On an autumn Sunday at the beginning of the twentieth century, a great brick in the history of Turin was laid. It was October 17, 1926 and on the occasion of the match against Fortitudo Roma the Philadelphia Stadium was inaugurated. INTRODUCTION 98 have passed…
On an autumn Sunday at the beginning of the twentieth century, a great brick in the history of Turin was laid. It was October 17, 1926 and on the occasion of the match against Fortitudo Roma the Philadelphia Stadium was inaugurated.
INTRODUCTION
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98 years have passed since that day in 1926. The Savoy Monarchy still reigned in Italy, at the head of the government Benito Mussolini had very recently issued the Fascist Laws with which the transformation of the legal system of the Kingdom of Italy into the fascist regime began, the country was gradually recovering from the rubble of the First World War and, in a roaring Turin thanks to the fundamental role of Giovanni Agnelli’s FIAT (grandfather of the lawyer Gianni Agnelli), football had entered the lives of the people of Turin in a carnal way. The two teams from the capital, Torino and Juventus, dominated the championship, or rather the two championships: the granata in group B and the bianconeri in group A. The 1926-1927 season was the first played at a national level between teams from the north and center and it was also the first to see the birth of the Philadelphia stadium. There are those who speak of an inauguration friendly, those of a championship, but what is certain is that that Sunday in mid-October, the roots of the home of the Torino Football Club were planted.
INAUGURATION WITH VICTORY OF THE GRANATA FORT
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The historic stadium and home of Torino, the stage of the Granata’s exploits and victories, was commissioned by the then president of Torino, Count Enrico Marone di Cinzano, who created the Società Civile Campo Torino, with shares paid non-repayable, and with the aim to acquire the area to build a stadium and a training field. On March 24, 1926, a request for a building permit was made with the municipality and, only 5 months after acceptance, Philadelphia was built. It was officially the third day of the championship of group B of the National Division, Cinzano’s Torino hosted Fortitudo Roma in the brand new stadium in ViaPhiladelphia: around 15 thousand people had come to watch that special match in which the crown prince Umberto was also invited II and Princess Maria Adelaide, later named Godmother of the field, which was also blessed before the meeting by the Archbishop of Turin, Monsignor Gamba.
That Toro was already very strong: despite the reduced groups, that first Torino always fought for the top of the table and the one against the Capitoline was yet another demonstration of strength by the Granata team who lost the first match against Livorno, but then for a entire group was undefeated. Bosia number one protecting the goal of the new Philadelphia, Balacics, Martin II and Colombari in defence, Janni, Aliberti, Carrera, Franzoni in midfield, Adolfo Baloncieri at the bottom of the trident made up of Julio Libonatti and Gino Rossetti II, authors of 75 goals in three, 4 of which were scored in the 4-0 win over Fortitudo Roma: kick-off at 2.30pm, a balanced and hard-fought first part of the match between the Piedmontese and Lazio. The match seemed to be destined for a draw, but in the final the two main attackers of Torino fell on their opponents: the one who opened the ball was Rossetti who in the 70th minute scored the 1-0 making all 15 thousand present rejoice, 5 laps on the clock and for Rossetti it was a brace and a 2-0 win. Then the time came for Toro’s top scorer Libonatti who in 3 minutes scored the 3rd and 4th to nil which defeated what, at the end of the championship, was the last strength of the class. That victory, that resounding victory, the first of a long series, contributed to the achievement of the first scudetto in the history of Torino which, however, will be remembered for the Allemandi case which led to its revocation by the Federation then under the direct control of the Fascist Regime.
TURIN – FORTITUDO ROMA 4-0 (0-0)
Turin: Bosia, Balacics, Martin II, Janni, Colombari, Aliberti, Carrera, Baloncieri, Libonatti, Rossetti II, Franzoni.
Fortitude Rome: Vittori, Montanari, Corbyons, Ghisi II, Ferraris IV, Scocco, Puerari, Bianchi I, Boros, Cappa, Sbrana.
Referee: Trezzi of Milan.
Networks: Rossetti II 70′, 75′, Libonatti 80′, 83′
Spectators: approximately 15,000.
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