November 4, 1923: Juventus Audax Lazio 0-6
Lazio take Juventus Audax to the cleaners
Lazio produced a commanding performance, thanks to a Filippi hat-trick, a Maneschi brace and a goal from Bernardini
The season so far
The previous season had been excellent as Lazio had made it to the national final only to lose both away and at home to a very strong Genoa.
For the current one the Biancocelesti had lost Augusto Faccani who had signed for Alba, Ettore Agazzani and Ottavio Regazzoni who had finished their military service and had gone back north. Fortunately, they found a replacement goalkeeper in Ezio Sclavi who became one of Lazio’s best keepers in history.
For the 1923-24 season the First Division was divided into two geographical leagues: north and south. In the former the 24 teams were divided into two groups with the winners playing a final. In the South it was divided by region (Lazio, Campania, Puglia and Sicily).
Then the top two teams in Lazio, Campania and Puglia would qualify for the semi-final stage with the Sicilian winner and Anconitana, the sole Marche representative. Two semi-final groups the winners of which would meet for the final.
The winners of both leagues would then clash for the National final.
Lazio so far had played two games, even if todays’ match was fixture five (one match had been postponed for electoral reasons and another one suspended for a fight that involved players, managers, fans and referees!), winning both of them.
The match: Sunday, November 4, 1923, Campo Cessati Spiriti, Rome
Lazio produced a commanding performance overwhelming Juventus Audax 6–0 in the fourth round of the Lazio regional championship.
The Biancocelesti were without the suspended Cesare Mariani, who had been punished following the incidents in the earlier match against Alba. Augusto Parboni therefore moved into the centre of the defence, while Ezio Sclavi guarded the Lazio goal. The rest of the side included Ugo Dosio, Fernando Saraceni I, Spartaco Orazi, Carlo Nesi, Luigi Saraceni II, Pio Maneschi, Fulvio Bernardini, Dante Filippi and Aldo Fraschetti.
Lazio took control immediately and opened the scoring after ten minutes. Bernardini supplied Maneschi, who beat Novari to give the visitors the lead. Bernardini was again the provider for the second goal, sending Filippi through to make it 2–0 in the 23rd minute.
Juventus Audax's task became even more difficult when Giulio Cesare Zoppi III was forced to leave the field with an injury after 22 minutes. Lazio continued to dominate and added a third goal ten minutes later, Filippi collecting a cross from Saraceni II before finding the net again.
There was no let-up after the interval. Just three minutes into the second half, Bernardini joined the scorers, finishing another incisive Lazio attack. Barely a minute later Maneschi struck again to make it 5–0.
The final goal arrived in the 60th minute. Filippi picked up the ball on the edge of the penalty area and unleashed a powerful shot into the left corner of Novari's goal, completing his hat-trick and Lazio's six-goal rout.
Juventus Audax's afternoon deteriorated further when Lommi was sent off in the 74th minute. Their occasional attacks had offered little threat throughout, with Sclavi rarely troubled. Lazio, meanwhile, had dominated for virtually the entire 90 minutes and, once the sixth goal had arrived, eased off to see out a comprehensive victory.
The victory underlined Lazio's strength in the regional championship and showcased the attacking quality of a forward line led by Bernardini and Filippi, with Maneschi also contributing twice. Filippi's hat-trick was his second successive multi-goal performance in the competition.
Who played for Juventus Audax
Novari, Cavalli, Zoppi III, Fabris, Lugari, Lommi, Sust, Zoppi II, Proietti, Primavera, Barni
Who played for Lazio
Sclavi, Dosio, Saraceni I, Orazi I, Parboni, Nesi, Saraceni II, Maneschi, Bernardini, Filippi, Fraschetti
Referee: Ciofi
Goals: 10’ Maneschi, 23’ Filippi, 33’ Filippi, 48’ Bernardini, 49’ Maneschi, 60’ Filippi
What happened next
The Lazio group saw a massive battle between Lazio, Alba and Fortitudo.
Alba topped it by one point and the other two were forced to a playoff which the Biancocelesti won. In the semi-final group Lazio had to play against Savoia, Ideale and Anconitana.
After winning the first three games, the Biancocelesti surprisingly lost first to Anconitana and then against Ideale. They needed to beat Savoia at home to reach the final but they drew 2-2.
Bernardini, Dosio, Fraschetti, Nesi, Fernando Saraceni and Sclavi had the most appearances (17) while Bernardini and Fillipi were the top scorers with 17 goals
Lazio Jersey 1923-24
The 1923-24 jersey marked a return to a noticeably darker, more azzurro shade, moving away from the lighter celeste associated with Lazio's traditional colours. The design itself remained extremely simple: a plain, single-colour shirt with the traditional lace-up neckline, with no visible crest or other embellishments.
The shirt retained the plain, single-colour design used in the previous season, with the traditional lace-up neckline. This simple model, together with the checkered version used by Lazio during the period, is regarded by the Lazio Museum as one of the most faithful designs to have been worn by the club in its early history.
The shirt was made without any modern embellishments or visible club crest, reflecting the understated football jerseys of the early 1920s. Its defining characteristics were therefore its clean construction, the light blue fabric and the distinctive laced opening at the neck.
One interesting addition to Lazio's sporting equipment appeared during this season. Before winter matches, the players began wearing smart biancocelesti social jackets, featuring a large, loose collar. These were worn as part of the team's pre-match attire and provide an early example of Lazio developing a more recognisable and formal team identity away from the playing field.
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