1915 Scudetto: The Inconsistency of Giancarlo Rizzoglio

Lazio 1914/15 Scudetto, Source- Ultim’ora News

It took Genoa over five years to respond to Lazio’s claims for the 1915 Scudetto, but it finally came at the beginning of April 2020 from Rossoblu Historian Giancarlo Rizzoglio. This was following Gian Luca Mignogna’s discovery of new evidence in the ‘FIGC Official Yearbook of 1926/1927′ (in March 2020), which clearly favors his thesis of the Biancocelesti being awarded the Scudetto. As a result, Daniela Bonfa of Lazio Story – the website in which Mignogna is an Editorial Director – issued a counter-response to Rizzoglio. Below the complete statement.

“As many have learned, Il Secolo XIX – an Italian newspaper published in Genoa, Italy – published the opinion of a Genoa historian who has vainly attempted to ignore the sensational discovery that Lawyer Gian Luca Mignogna disclosed, in which he published an extract from the ‘FIGC Official Yearbook of 1926/1927′ clearly stating that the Rossoblu were only the Northern Champions, not the National Champions in the 1914/1915 season.” 

“He stated that ‘the documents should always be read in full, without omissions, and avoiding to comment on solely the most convenient excerpts’ and even had the audacity to say that the ‘Nothern Italian Championship was the most respected league’ which is why Genoa was awarded the title. However, as pointed out by Mignogna, in the ‘Albo d’Oro’ (Hall of Fame) section in the Yearbook, it clearly states that the 1914/15 season is ‘suspended’, which is additional proof that clarifies that a mistake was made in awarding Genoa the title.”

“Thinking about it again, Rizzoglio was partially right in what he said. From a purely methodological point of view, he is correct in the fact that we must be truthful and make sure that ‘the documents should always be read in full, without omissions, and avoiding to comment on solely the most convenient excerpts.’ However, one wonders how it was possible for him to have encountered such obvious inconsistencies; there is no doubt that if he had approached his work with objectivity and impartiality, he would have objectively realized that in the same Yearbook on page 36, it showed that Genoa was just the Northern Champions, while on page 63 – the Albo d’Oro’ (Hall of Fame) section in the Yearbook – it clearly states that the 1914/15 season is ‘suspended’.” 

“Therefore, not only is it evident that Genoa was never proclaimed the ‘Champion of Italy’, but it is also evident that the ‘experts’ of Genoa try to interpret the official sources with little objectivity and don’t even consider the information that is unfavorable to them.”

“Also, he needs to take into account that it is has been proven that in the June 18th, 1920 edition of L’Italia Sportiva – the former ‘Official Newspaper of the FIGC’ – it states black and white that Lazio was the Central-Southern Champion for the 1914/15 season. Furthermore, in Article 15 of the ‘Official Rules’ of the time, it says that that the ‘Campione d’Italia’ title was awarded to the winner of the ‘National Final’ between the ‘Northern Champion’ and the ‘Central-Southern Champion’; not just awarded to the best team in the North.”

“Overall, it is desirable that in Genoa and in Rome, the true values of sport and the purity of the Olympic principles prevail, thus allowing the Football Association, without any sort of acrimony, to overrule this injustice that has occurred for the past 105 years, and award Lazio the title as well.”

Tags 1915 Scudetto Daniela Bonfa Genoa Gian Luca Mignogna Giancarlo Rizzoglio Il Secolo XIX Lazio