This Week In Lazio History: November 17-23

Some big wins this week, particularly an 8-2 against Bologna in 1948, as we also remember Pasquale Vivolo.

Date: Sunday, November 20, 2016
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Genoa 3-1
Three South American goals for Lazio (Felipe Anderson, Biglia and Wallace) secure a win over a Genoa side in clear difficulty.

Date: Sunday, November 20, 1927
Venue: Stadio Nazionale, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Milan 3-1
The Biancocelesti dominate Milan and win thanks to Sanero and a Lamon brace

Date: Sunday, November 22, 1942
Venue: Stadio PNF, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Roma 3-1
Lazio put on a great performance and literally destroy Roma thanks to Piola and Koenig

Date: Thursday, November 22, 2012
Venue: Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Tottenham Hotspur 0-0
With Paul Gascoigne in the stands, Lazio and Tottenham draw in an exciting match.

Date: Sunday, November 23, 1930
Venue: Venue: Stadio Rondinella, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Genova 1893 5-0
Lazio score five times, with Cevenini V, Foni, Pastore and a Malatesta brace, against a dismal Genova

Date: Sunday, November 21, 1948
Venue: Stadio Nazionale, Rome
Fixture: Lazio Bologna 8-2

So far, in Serie A Lazio had played ten matches and were struggling on 4 points. The Biancocelesti were winless, having lost 6 and drawn 4 (including derby 1-1, with Magrini 83rd minute equaliser). Manager Orlando Tognotti had been sacked and replaced by Mario Sperone.

A difficult game for Lazio but a change of manager could sometimes do wonders, at least initially.

A perfect day for football in Rome, sunny and mild with a crowd of about 20,000.

Lazio started aggressively and took the lead after seven minutes. A brilliant solo goal by Aldo Puccinelli as he went down the right wing and cut in towards the centre, dribbling past several defenders, before beating Glauco Vanz with a precise, angled shot. Lazio 1 Bologna 0.

Bologna stirred and in the 23rd minute the visitors equalised. It was Mario Gritti who sent a cracking long range shot into the top hand corner.

Lazio took back the lead in the 36th minute. A terrible back pass to the keeper by Guglielmo Giovannini was intercepted by Ferenc Nyers II who had no problem finding the net. Lazio 2 Bologna 1.

Three minutes later Lazio scored again. Puccinelli found himself completely unmarked in front of goal without a defender in sight and it was child’s play for him to score his brace. Lazio 3 Bologna 1.

The Biancocelesti cruising at halftime taking advantage of the Rossoblu’s disastrous defence. In the break there were some angry exchanges heard coming from the visitors’ changing rooms.

In the second half however, the confrontations had not seemed to have resolved Bologna’s confusion.

In the 57th minute Romano Penzo scored from the spot kick after a clear penalty was awarded. Lazio 4 Bologna 1.

In the 68th minute Salvatore Gualtieri heaped more misery on the Felsinei as he curled a freekick around the wall. Lazio 5 Bologna 1.

Two minutes later another blatant penalty was given to the Biancocelesti and this time Mario Magrini was on target. Lazio 6 Bologna 1.

At this point the goals were pouring in. In the 62nd minute a weak Magrini shot was possibly deflected into his own net by Vanz (in fact some sources have it down as an own goal).

Three minutes later Vanz was again picking the ball out of his net after Penzo had got his double with a powerful shot.

Lazio then eased off and in the 87th minute Bologna salvaged a tiny bit of pride scoring the last goal of the match with a solo effort by Corrado Bernicchi. Final score Lazio 8 Bologna 2.

A totally unpredictable score line and an epic win for Lazio. The Biancocelesti had scored more goals today than they had all season so far. There was the sensation it was a one off and Lazio had caught Bologna on a particularly bad day defensively but that made it no less enjoyable, possibly more.

For the records Lazio would have to wait another 47 years for their next 8-2 home victory, in 1995 against Fiorentina, with Zdenek Zeman as Lazio manager.

Pasquale Vivolo was born in Brusciano (Napoli), on January 6, 1928. He was born near Naples but as a kid he moved to Cremona in Lombardy.

It was with the Grigiorossi of Cremonese that he started his football career. After coming through the youth ranks, he made his first team debut in 1947.

The “Violini” were in Serie B. The manager was Mario Villini and they finished 6th. The following season, under Hungarian manager József Bánás, “la Cremo” finished 11th. In his two years at Cremonese, Vivolo played 40 league games and scored 11 goals.

His performances earned him a call from Juventus and in the summer of 1949, he signed for the “Old Lady”. The manager was Englishman and future Lazio, Jesse Carver. The Bianconeri won the Scudetto and Vivolo played 10 league games with 1 goal (Palermo). One of Juve’s few defeats was a 1-2 home defeat by Lazio. His teammates included future Lazio Karl Aage Præst and Carlo Parolo.

