This Week In Lazio History: July 14-20

Not a lot of games in Lazio history this week, but a few pre-season friendlies, post Covid matches and the Intertoto. We also remember João Fantoni and the Brasilazio of the 1930s.

Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Venue: Dacia Arena, Udine
Fixture: Udinese Lazio 0-0
A lacklustre performance means Lazio must start looking over their shoulders to at least salvage a Champions League place

Date: Sunday, July 17, 2005
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Tampere 3-0, Intertoto Cup
Goals by Belleri and Rocchi in the first half and Di Canio at the beginning of the second make light work of the Finns.

Date: Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Venue: Franz Fekete Stadion, Kapfenberg
Fixture: Lazio – Stuttgart 1-1, Pre-Season Friendly
Despite inferior fitness levels Lazio play out positive friendly against Bundesliga winners

Date: Friday, July 18, 2003
Venue: Stadio Flaminio, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Chelsea 2-0, Pre-Season Friendly
Lazio win easily thanks to goals from Inzaghi and Stankovic. This will be the last big football match played at the Flaminio.

Date: Sunday, July 20, 2014
Venue: Stadio Rodolfo Zandegiacomo, Auronzo di Cadore
Fixture: Lazio – Indonesia U23 2-0, Pre-Season Friendly
Two goals, a missed penalty and three posts against the Indonesian U23

João Fantoni, in Brasil also known as Ninão or Juan, was part of a bunch of Brazilian “oriundi” who in the early 1930s arrived in Italy looking for a team that would take them on.

The “oriundi” were those foreign players with Italian ancestry who could play in Italy as Italian nationals. Just as an example, for the World Cup of 1934, there were six oriundi in the Italian squad. Attilio Demaría and Luis Monti had even played in the 1930 World Cup for Argentina.

Born in Belo Horizonte on July 24, 1905, João Fantoni joined Lazio with his cousin Octavio in early 1931 and they were the forerunners of a bunch of players who arrived the next season: defenders Armando Del Debbio, Pedro Rizzetti, Enzio Enrique Serafini and forwards José Castelli, Alejandro Demaria, Anfilogino Guarisi and André Emanuel Tedesco.

There was even a player-manager, Barbuy Amilcar, who coached Lazio in the last few games of 1930-31 and the entire 1931-32 season. This was the period which many call “Brasilazio” and many of the players stayed until 1935. The majority left because they were afraid they would be called to arms as Italy was at war with Ethiopia.

The two Fantoni’s were later joined by Leonidio, brother of João in 1932. Another brother, Orlando, played for Lazio in 1947.

João Fantoni made 113 appearances with 39 goals. He was a very good forward. His five years in Rome will always be engraved in his family history as his first child was born in the eternal city and was named Romano Benito. The latter name was apparently in gratitude to Mussolini who had promised to cover all the hospital costs if Fantoni scored in the derby (he did score, even if Lazio lost 3-1).

He died on July 19, 1982, in Belo Horizonte.

• Samir Handanovic, 14-7-1984, goalkeeper, Slovenia, 1 appearance (2006-07)
• Bruno Nicolini, 14-7-1904, goalkeeper, Italy, 24 appearances (1925-29)
• Marco Di Vaio, 15-7-1976, forward, Italy, 18 appearances, 6 goals (1993-95)
• Marius Stankevičius, 15-7-1981, defender, Lithuania, 16 appearances (2011-13)
• Jaap Stam, 17-7-1972, defender, Netherlands, 94 appearances, 4 goals (2001-04)
• Bob Lovati, 20-7-1927, goalkeeper, Italy, 147 appearances (1955-61, manager, assistant and many other things!!!)

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.