October 25 1953: Torino - Lazio 0-1
Lazio win family affair
Bergamo puts Lazio in front but Vittorio Sentimenti decides not to take penalty against brother Lucidio who then saves from Farina in a game involving three brothers
The season so far
The previous year Lazio had finished 10th in Serie A, firstly under manager Giuseppe Bigogno (1-25) and then Alfredo Notti (26-34). Lazio had won both derbies against Roma, 1-0 and 2-0. The top scorers were Paolo Bettolini and Norwegian Ragnar Nikolay Larsen both with 7 league goals.
This season Lazio had a new manager Mario Sperone. Lazio had reshuffled the squad slightly with a few changes especially up front. Three new forwards had arrived: Renzo Burini (Milan), Alberto Fontanesi (SPAL) and Pasquale Vivolo (Juventus). Well-serving Enrique Flamini was back (Reggiana) but he was approaching the end of his career and would not feature at all.
Leaving Lazio were Norwegian midfielder Ragnar Nikolay Larsen after two successful seasons (Genoa) plus forwards Lelio Antoniotti (Torino - soon, on October 30) and Şükrü Gülesin (Galatasaray - after a loan period at Palermo).
So far in Serie A Lazio had played 6 games with 1 win (Juventus 2-1 at home), 1 draw (Legnano 1-1 at home) and 4 defeats (Inter 0-2 away on debut, Novara 1-2 and Bologna 0-1 away, Napoli 0-4 at home). Lazio came from two consecutive losses, the most recent the thrashing by Napoli. They were joint 15th on 3 points (with Palermo and Legnano), only Atalanta were below on 2 points.
Torino had finished 10th the previous season, first under manager Roberto Copernico and then, from January, Jesse Carver. Toro had lost 1-2 to Lazio in Rome but won 2-0 at home. The top scorer was Andrea Marzani with 9 goals.
This season the manager was officially Oberdan Ussello with Carver as technical director but he sat on the bench. The main new signings were: goalkeeper Narciso Soldan (Catania), midfielders Antonio Bacchetti (Udinese) and Pietro Biagioli (Fiorentina - on loan) plus forwards Lelio Antoniotti (Lazio), Quinto Bertoloni (Pro Patria) and Enore Boscolo (Triestina).
Leaving Toro were: goalkeeper Livio Puccioni (Udinese), defender Piero Bersia (Cagliari), midfielders Enrico Pratesi (Pro Patria) and Faas Wilkes (Valencia) plus forwards Andrea Marzani (Novara), Roberto Serone (Alessandria) and Mario Tontodonati (Pescara).
Torino's squad included former Lazio, Vittorio Sentimenti (1949-52) and in a few days imminent new signing Lelio Antoniotti (1951-53).
Torino had 4 points after 1 win (Novara 1-0 at home), 2 draws (Sampdoria 1-1 on debut and Roma 2-2 away) and 3 defeats (Bologna 0-2 away, Napoli 0-2 and recently Juventus 2-4 at home). The Granata were joint 12th with Udinese and Genoa.
A game today between two struggling teams. Whoever lost could find themselves in the relegation zone. A delicate clash.
The match: Sunday, October 25, 1953, Stadio Filadelfia, Turin
It was a cloudy day in Turin and the pitch was heavy from previous rain. A crowd of about 12,000 turned up at the Filadelfia, the ground built in 1926 which had witnessed Torino's six Scudetto wins (5 with Grande Torino).
Lazio were without forwards Renzo Burini and Alberto Fontanesi.
Torino had five absences; goalkeeper Narciso Soldan, defender Raffaele Cuscela, midfielders Cesare Nay and Pietro Biagioli plus forward Horst Buhtz.
The first half hour was disappointing with very little goal mouth action. The goalkeepers were involved but did not have to make any difficult saves.
Lazio then went very close in the 36th minute but Pasquale Vivolo's effort shaved the post.
A few minutes later Toro responded but a Giuliano Giovetti strike went wide.
Near the end of the half Lazio's Lucidio Sentimenti IV finally had to show his worth when he saved well first on Quinto Bertoloni in the 43rd minute and then on Enore Boscolo in the 44th. At half time the game was goalless but looked to be livening up.
In the second half Torino had more possession but Lazio appeared more threatening.
In the 50th minute Sivgard Löfgren sliced a golden opportunity from close range.
