First Serie A games and more European play-offs in the August 19-25 week in Lazio history and we remember the legendary Fernando Saraceni
Matches of the Week
Date: Thursday, August 20, 2009
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Fixture: Lazio IF Elfsborg 3-0, Europa League Playoff
Lazio destroy Elfsborg and now the Europa League group phase is just around the corner.
Date: Saturday, August 21, 2021
Venue: Stadio Carlo Castellani, Empoli
Fixture: Empoli Lazio 1-3
Empoli play better and hit the woodwork twice but Sarri’s Lazio come from behind and win.
Date: Tuesday, August 21, 2001
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Fixture: Lazio FC Copenhagen 4-1, Champions League Playoff
Two goals by Crespo plus one by Lopez and Fiore overturn away defeat and bring on more Champions League nights for Lazio.
Date: Saturday, August 22, 2015
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Bologna 2-1
Lazio, clearly thinking about the Champions League tie which would take place in a few days, beat Bologna 2-1 but could have scored many more.
Date: Sunday, August 25, 2019
Venue: Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa
Fixture: Sampdoria Lazio 0-3
Biancocelesti outclass Sampdoria with an Immobile brace and a goal by Correa.
In Memory: Fernando Saraceni
Fernando Saraceni is a Lazio legend. One of their players in the early days, he was part of the team that reached the National Championship finals in 1913, 1914 and 1923. A forward, later on in his career he progressively moved back to defence.
Born in Rome on January 20, 1891, Saraceni, known as Cecè, started playing for Lazio at the age of 16 and he was one of the players who won the three games in one day.
Legend has it that Lazio were supposed to play a game in Tuscany in June 1908. The Biancocelesti arrived in Pisa the day before the game. On the next morning, while busy being tourists, Lazio were approached by the organizing committee and asked to play a game against Lucca. Lazio won 3-0 just before lunchtime.
While the team were eating, they were asked to play a second extra match, this time against Spes Livorno. 4-0 for Lazio with a Saraceni double.
Time for a rest? No, because here came Virtus Juventusque ready for the original scheduled match. The players protested but captain Sante Ancherani told them to stay back in front of the goal and stop all opposition attempts (an early form of “catenaccio”?).
The game was almost over and it was still 0-0. But Ancherani in the dying minutes scored from a Corrado Corelli cross and Lazio won. Ancherani sent a telegram: “Won tournament 3-0, 4-0, 1-0”. No other team in the world has ever won three games on the same day.
Saraceni was little but very fast and had a powerful shot. He was also an excellent athlete, swimmer and long jumper. He won everything that could be won in the centre-south regions those years and was a fan favourite.
He left active sport in 1924 after having taken the Biancocelesti to their third national final. Before he left, he made sure his little brother Luigi would play for Lazio and convinced the club to sign the legendary goalkeeper Ezio Sclavi. He continued to work for Lazio and was one of their directors. In the 1928-29 season, he was manager for ten games.
Fernando Saraceni was one of Lazio’s greats. He played 140 official games and scored 67 goals. He died on August 23, 1956. Diagnosed with cancer, with incredible pain, he committed suicide in the hospital.
Birthdays This Week
- Corrado Corelli I, 19-8-1884, forward, Italy, 40 appearances, 19 goals (1908-14)
- Giovanni Costa, 19-8-1917, forward Italy, 60 appearances, 8 goals (1936-40)
- Cristiano Lombardi, 19-8 1995, midfielder/forward, Italy, 19 appearance 1 goals (2016-17)
- Alessandro Matri, 19-8-1984, forward, Italy, 31 appearances, 7 goals (2015-16)
- Dante Filippi, 21-8-1904, forward, Italy, 101 appearances 67 goals (1920-28)
- Demetrio Albertini, 23-8-1971, midfielder, Italy, 25 appearances, 2 goals (2003-04)
- Mauro Bonomi, 23-8-1972, defender, Italy, 44 appearances (1992-95)
- Joseph Minala, 24-8-1996, midfielder, Cameroon, 4 appearances (2013-14, 2019-20)
- Matias Vecino, 24-8-1991, midfielder, Uruguay, 86 appearances, 11 goals (since 2021)
- Giacomo La Rosa, 25-8-1946, forward, Italy, 10 appearances, 3 goals (1972-73)
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.
