This Week In Lazio History: June 8-14 | OneFootball

The week of June 9-15 is characterised by end-of-season games which a few times took Lazio to Serie A, or at least closer, and also into a final. We also remember Anfilogino Guarisi, Lazio’s first World Champion.

Matches of the Week

Date: Sunday, June 8, 1986 Venue: Stadio Comunale, Catanzaro Fixture: Catanzaro Lazio 2-3 Thanks to the first away win of the season, Lazio leave any possibility of relegation behind them

Date: Wednesday, June 9, 1976 Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome Fixture: Lazio Inter 1-0, Coppa Italia Second Group Phase A Re Cecconi goal defeats Inter and keeps Lazio’s cup hopes alive.

Date: Sunday, June 10, 1923 Venue: Campo Rondinella, Rome Fixture: Lazio Ideale Bari 6-0 By crushing Ideale Bari with goals from Maneschi, Saraceni II, Bernardini, Filippi and Parboni, Lazio reach the final of the Southern League.

Date: Sunday, June 10, 1951 Venue: Stadio San Siro, Milan Fixture: Milan Lazio 1-2 Lazio surprise Milan but the Rossoneri win the scudetto just the same

Date: Sunday, June 11, 1972 Venue: Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa Fixture: Genoa Lazio 0-2 An inspired Chinaglia and a goal by Gritti give Lazio 2-0 win to close in on promotion.

Match In Focus

Date: Sunday, June 12, 1983 Venue: Stadio Comunale, Cava de’ Tirreni Fixture: Cavese Lazio 2-2

Lazio in their third consecutive year in Serie B, after the betting scandal and relegation of 1979-80, had renewed ambitions. The previous season had been a depressingly mediocre 11th place but with the return of striker Bruno Giordano and midfielder Lionello Manfredonia (after the World Cup win armistice) they could finally see some light at the end of the tunnel.

After a slow start (3 draws) the Biancocelesti had started winning games (7 consecutive between 7th and 13th fixture). After the first half of the season, they were top of the table. The second part of the fixture list saw Lazio slow down. From January 30 to May 8th, they only won twice, with 8 draws and 4 defeats.

After the 3-3 home draw against Reggiana on May 8, the penny dropped. The Biancocelesti had gone ahead three times with a Giordano hat trick, but they had not been able to hold on to the victory. To make things worse Roma that same day won the Scudetto. Manager Roberto Clagluna was sacked and in came former player Giancarlo Morrone. His first match was a 5-1 away defeat to Milan. Lazio had now been caught up by those who had been behind for most of the season. Serie A was looking very far away.

Then, luckily, they picked up and in a crucial game beat Atalanta 2-1 at home and then earned an away point at Arezzo. A week before today’s game, the Biancocelesti had won the possibly decisive four-pointer promotion clash against Catania 2-1.

So it was all down to the last match on a windy June afternoon in Cava de’ Tirreni which, unlike the name would indicate, is not on the sea. Lazio were not interested in the beach anyway, they wanted a point from today’s last football game of the season. The 7,000 travelling fans thought Ostia Beach could wait another week too.

Renato Miele, who had scored two own goals this season, finally chose the right net and his low diving header from a corner put the Biancocelesti in front in the 8th minute. Cavese equalized around the half-hour but in the 75th minute, young Giancarlo Marini went straight through the home defence and scored a brilliant goal with a low left foot. Cavese equalized again, this time on a penalty, in the 86th minute. A tense few minutes awaited the faithful, but the Biancocelesti kept possession and tapped the ball around waiting for the final whistle. The welcome whistle finally came, Lazio were back in Serie A!

After three difficult years in Serie B Lazio were back in the big time. The Biancocelesti side of town took to the streets of Rome to celebrate at Piazza del Popolo. It was not a Scudetto but it almost felt like one.

Despite Roma’s triumph things were looking up, especially with the confirmed return of Giorgio “Long John” Chinaglia from the States as new President. He promised Lazio fans would never have to suffer in the same way again and in a sense it was true… they would suffer more. Visit Lazio Stories to learn more about this season.

In Memory: Anfilogino Guarisi

Amphilóquio Marques Guarisi, known in Italy as Anfilogino Guarisi, nicknamed Filò, was Lazio’s first World Champion.

Born in São Paulo on December 26, 1905, from Italian immigrant parents, he started his football career with Portuguesa where he played from 1921 to 1925 with 80 appearances and 41 goals. In 1925 he signed for Paulistano and in 1926 was top scorer in the Campeonato Paulista. After 90 games and 46 goals, he moved to Corinthians and won three consecutive titles (1928, 1929 and 1930).

In 1931 he signed for Lazio. It was the famous Brazilazio made up of many Brazilians with Italian ancestry. In the beginning he did not play so well but this was because he was waiting for a special pair of football boots made especially for him. Once they arrived, he became one of the best players of the Italian Serie A. A fast, little winger, he was a great assist man and had a great shot. He was a classical thorn in the side for the opposing teams and had a great ball control. His managers always considered him fundamental. He played 135 games and scored 42 goals in five years of Lazio, was captain and much loved by his team mates and fans.

In 1936 he went back to Corinthians and won a Campeonato Paulista in 1937, but came back to Rome in 1938, albeit playing only two games. Again back to Corinthians he played there for a year before signing first with Portughesa Santista and then Palestra Italia where he again won the regional championship.

Guarisi was part of the Italian Nazionale that won the World Cup in 1934. He played one game against the USA. In total he has 4 caps with Brazil and six with Italy with one goal. He was the first Brazilian to win a World Cup.

He died in Sao Paulo on June 8, 1974.

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