1948–49 AC Torino season

During the 1948–49 season Associazione Calcio Torino competed in Serie A.

Associazione Calcio Torino
1948-49 season
ChairmanFerruccio Novo
ManagerErnest Egri Erbstein
(until 4 May)

Roberto Copernico
Leslie Lievesley
(as technical director)
(until 4 May)

Oberdan Ussello
(as technical director)
StadiumStadio Filadelfia
Serie A[1]
(in 1949 Latin Cup)
Top goalscorerMazzola (16)

Summary edit

The season is remembered by Superga air disaster ,[2] on 4 May ending the Grande Torino era. After clinching 4 consecutive titles the Granata were ready to win the 5th title at top of the league table. 4 rounds before the ending of championship Grande Torino traveled to Lisboa, to play a friendly match against Benfica due to retirement of Francisco Ferreira.[3] Game which Toro lost 4–3.[4] Torino was named winner of the championship by the Federation, and the Youth squad was able to play the last 4 rounds. Finished a short summer interval from the end of previous season, competition officially resumed in Italy after the 1948 Summer Olympics. Prematurely eliminated, Vittorio Pozzo lost his position as sole commissioner of the Italy national team and Ferruccio Novo took his place.

New season began in mid-September with a Torino almost identical to that of the previous championships; there was only Franco Ossola permanently in place of Pietro Ferraris, who, at age 36, had moved to Novara. The midfielder Rubens Fadini arrived from Gallarate, Dino Ballarin, brother of the goalkeeper Aldo was signed from Chioggia; the Hungarian-Czechoslovakian Július Schubert, a left-sided midfielder; and strikers Emile Bongiorni and Ruggero Grava arrived from Racing Parigi and Roubaix-Tourcoing respectively. The club began the season after a long tour in Brazil where the team met Palmeiras, Corinthians, São Paulo and Portuguesa, losing only once. During the season, reduced to 24 teams after three promotions and relegations, Ernest Erbstein was appointed as the team's technical director and the Englishman Leslie Lievesley became the coach.[5] The campaign also saw injuries to Virgilio Maroso, Eusebio Castigliano, Romeo Menti and Sauro Tomà,[6] plus the long suspension for Aldo Ballarin. The Granata, which debuted with a victory against Pro Patria, suffered a defeat in the second round to Atalanta; the team recovered with five straight wins, including that of the derby, but lost again, in Milan, against the Rossoneri. The club would relinquish the lead in the standings,[7] then recapture it, finishing midway through the season on par with Genoa, from which a third defeat was suffered, losing 3–0. In the return leg of the derby Torino would defeat Juventus 3–0. Torino's advantage increased in the standings, gaining a maximum of six point on Inter in second place.[8] However, a pair of draws (in Trieste and Bari) allowed Inter to close the gap within four points from Torino. On 30 April 1949, the two clubs met in Milan, ending 0–0, with Torino approaching their fifth consecutive title (the record would be equaled). The team travelled to Portugal to play in a friendly against Benfica. However, upon return Torino perished in the Superga air disaster.

Superga air disaster edit

The airplane with the team crashed at Basilica di Superga nearby Torino. There were deaths of team chairmen and club workers, baggage men and three of the best journalists in the country at the time: Renato Casalbore (founder of Tuttosport magazine); Renato Tosatti (from journal Gazzetta del Popolo) and Luigi Cavallero (from journal La Stampa). The shocking corpse identification was made by former Italian National Team manager Vittorio Pozzo. The spezzino player Sauro Tomà, injured, did not travel to Lisboa. The following persons in the Torino circle did not travel: second goalkeeper Renato Gandolfi (instead third goalkeeper Dino Ballarin did), the radio anchor Nicolò Carosio and former manager of Italian National Team also journalist Vittorio Pozzo (Torino preferred to give the seat to Cavallero). [9] [10]

Legacy edit

The impact of the tragedy in Italy was colossal. An official estimate of about one million persons attended funerals at Piazza in the city of Torino to say goodbye to the players and club officials. The shock of the tragedy was the main reason for the long travel on boat across the Atlantic Ocean by Italian National Team to play the 1950 FIFA World Cup in Brazil rather than use an airplane.[11] Rebuilding of Torino as a competitive squad lasted a long term and could not win another championship until 1976.

