The week of June 3-9 in Lazio history sees some fundamental matches, a record (three wins in a day) and we remember our first World Champion, Anfilogino “Filò” Guarisi.
Matches of the Week
Date: Sunday, June 3, 1923
Venue: Campo Rondinella, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Libertas Palermo 10-2
Lazio score ten but the game is never competitive as Sicilians take the field in ten men and are soon reduced to nine. One of the biggest wins in Lazio’s history.
Date: Sunday, June 4 1972
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Foggia 2-0
Lazio beat Foggia 2-0 with goals by Massa and Chinaglia and can almost touch Serie A paradise.
Date: Sunday, June 5, 1983
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Catania 2-1
In inhumane conditions, Lazio beat the Sicilians thanks to former player Mastropasqua’s own goal.
Date: Sunday, June 7, 1908
Venue: Piazza d’Armi, Pisa
Fixtures: Lucca FBC Lazio 0-3, Spes Livorno Lazio 0-4, Virtus Juventusque Livorno Lazio 0-1, Pisa Interregional Tournament
Lazio win three games in one day in Pisa, playing with the same XI. No other club in history has ever managed such a feat.
Date: Sunday, June 9, 1929
Venue: Campo di Corso Marsiglia, Turin
Fixture: Juventus Lazio 0-1
A Lamon second-half goal hands Lazio victory in Turin and keeps them on course for the future single Serie A tournament
Matches In Focus
Dates: Sunday, June 6, 1982 & Sunday June 8, 1986
Venues: Stadio Olimpico, Rome & Stadio Comunale, Catanzaro
Fixtures: Lazio Varese 3-2 & Catanzaro Lazio 2-3
Two similar games, two similar situations, two identical scores for two identical outcomes.
The seasons are 1981-82 and 1985-86. Lazio in both of them started out as one of the favourites for promotion and in both failed miserably. The situation was so bad that they were risking relegation to Serie C.
There were two games to the end of the season and in 1982 the Biancocelesti were ninth but just three points above the relegation zone. They had to face Varese, fourth, who desperately needed to win to maintain their promotion hopes.
In 1986 Lazio were 14th and if the season had finished then there would be a four-team playoff to avoid relegation. They had to face Catanzaro away from home and the Giallorossi from Calabria were in an even worse situation since they were two points behind Lazio and they too needed to win to keep hopes of staying in Serie B alive. The worst thing was that the Biancocelesti had not scored a single goal in the last four games and had not won away from home since Cremonese Lazio 0-1 on March 6, 1983. Winning these games was fundamental not only to avoid Serie C but for the survival of the club.
Back to 1982 and Lazio Varese. After 14 minutes the visitors were 2-0 up. Descent to hell was now a concrete possibility. But, like many times before, captain Vincenzo D’Amico took the team by the hand. He scored a penalty in the 26th minute and a superb free-kick three minutes later. In the second half there was another penalty for the Biancocelesti and Vincenzino scored his hat-trick. All of this with a deep cut on his leg. Lazio won and were out of trouble.
In Catanzaro four years later, the Biancocelesti scored early. An own goal to break the scoring drought but the Calabrians equalised almost immediately. But then two goals from Mimmo Caso and Gabriele Podavini gave the advantage to Lazio who held strong despite Catanzaro reducing the deficit in the second half. A miraculous victory, yet again.
Lazio supporters probably thought that was it as far as flirting with Serie C was concerned. Been there, done that, survived. But the situation would be even more desperate in the 1986-87 season.
In Memory: Anfilogino “Filò” Guarisi
In the 1930s Lazio were full of Brazilian players of Italian origin. Many South American footballers came across the ocean looking for a gig with Serie A clubs. Since they had Italian ancestry they were considered Italian and even played with the Nazionale. The Biancocelesti had so many of them, that the team was nicknamed Brasilazio. Juan, Octavio and Leonido Fantoni, Armando Del Debbio, José Castelli, Alejandro Demaria, Enzio Enrique Serafini, and player-manager Amilcar Barbuy – just to name a few. And there was also Anfilogino Guarisi, nicknamed Filò.
Born in São Paulo on December 26, 1905, to Italian immigrant parents, he signed for Lazio in 1931 and became one of the best players in Serie A. A short, fast winger, he was a great assist man and had a great shot. He was a classic thorn in the side for the opposing teams and had great ball control. His managers always considered him fundamental. He played 135 games and scored 43 goals in five years with Lazio, was captain and adored by his teammates and fans.
Guarisi was part of the Italian Nazionale that won the World Cup in 1934. He played one game against the USA. In total, he won 4 caps with Brazil and six with Italy with one goal. He was the first Brazilian to win a World Cup.
He died in São Paulo on June 8, 1974.
Birthdays This Week
- Luigi Di Biagio, 3-6-1971, midfielder, Italy, 1 appearance (1988-89)
- Pasquale Foggia, 3-6-1983, midfielder, Italy, 84 appearances, 6 goals (2006-11)
- Nicola Lo Buono, 4-6-1933, defender, Italy, 107 appearances (1955-61)
- Francesco Dell’Anno, 4-6-1967, midfielder, Italy, 39 appearances (1984-86)
- Juan Pablo Carrizo, 5-6-1984, goalkeeper, Argentina, 27 appearances (2008-09, 2011-13)
- Ugo Dosio, 6-6-1899, defender, Italy, 82 appearances, 3 goals (1919-25)
- Augusto Mattei II, 7-6-1910, defender, Italy, 76 appearances (1929-33)
- Fabio Vignaroli, 7-6-1976, midfielder, Italy, 11 appearances (2007-08)
- Mario Ielpo, 8-6-1963, goalkeeper, Italy, 22 appearances (1985-87)
- Idilio Cei, 8-6-1937, goalkeeper, Italy, 293 appearances (1957-68)
- Miroslav Klose, 9-6-1978, forward, Germany, 171 appearances, 63 goals (2011-16)
This Article Was Written by Dag Jenkins & Simon Basten from Lazio Stories. More Information on the Above Matches and Players can be found on LazioStories.com.
