director Gabriele Salvatores, tennis players Jannik Sinner, Novak Djokovic and Flavia Pennetta, cyclists Vincenzo Nibali, Ivan Basso, F1 drivers Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa, motorcyclists Andrea Dovizioso and Andrea Iannone, politician Matteo Salvini. Some have passed away such as basketball player Kobe Bryant, cyclist Marco Pantani and motorcyclist Marco Simoncelli.
Regarding Lazio, in direct matches the Rossoneri have won 86, drawn 65 and lost 40.
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