List of victims edit

Players
Club officials
  • Arnaldo Agnisetta
  • Ippolito Civalleri
  • Andrea Bonaiuti (coordinator of team travels)
Managers
Journalists
Baggage Men
  • Pierluigi Meroni
  • Celeste D'Inca
  • Cesare Biancardi
  • Antonio Pangrazi

Squad edit

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
GK   ITA Valerio Bacigalupo
GK   ITA Dino Ballarin
GK   ITA Renato Gandolfi
DF   ITA Aldo Ballarin
DF   ITA Virgilio Maroso
DF   ITA Piero Operto
DF   ITA Mario Rigamonti
DF   ITA Sauro Tomà
MF   ITA Pietro Biglino
MF   ITA Eusebio Castigliano
MF   ITA Rubens Fadini
MF   ITA Luigi Giuliano
No. Pos. Nation Player
MF   ITA Giuseppe Grezar
MF   ITA Ezio Loik
MF   ITA Danilo Martelli
MF   CZE Július Schubert
FW   ITA Alfio Balbiano
FW   FRA Émile Bongiorni
FW   ITA Guglielmo Gabetto
FW   FRA Ruggero Grava
FW   ITA Valentino Mazzola (Captain)
FW   ITA Romeo Menti II
FW   ITA Franco Ossola

Youth Squad edit

After Superga air disaster, youth squad (primavera) disputed the remaining four matches of the Serie A: they are not considered title winners due to Italian Federation (FIGC) actually assigned the championship to the senior squad.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
GK   ITA Guido Vandone
DF   ITA Pietro Bersia
DF   ITA Sergio Lussu
DF   ITA Sergio Mari
DF   ITA Umberto Motto
MF   ITA Oscar Ferrari
No. Pos. Nation Player
MF   ITA Antonio Gianmarinaro
MF   ITA Lando Macchi
FW   ITA Mario Audisio
FW   ITA Andrea Francone
FW   ITA Giuseppe Marchetto

Transfers edit

In
Pos. Name from Type
GK Renato Gandolfi Carrarese
DF Piero Operto Casale
DF Vito Sante Miolli Castellana
MF Rubens Fadini Gallaratese
MF Luigi Giuliano Pro Vercelli
MF Július Schubert Slovan Bratislava
FW Émile Bongiorni RC Paris
FW Ruggero Grava CO Roubaix-Tourcoing
Out
Pos. Name To Type
DF Raffaele Cuscela Lucchese loan out
FW Josef Fabian Lucchese
FW Pietro Ferraris II Novara
FW Oreste Guaraldo Prato

Competitions edit

Serie A edit

League table edit

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Torino (C) 38 25 10 3 78 34 +44 60 1949 Latin Cup
2 Internazionale 38 22 11 5 85 39 +46 55
3 Milan 38 21 8 9 83 52 +31 50
4 Juventus 38 18 8 12 64 47 +17 44
5 Sampdoria 38 16 9 13 74 63 +11 41
Source: Panini
(C) Champions

