Turin-Alessandria and the record of the Invincibles ahead of the Insatiables

Did you know that behind the largest victory in the history of Serie A there is also a protest from the public? Let’s retrace the history of one of the indelible episodes of the legend of Grande Torino

Simone Napoli

June 17 – 2.38pm

The legend of Grande Torino echoes without boundaries of time and space. Their legacy in the hearts of people has been handed down from generation to generation, keeping alive the memory of those men who had little that was human, outside and above all inside the pitch: the Grande Torino was in fact a perfect machine, especially on the green rectangle and the his legacy football remains unbreakable and, so many years later, we are still here to talk about that Grande Torino which, on 2 May 1948, set the record for the victory with the most goals scored since the championship became a single group.

INTRODUCTION

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1948. An Italy devastated by the bombings of the Second World War is picking up the pieces and rebuilding from the rubble. The country was going through a period of strong change: the Savoys were sent into exile in Portugal, Italy had only become a Republic 2 years ago but the post-war damage was slowing down a recovery that the Bel Paese only saw in the 1950s. Meanwhile, sport, cycling and above all football became the daily life and favorite passion of Italians. That football season of 1947-1948 was the first with a single group with all the teams on the peninsula grouped into a single class: one, if not the, most particular championship in the history of Serie A given that it was the only one made up of a number of odd teams, 21, due to the repechage of Triestina, the calendar was therefore made up of 42 days in total, with two shifts of rest each, and it was the longest in history given that it ended in July 1948. What however did not change, it was the dominion of Grande Torino. Toro arrived at that season with the shield sewn on its chest for the second consecutive time – third time if we consider that the last real football championship in the 1942-1943 season was actually won by Torino, in the following two seasons the championship was divided into territorial groups due to the war – and that team, which was already becoming legend, would win its fifth championship at the end of that season. In fact, the record for the largest victory in the history of our Serie A dates back to that year, a history that was written by Grande Torino who won 10-0 against Alessandria on 2 May 1948.

THE RECORD MATCH

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On a spring afternoon, under a gloomy sky, around 10,500 people had flocked to ViaPhiladelphia to see their favorites from Grande Torino play the Piedmontese derby against the Alessandria greys. The Granata wanted to avenge the lackluster 2-2 of the first leg in Alessandria, the team had achieved over 10 consecutive useful results – the last defeat at the hands of Milan was a memory from 4 months earlier. The conditions for a great match from the hosts, who at Fila were continuing to fuel the record of home victories in the history of our football, were all there. The usual eleven who became a nursery rhyme did not take to the pitch, Tomà and Fabian took the place of Maroso and Menti who for the occasion started from the bench: Bagigalupo, Ballarin, Tomà, Grezar, Rigamonti, Castigliano, Fabian, Loik, Gabetto, the captain Valentino Mazzola and Ossola. From the chronicles of the time one can understand without reading between the lines that that historic victory was also close to Torino: the Granata started with their foot planted on the accelerator and after just 5 laps of the clock they found the 1-0 with Ossola who, cued in depth from Mazzola after starting on the edge of offside, he beats Diamante in the corner, the goalkeeper of the grays who had immediately understood that that afternoon would be very difficult. Two minutes later Torino doubled their lead: Castigliano drew for Loik who headed Alessandria again. The guests try to react with a long-range shot from Soffrido but Bagigalupo is waiting and with clenched fists clears it for a corner. After the gray jolt the grenade charge starts again, the home team threatens the Alessandria players several times but they don’t sink the blow. Some murmurs began to be heard from the stands, the fans reproached the players for not putting in enough effort, from a football match “eveningreplaced a placid performance with a clear surrender of points, the crowd booed their players calling them to do all their duty“. Annoyed, Valentino Mazzola scored the 3-0 Toro in anger in the 35th minute with a personal move in which he also surpassed Diamante and scored into an empty net. Loik made it 4-0 before the break and the teams went to rest.

“We resume under pouring rain which will then give way to a timid sun. General listlessness, small trot” commented La Stampa on 3 May 1948. Torino should have played 4 days after the big match against Inter at San Siro so it was reasonable to expect a drop in pace to manage their energy, but despite everything the Granata continue to create balls goal but Gabetto, Ossola and Fabian are unable to add to the score. Half an hour into the second half, in addition to the water, the whistles from the fans also begin to rain Insatiable. “The cruel crowd wants goals.” Just as happened in the first half, the Granata, hit in the pride, go back to raising the engine revs: needless to say and Grezar signs the hand, two turns of the clock and it’s a brace for Grezar with a shot from 40 meters that ends up under the crossing of the poles. The rain begins to turn into hail for the grays: Mazzola signs his second assist of the day for the head of Fabian who beats Diamante, who another 2 minutes later collects the eighth ball from his goal after Fabian’s winning rebound. However, Alessandria, proudly, tries to counterattack, but finds itself in defense and in the 86th minute Loik takes off with the ball from his area and with his epic shots he reaches the goal to make it 9-0. All that’s missing is the goal from the idol of the Granata crowd, the prince, and by popular demand from the fans, Gabetto scores the 10-0 win over Alessandria which also coincides with the hundredth of the season which will then lead to the scudetto.