November 19, 1939: Lazio -Juventus 4-0
- Dag Jenkins
- 20 hours ago
- 6 min read
Madam gets historic drubbing
Lazio play excellent second half and blow away Juve with a win for the history books
The season so far
The previous season Lazio had finished 10th, first under Hungarian József Violak (Italianised to Viola) and then from the 20th game onwards under player-manager Luigi Allemandi.
This season Lazio had another Hungarian manager Géza Kertész. Lazio could not invest much over the summer due to the usual financial difficulties. Three Argentinians had arrived months earlier in February but now finally had the right documentation to be put on the Lazio books: midfielder Enrique Flamini (Racing Club), forwards Evaristo Barrera (Racing Club) and Silvestro Pisa I (Independiente). So, the three "oriundi" were Lazio's reinforcements. Oriundi were foreign players with Italian origins who could even represent Italy.
The main players leaving Lazio were defender Benedicto Zacconi (retiring), midfielder Giovanni Riccardi (Liguria) and forward Emilio Capri (Torino).
Lazio had started the season reasonably well. After 8 matches the Biancocelesti were 3rd, on 10 points with Inter, Venezia and Genoa. Lazio had won 4 (Fiorentina 3-2 and Milano 2-0 away, Genova 1893 4-1 and Novara 1-0 at home), drawn 2 (Modena 1-1 away on debut and Torino 1-1 at home) and lost 2 (Bari 0-1 at home and most recently to leaders Bologna 1-3 away). In fact, until the Bologna defeat Lazio had been top. So far Silvestro Pisa had scored four goals and Silvio Piola three.
Juventus had finished 8th the previous season. The manager was Virginio Rosetta and the Bianconeri had beaten Lazio 1-0 in Turin and drawn 1-1 in Rome. The top scorer was Guglielmo Gabetto with 12 goals (9 in A).
This season the manager was former Juventus player, Umberto Caligaris. The main new signings were: defender Carlo Parola (up from youth team), midfielders Francesco Capocasale (Bari) and Corrado Casalini (Siena) plus forward Mario Bo (Torino).
Leaving were; midfielder Luis Monti (retiring after 261 games) plus forwards Luigi Busidoni (Venezia) and Lodovico De Filippis (Venezia-on loan).
Juventus were currently 8th, on 8 points with Bari and Novara. The Bianconeri had won 3 (including derby 2-1), drawn 2 (including recent 2-2 home draw with Milan) and lost 3 (including Inter 0-4 away on debut). After only one point in the first three games the "Old Lady" seemed to be improving.
The match: Sunday, November 19, 1939, Stadio P.N.F, Rome
A wretched and rainy day meant there were only about 10,000 spectators present.
Silvio Piola was not at his best but was playing while Juventus were without defender Pietro Rava.
The first half was evenly balanced. Piola was clearly not fit but his mere presence was enough to keep his markers on their toes.
The difference was Lazio scored and Juventus did not. In the 21st minute the Biancocelesti had a corner which was headed by Piola towards goal where it was parried by Ugo Amoretti but ineffectively and straight to Silvestro Pisa who blasted it in on the volley, 1-0 at halftime.
The second half was a different story and Lazio dominated.
After a Luigi Vettraino disallowed goal for Lazio in the 48th minute the Biancocelesti took control of the game.
They doubled the score on the hour mark. In the 60th minute Umberto Busani finally beat Amoretti after a series of attempts had been blocked by defenders, 2-0.
By now Piola realising his lack of match fitness had moved to the wing but this opened up more spaces for Lazio's other forwards as several defenders still kept an eye on the much-respected striker.
Lazio had several more chances but finally put the game out of the "Old Lady's" reach in the 75th minute. Lazio were awarded a penalty for a foul by Corrado Casalini on Vettraino when the Roman-born forward had practically only the keeper to beat. Pisa put away the spot kick for his brace, 3-0.
Lazio's fourth came in the last minute when Giuseppe Baldo blasted in a freekick from about 25 metres , 4-0.
A fantastic win for Lazio who had annihilated the visitors in the second half. Despite Piola's precarious physical condition the Biancocelesti had played well in attack with standout performances by Pisa, Enrique Flamini and Vettraino while Baldo had excelled in midfield and Alfredo Monza in defence.
A bad day for Juventus for whom only midfielder Teobaldo Depetrini had held his own.