In the 55th minute Lazio had a setback as defender Renato Spurio got injured and so was moved to the wing but was practically inoperative. The manager Sperone reshuffled the team by pulling midfielder Per Bredesen deeper and playing midfielder Serafino Montanari in the middle at the back with Primo Sentimenti V.
Lazio did not seem to be affected by the situation and continued to be dangerous. In the 60th minute a flying Scandinavian combination between Löfgren and Bredesen allowed the Norwegian to let off an angled shot but Giuseppe Romano got there with the tip of his fingers.
On the subsequent corner Lazio scored. Aldo Puccinelli took it and after a scramble in the area Vittorio Bergamo poked the ball past Romano, 0-1.
Torino tried to make their symbol proud and attacked heads down. They even moved midfielder Vittorio "Ciccio" Sentimenti III up front.
It was the former Lazio player himself who then went extremely close with a powerful strike but it went wide by a whisker.
In the 75th minute Toro went close again but Giovetti's header was just off target.
In the 78th minute came drama and the mother of all chances. Lazio's Sentimenti V tripped up the lively Giovetti and the referee had no doubts, penalty. The assigned penalty taker however had many doubts. Sentimenti III stepped up but seeing his brother Lucidio in goal he changed his mind and left the kick to Giuseppe Farina. The Marche-born defender struck a powerful but central effort which "Cochi" tipped onto and over the bar.
The bulls lost heart and energy and in the last ten minutes Lazio could have scored several times. Puccinelli and Vivolo twice had two-on-ones with Romano but were selfish and wasted the opportunities.
The Bergamo goal proved to be enough anyway and lazio clinched a valuable win. Final score: Torino 0 Lazio 1.
A morale boosting victory but also useful for the table. Lazio were now joint 12th on 5 points (with Palermo, Udinese and Triestina). Lazio's next game was another potential relegation contest against Palermo at home.
Torino had basically played against ten men for 35 minutes and missed a penalty so could be a bit frustrated with themselves. The Granata were now joint 16th on 4 points (with Legnano) and shared the second relegation slot (Atalanta were still bottom on 3 points). Toro's next fixture was away to Genoa (on 7 points).
Who played for Torino
Romano, Molino, Farina, Sentimenti III, Giuliano, Moltrasio, Boscolo, Tagnin, Franceschina, Giovetti, Bertoloni
T.D: Carver
Who played for Lazio
Sentimenti IV, Antonazzi, Sentimenti V, Montanari, Spurio, Bergamo, Bredesen, Fuin, Vivolo, Löfgren, Puccinelli
Manager: Sperone
Referee: Bellè
Goal: 62' Bergamo
What happened next
Lazio finished 11th on 29 points (+3 on B). Sperone was replaced after fixture 24, in the next 17 games with him Lazio won 5 (including Palermo 3-0), drew 6 (including derby 1-1 and Juventus 0-0 away) and lost 6 (including last game 0-1 to Torino which cost Sperone his job). When the change occurred Lazio were in joint 10th place (with Novara) on 21 points (+5 on B). His substitute for the last 10 games was Federico Allasio and the Biancocelesti won 3, drew 2 and lost 5 (including derby 1-2). The top scorers were Alberto Fontanesi and Pasquale Vivolo with 9 league goals each.
Torino finished 9th on 33 points. After today's game Ussello and Carver were replaced by Luigi Miconi and Annibale Frossi. Toro then improved and won 8 (including Lazio and Milan both 1-0 away), drew 13 (including Genoa 1-1, second derby 0-0 and Inter 1-1 at home) and lost 6. The top scorer was Horst Buhtz with 11 league goals.
Out of today's squad three players would one day play for Lazio: Giovanni Molino (1955-61), Luigi Moltrasio (1956-59), Carlo Tagnin (1958-59) and the manager Jesse Carver would be at Lazio from fixture 15 onwards in 1955-56 and the whole of 1956-57, obtaining two excellent 3rd places.
The league title was won by Inter for the 7th time. Palermo and Legnano dropped down to Serie B (the Lilacs from Lombardy have not been back in A since).
Lazio Jersey 1953-54
The 1953-53 shirt was an elegant light blue polo.
The collar was buttonless and white as were the cuffs at the end of the short-sleeves.
The shorts were also white while the socks were black with a light blue and white band near the top.
This was the shirt in which Lazio played their first ever full season at the Olimpico.
Their debut had been at the end of the previous season (Lazio vs Juventus, May 24 1953).
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