Matches edit

  Win   Draw   Loss

19 September 1948 1 Torino 4-1 Pro Patria Torino
16:00 UTC+1 Ossola   23'
Menti II   56' (pen)
Gabetto   72'
Grezar   89'
Report   88' Turconi Stadium: Stadio Filadelfia
Referee: Giuseppe Boffardi
26 September 1948 2 Atalanta 3-2 Torino Bergamo
16:00 UTC+1 Miglioli   6', 74'
Mari   73'
Report   1' Grezar
  19' Mazzola
Stadium: Comunale
Attendance: 18 000
Referee: Giorgio Bernardi
3 October 1948 3 Torino 4-0 Roma Torino
15:30 UTC+1 Gabetto   4', 68'
Menti II   32'
Ossola   89'
Report Stadium: Stadio Filadelfia
Attendance: 20 533
Referee: Giovanni Galeati
10 October 1948 4 Livorno 0-2 Torino Livorno
15:30 UTC+1 Report   40' Mazzola
  66' Loik
Stadium: Ardenza
Attendance: 20 000
Referee: Guido Agnolin
17 October 1948 5 Torino 2-1 Lucchese Torino
15:00 UTC+1 Gabetto   49'
Grezar   70'
Report   45' Fabian Stadium: Stadio Filadelfia
Referee: Antonio Zambotto
24 October 1948 6 Juventus 1-2 Torino Torino
15:00 UTC+1 Ballarin   36' (o.g.) Report   25' Ossola
  77' Mazzola
Stadium: Comunale
Attendance: 60 000
Referee: Generoso Dattilo
31 October 1948 7 Torino 3-1 Padova Torino
14:30 UTC+1 Ossola   73', 83'
Mazzola   77'
Report   41' Adcock Stadium: Stadio Filadelfia
Attendance: 5 400
Referee: Bruno Zilli
4 November 1948 8 Milan 1-0 Torino Milan
14:30 UTC+1 Burini   62' Report Stadium: Stadio San Siro
Attendance: 45 000
Referee: Vincenzo Orlandini
7 November 1948 9 Torino 1-0 Lazio Torino
14:30 UTC+1 Mazzola   24' Report Stadium: Stadio Filadelfia
Attendance: 12 454
Referee: Eliseo Camiolo
14 November 1948 10 Bologna 2-2 Torino Bologna
14:30 UTC+1 Gritti   12', 54' Report   14' Mazzola
  87' Luigi Giuliano
Stadium: Stadio Comunale
Referee: Generoso Dattilo
21 November 1948 11 Novara 0-2 Torino Novara
14:30 UTC+1 Report   19' Luigi Giuliano
  77' Loik
Stadium: Stadio Comunale
Referee: Giorgio Bernardi
28 November 1948 12 Torino 1-1 Triestina Torino
14:30 UTC+1 Mazzola   56' Report   78' Tosolini Stadium: Stadio Filadelfia
Referee: Bruno Tassini
5 December 1948 13 Modena 0-1 Torino Modena
14:30 UTC+1 Report   76' Giuliano Stadium: Stadio Cesare Marzari
Referee: Riccardo Pieri
12 December 1948 15 Torino 4-2 Inter Torino
14:30 UTC+1 Mazzola   3'
Menti II   42', 72'
Ossola   53'
Report   52' Armano
  66' (pen) Nyers I
Stadium: Comunale
Attendance: 26 700
Referee: Vincenzo Orlandini
19 December 1948 16 Fiorentina 0-0 Torino Firenze
14:30 UTC+1 Report Stadium: Stadio Comunale
Referee: Giovanni Galeati
26 December 1948 17 Genoa 3-0 Torino Genova
14:30 UTC+1 Mazza   48'
Operto   59' (o.g.)
Pellicari   80' (pen)
Report Stadium: Stadio Luigi Ferraris
Referee: Luigi Gemini
29 December 1948 14[12] Torino 2-0 Bari Torino
14:30 UTC+1 Menti II   29'
Ossola   51'
Report Stadium: Stadio Filadelfia
Attendance: 4 000
Referee: Giuseppe Vannini
6 January 1949 19 Palermo 2-2 Torino Palermo
14:30 UTC+1 Pavesi   72'
Andrea Milani   79'
Report   41' Gabetto
  54' Bongiorni
Stadium: Stadio La Favorita
Attendance: 40 000
Referee: Vittorio Pera
9 January 1949 20 Pro Patria 0-1 Torino Busto Arsizio
14:30 UTC+1 Report   28' Schubert Stadium: Comunale
Referee: Generoso Dattilo
16 January 1949 21 Torino 2-0 Atalanta Torino
14:30 UTC+1 Bongiorni   44'
Rigamonti   75'
Report Stadium: Stadio Filadelfia
Referee: Mario Maurelli
23 January 1949 22 Roma 1-2 Torino Roma
14:30 UTC+1 Andreoli   50' (pen) Report   54' Mazzola
  61' Gabetto
Stadium: Stadio Nazionale
Attendance: 33 000
Referee: Bruno Tassini
27 January 1949 18[13] Torino 2-1 Sampdoria Torino
15:00 UTC+1 Mazzola   14'
Loik   35'
Report   21' Lucentini Stadium: Stadio Filadelfia
Referee: Ferruccio Bellè
30 January 1949 23 Torino 1-0 Livorno Torino
15:00 UTC+1 Mazzola   89' Report Stadium: Stadio Filadelfia
Referee: Cesare Cappucci
6 February 1949 24 Lucchese 1-1 Torino Lucca
15:00 UTC+1 Conti   89' (pen) Report   68' Mazzola Stadium: Stadio Porta Elisa
Referee: Vincenzo Orlandini
13 February 1949 25 Torino 3-1 Juventus Torino
15:00 UTC+1 Gabetto   17'
Loik   55', 83'
Report   49' Cergoli Stadium: Stadio Filadelfia
Referee: Giovanni Galeati
20 February 1949 26 Padova 4-4 Torino Padova
15:00 UTC+1 Checchetti   22', 26'
Vitali   45'
Fiore   52'
Report   36' Ossola
  39' Castigliano
  71', 77' Menti II
Stadium: Stadio Silvio Appiani
Attendance: 20 000
Referee: Luigi Gemini
6 March 1949 27 Torino 4-1 Milan Torino
15:30 UTC+1 Ossola   11', 75'
Gabetto   52'
Fadini   71'
Report   46' Burini Stadium: Comunale
Attendance: 50 000
Referee: Generoso Dattilo
13 March 1949 28 Lazio 2-2 Torino Roma
15:30 UTC+1 Flamini   8'
Höfling   41'
Report   17', 39' Loik Stadium: Stadio Nazionale
Referee: Ferruccio Bellè
20 March 1949 29 Torino 1-0 Bologna Torino
15:30 UTC+1 Mazzola   69' Report Stadium: Stadio Filadelfia
Referee: Eliseo Camiolo
3 April 1949 30 Torino 4-0 Novara Torino
15:30 UTC+1 Mazzola   32'
Loik   35', 37'
Ossola   40'
Report Stadium: Stadio Filadelfia
Referee: Giuseppe Vannini
10 April 1949 31 Triestina 1-1 Torino Trieste
15:30 UTC+1 Blason   70' (pen) Report   35' (pen) Menti II Stadium: Comunale
Referee: Orlandini
17 April 1949 32 Torino 3-1 Modena Torino
15:30 UTC+1 Mazzola   35'
Menti II   85'
Ballarin   87'
Report   13' Cavazzuti Stadium: Stadio Filadelfia
Referee: Cesare Cappucci
24 April 1949 33 Bari 1-1 Torino Bari
15:30 UTC+1 Voros   66' Report   11' Mazzola Stadium: Stadio della Vittoria
Referee: Vittorio Pera
30 April 1949 34 Inter 0-0 Torino Milan
16:00 UTC+1 Report Stadium: Stadio San Siro
Attendance: 37 000
Referee: Luigi Gemini
15 May 1949 36[14] Torino 4-0 Genoa Torino
16:30 UTC+1 Giammarinaro   37'
Marchetto   56', 86'
Lussu   80' (rig.)
Report Stadium: Stadio Filadelfia
Referee: Ferruccio Bellè
22 May 1949 38[15][16][17] Torino 3-0 Palermo Firenze
15:30 UTC+1 Marchetto   8'
Francone   38'
Gianmarinaro   55'
Report Stadium: Comunale[18]
Attendance: 85 000
Referee: Renzo Massai
29 May 1949 37[19] Sampdoria 2-3 Torino Genova
16:00 UTC+1 Pieri   7', 21' Report   1' Audisio
  16' Marchetto
  56' (rig.) Lussu
Stadium: Stadio Luigi Ferraris
Referee: Giuseppe Carpani
12 June 1949 35[20] Torino 2-0 Fiorentina Torino
16:00 UTC+1 Marchetto   12'
Giuliano   79'
Report Stadium: Stadio Filadelfia
Referee: Giuseppe Parpaiola