In 1950-51 the Bianconeri finished 3rd while in 1951-52, under duo Combi-Bertolini until December and then Hungarian György Sárosi, they won the Scudetto again. Vivolo played 19 league games and scored 12 goals. Again, one of the Zebras few defeats came in Rome 0-2 against Lazio.

In 1952-53 Sárosi stayed on and Juventus finished 2nd. Vivolo played 22 league games and scored 16 goals.

In total he played 67 league games for Juventus with an impressive 31 goals.

In 1953-54 he joined Lazio. The manager was first Mario Sperone (1-24) and then Federico Allasio (25-34). The Biancocelesti finished 11th and Vivolo played 30 league games with 9 goals. The highlight of the season was beating Juventus 2-1 in Rome while Vivolo equalised in the derby and got the winner in Florence.

In 1954-55 Allasio started but was replaced by Englishman George Raynor after seven games. The Biancocelesti finished 12th while Vivolo played 28 league games with 6 goals. The high points of the season were beating Juventus 2-1, Inter 3-2 but above all Roma 3-2 (the other derby ended 1-1).

In 1955-56, first under Luigi Ferrero (1-14) and then Carver again (15-34), Lazio finished an excellent 3rd. Vivolo played 24 league games and scored 5 goals. There were several highlights: wins against Juventus 2-0 at home, Inter 3-2 and Milan 3-1 both away and another derby win 1-0 (the other was 0-0).

In 1956-57 Lazio repeated themselves and finished 3rd again under Carver. Vivolo played 28 league games and scored 9 goals. Lazio beat Milan 3-0 at home, Inter 1-0 and Palermo 6-2 away while they drew 3-3 away to Juventus and the derby 2-2 (the other they lost).

In 1957-58 Lazio had two different managers, Milan Ćirić (1-19), Alfredo Monza (20-34) and a third for the summer Coppa Italia, Fulvio Bernardini. In Serie A the Biancocelesti finished 12th. Vivolo played 11 league games with 4 goals. Lazio beat 3-1 and Napoli 4-1 at home plus won a derby 2-1 (they lost the other).

The 1957-58 season was his last with Lazio. A pity because he just missed out on winning the first ever historic silverware, the 1958 Coppa Italia (played in the summer and September due to Italy not qualifying for ’58 World Cup in Sweden).

In 1958 Vivolo joined Genoa but after playing one game in Coppa Italia he immediately signed for Brescia in Serie B. He however only played 1 league game for the “Rondinelle” (The Little Swallows) who finished 13th.

Vivolo then retired at 31.

He also won 4 Caps for Italy, scoring against Sweden in a friendly.

Vivolo was a forward. He started his career as a classic centre-forward but later adapted his game and became a useful attacking partner for other forwards. He played alongside some greats: Giampiero Boniperti, John Hansen, Karl Aage Præst, Ermes Muccinelli, Rinaldo Martino at Juventus and Aldo Puccinelli, Renzo Burini, John Hansen and Ernes Muccinelli again, Arne Selmosson, Humberto Tozzi and Lorenzo Bettini at Lazio. He played 189 games in Serie A, scored 63 goals and won two Scudettos with Juventus.

At Lazio he was a great success. He stayed five seasons, playing 121 games and scoring 33 goals (2 against Roma). He was at Lazio in one of their better periods, confirmed by two third places. He scored goals and was a good partner to Selmosson who he helped score more goals before “Raggio di Luna” (Moon beam) defected to the other side of the Tiber. Vivolo however is remembered fondly in his own right for his personal goals and performances.

After retiring “Bibì, as he was nicknamed, returned to Cremona and for some years in the 1960’s was a director at the club (he married the owner Guido Grassi’s daughter).

He died in Cremona on November 18, 2002.

• Camillo Bona, 17-11-1893, forward, Italy, 34 appearances, 13 goals (1913-20)
• Nani, 17-11-1986, forward, Portugal, 25 appearances, 3 goals (2017-18)
• Leandro Remondini, 17-11-1917, defender, Italy, 95 appearances, 19 goals (1947-50)
• Luka Romero, 18/11/2004, midfielder, Argentina, 21 appearances, 1 goal (2021-23)
• Antonio Vojak, 19/11/1904, forward, Italy, 10 appearances, 8 goals (1924-25)
• Emilio Capri, 21/11/1917, forward, Italy, 32 appearances, 6 goals (1937-39)
• Giacomo Del Gratta, 21/11/1935, defender, Italy, 40 appearances (1958-61)
• Pietro Ghedin, 21/11/1952, defender, Italy, 118 appearances (1974-81)
• Walter Marcacci, 21/11/1908, midfielder Italy, 26 appearances, 1 goal (1927-30)
• Fabio Poli, 22/11/1962, midfielder/forward, Italy, 71 appearances, 7 goals (1985-87)
• Bastos, 23/11/1991, defender, Mozambique, 94 appearances, 9 goals (2016-20)

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.