Lautaro hits 158 goals, just like Cevenini: the story of “Zizì” | OneFootball

Lautaro Martinez never ceases to dazzle: with his goal against Cremonese, the Inter captain has added another chapter to his remarkable story with the Club, rising to become the fifth all-time top scorer. 158 goals means he matches the tally of a truly extraordinary figure whose story blends history and legend, a figure that the Nerazzurri family is now called to remember: Luigi Cevenini.

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Updated on 4 October 2025

Lautaro like Cevenini, the Toro, like Zizì, a name etched into Inter’s history, dating back to the Club’s very origins, often seen in the list of top scorers and squads from Inter’s first championship teams. His life was woven with Nerazzurri tradition, as one of the first players to immortalise his name in Inter’s history. But who was Luigi Cevenini, or Cevenini III as recorded in the books?

Born in Milano on 13 March 1895, Luigi was more than just a footballer: he was a true character, an explorer blazing through unexplored territory, becoming an unexpected symbol for the people. Cevenini began playing for AC Milan, but quickly moved to Inter in 1912. He played in the Nerazzurri jersey for three years, demonstrating unparalleled class and creativity. Cevenini was a left midfielder with master dribbling skills, an untouchable playmaker with a natural eye for goal.

On the pitch, he impressed opponents with his technique and chatty style, where he got the name Zizì, partly a nickname of Luigi and partly to allude to the incessant buzzing of mosquitoes. Bold, brave, and confident: nothing and nobody could stop Cevenini on the field. He also went by another nickname that would forever be known in Inter history, “Bauscia.”

His first spell at Inter came to an abrupt end in 1915 with the start of the Great War: history interrupted Inter and Cevenini’s journey, putting a pause on football and shattering millions of lives, including Virgilio Fossati, Inter’s historic captain and Zizì’s great friend.

In 1919, Italy had a fresh start, and so did football, now seen as a symbol of hope and rebirth. Cevenini was its brightest star, the idol of youngsters searching for happiness. In 1919/20 he led Inter to the second Scudetto in the club’s history, a driving force alongside Leopoldo Conti, the brilliant right winger who joined Inter after friends ‘kidnapped’ him to prevent him from signing for AC Milan. Cevenini, or Zizì, as he was known, was a “professor” – always ready to guide younger teammates with his advice, but unyielding with those who failed to listen.

The record books often list him as Cevenini III, the third of five footballing brothers. Aldo, Mario, Luigi, Cesare and Carlo all lined up together for Inter in a derby on 30 January 1921, which ended 1–1 (with Zizì, naturally, on the scoresheet).

In 1921/22, Luigi also won the FIGC championship with Novese, in a season split into two tournaments (the CCI title went to Pro Vercelli). After a year away, he returned to Inter for the final chapter of his Nerazzurri career, staying until 1927. He continued to amaze teammates and fans alike, finishing with an extraordinary record of 158 goals in 190 appearances. He played for Italy 29 times, captaining the team on seven occasions, and is credited in various sources with either seven or eleven international goals.

Cevenini was a flamboyant, striking figure, and stories about him drift between fact and legend. Tales abound of Zizì smuggling a cigarette into his shorts or shirt cuffs before a match, of fiery on-pitch disputes, even of games abandoned for sheer imbalance in quality. In 1924, he performed the act that most vividly captured his character: without telling anyone, he left for England in search of new fortunes and challenges. He played with the reserves of Plymouth Argyle and drew the attention of English managers, but the harsh training methods did not suit him. As his teammate Fulvio Bernardini recalled, he returned to Milan with a line for the ages: “Nebbia per nebbia, mi preferissi quela de ca’ mia [Fog for fog, I prefer the one back home].”

Cevenini later turned out for Juventus and extended his career well into his forties with smaller clubs. Yet his heart and soul remained firmly Nerazzurri. To his friends in Villa Guardia, where he lived in the province of Como until his death in 1968, he would say: “The feeling you get when you play for Inter is something heavenly, beyond description. The colours of that shirt are stitched into my skin, and I believe they’ll keep me alive even when, forgotten by everyone, I lie in my grave.”

So it proved. Luigi Cevenini – Zizì, Cevenini III – remains with us still, now reborn in the Argentinian striker who has joined him on 158 goals in Inter’s colours.