Statistics edit

Squad statistics edit

Competition Points Home Away Total GD
G V D L Gs Ga G V D L Gs Ga G V D L Gs Ga
Serie A 60 19 18 1 0 48 10 19 7 9 3 30 24 38 25 10 3 78 34 +44

Players statistics edit

Numbers of Youth squad in cursive.

Appearances edit

Goalscorers edit

References edit

  1. ^ Declared champion by Italian Federation FIGC after Superga air disaster, four rounds before the end of championship.
  2. ^ "Superga tragedy strikes Il Grande Torino". fifa.com. Archived from the original on May 5, 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  3. ^ Dunne, Frank (2009-05-02). "Troubled Turin recall tragic end of 'Il Grande Torino'". The Independent. Archived from the original on 2022-05-01. Retrieved 2009-09-02.
  4. ^ "3 May 1949: Benfica-Torino 4-3". toro.it. 23 June 2016.
  5. ^ "Past players". Chesterfield F.C. Archived from the original on 2020-04-10. Retrieved 2011-06-21.
  6. ^ "La Storia del Torino Fc" (in Italian). Torino Football Club. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  7. ^ Ormezzano. Toro 49. p. 164..
  8. ^ Colombero. Pacifico. p. 120.
  9. ^ Patrick Jennings (8 January 2019). "The plane crash that killed Serie A's champions and their English coach". BBC Sport.
  10. ^ "TG-R "Leonardo": possibili cause della sciagura di Superga: l'ipotesi dell'altimetro guasto". Andrea Sinaglia YouTube.
  11. ^ Andrea Saronni (18 May 2018). "Brasile 1950, la seconda squadra: un Uruguay stellare e un'India a piedi...nudi".
  12. ^ Suspended due to fog on 8 December at minute 66' with score 2-0.
  13. ^ Rescheduled from 2 January
  14. ^ Match played between Youth squads (Primavera).
  15. ^ Rescheduled from 5 June
  16. ^ Match played with 2 times of 30 minutes each one.
  17. ^ Match played between Youth squads (Primavera).
  18. ^ Match played in Firenze before the game of National teams Italia-Austria
  19. ^ Match played between Youth squads (Primavera).
  20. ^ Rescheduled from 8 May due to Superga air disaster.Match played between Youth squads (Primavera).

External links edit

  • Fabrizio Melegari (a cura di). Almanacco illustrato del calcio - La storia 1898-2004, Modena. Panini, 2004.
  • Fabrizio Melegari e Luigi La Rocca. Storia del Campionato Italiano dal 1942-43 al 1949-50: Calciatori 1948-49. edizione speciale per "La Gazzetta dello Sport" Franco Cosimo Panini Editore, Modena, 2005.

See also edit