Lazio were now joint top on 12 points with Inter, Bologna and Genoa. Juventus were 11th on 8 points with Milan.
Who played for Lazio
Manager: Kertész
Who played for Juventus
Amoretti, Foni, Varglien I, Depetrini, Casalini, Tomasi, Varglien I, Bo, Gabetto, Capocasale, Bellini
Manager: Caligaris
Referee: Galeati
Goals: 21' Pisa I, 60' Busani, 74' Pisa I, 90' Baldo
What happened next
Lazio finished a positive 4th. In the next 21 games the Biancocelesti won 7 (including derby 1-0 with a Flamini winner), drew 9 and lost 5 (including first derby 0-1 and Juventus 1-3). The top scorer was Piola with 10 goals (9 in A, as Pisa I).
In the Coppa Italia, Lazio knocked out Triestina 2-1 away, Macerata 2-0 at home but then in the quarterfinals fell to Fiorentina 1-4 away.
A good season however, only finishing behind Inter, Bologna and Juventus.
It would be another 56 years until Lazio beat Juventus 4-0 again, on October 29, 1995.
Juventus finished 3rd. After today's heavy defeat they improved again and won 12 (including Inter 1-0 at home), drew 4 (including derby 1-1) and lost 5 (including Triestina 2-6 at home!). The top scorer was Gabetto with 15 goals (12 in A including 5 in one match, Juventus-Bari 6-2).
In the Coppa Italia, the Bianconeri defeated Biellese 3-0 away, Roma 3-1 and Brescia 3-0 at home but then they too lost to eventual winners Fiorentina, 0-3 away in the semi-final.
The Scudetto was won by Ambrosiana Inter for their 5th title. Serie B was waiting for Liguria and Modena.
Lets talk about Guglielmo Gabetto
Today in our opponents series we will talk about a great forward.
Guglielmo Antonio Gabetto was born in Turin, on February 24, 1916.
He started his career with Juventus. He debuted for the Bianconeri in 1934 and went on to play 191 games and score 102 goals (86 in A). He won a Scudetto in 1935, under manager Carlo Carcano and then Carlo Bigatto and a Coppa Italia in 1938, under Virginio Rosetta.
In 1941 he switched allegiances in Turin and joined Torino. He had done well with the Bianconeri and he did even better with the Granata.
In eight seasons (5 in A due to WW2) he played 225 games and scored 127 goals (80 in A in 158 appearances). He was part of the Grande Torino who dominated Italian football in that period. The Granata won five consecutive league titles (excluding the war interruption) in 1943, 1946, 1947, 1948 and 1949. The managers were Antonio Janni (1943), Luigi Ferrero (1945, '46, '47) and Mario Sperone (1948 with Roberto Copernico as T.D) and finally Leslie Lievesley and then Oberdan Ussello (1949).
It was a great team with the likes of legends such as: goalkeeper Valerio Bacigalupo, defenders Aldo Ballarin, Virgilio Moroso and Mario Rigamonti, midfielders Giuseppe Grezar and Eusebio Castigliano, wingers Franco Ossola and Ezio Loik, forwards Valentino Mazzola, Romeo Menti and Pietro Ferraris to name a few.
Disaster struck on May 4 1949. On the way back from a friendly game in Lisbon the plane carrying the Torino squad, directors and journalists crashed into the Superga hill overlooking the Piedmontese capital. All the 31 passengers on board were killed. The causes were attributed to adverse weather conditions, especially very strong winds.
A huge tragedy for Torino and Italian football. A similar awful destiny would sadly await Manchester United in 1958.
Gabetto died at 33. He is considered one of the best forwards in Italian history. He scored 231 goals in 416 appearances. He also won 6 caps for Italy with 5 goals.
Gabetto was an all-round forward. He was 1.74 and 70 kilos and was quick with explosive acceleration and dribbling skills but also with excellent acrobatic ability. He was famous for scoring "impossible" goals, a fact that earned him the nickname "La Santa Rita dei goleador" (Santa Rita was renowned for her miracles). Other nicknames were "Il Barone" for his elegance and slicked back hair while for the fans he was Gabe. There would later be two more Barone characters, Nils Liedholm and Franco Causio.
He is a legend at Juventus and even more so at Torino. He is still 9th in Juventus' all time Serie A scorers and 5th for Torino.
Sources
Comments