The Rivalry with AS Roma (5)

::The Rivalry with as Roma:: source - (www.lazioclubmalta.com)

In the mid 1920's football in the capital city was evolving and clubs started to merge with each other, in order to survive. Audace and Juventus Roma merged into Alba, while Pro Roma and U.S.Romana were absorbed by Fortitudo. In 1927, only four Roman clubs remained on the scene;i.e. Lazio, Roman, Alba and Fortitudo.

In that year, Italo Foschi, the Censored Delegate in Rome came up with the idea to unify forces and merge all Roman teams into one single club that could challenge the northern teams. He had already given the name, Associazione Sportiva Roma, and the colours (of the city) red and yellow, while the symbol was to be the wolf. A Ministerial Decree was soon taken and A.S.Roma was to be born in few days. The idea of Mr Foschi was to use Lazio's home ground "Rondinella" i.e. as its home soil.




S.S.Lazio Football team was thus on the brink of disappearance, but in its aid the eagles found Giorgio Vaccaro, a club member and loyal fan, who auto-nominated himself as Lazio vice-president and on its own initiative approached Italo Foschi for further clarification of his plan. Foschi explained his idea to Vaccaro, but the latter was totally against the conception that Lazio could be absorbed into A.S. Roma. Vaccaro argued that Lazio's tradition could not end like that since it had a tradition and history to be proud of. Moreover, being the club that brought football to Rome, should exist for eternity to honour the city of Rome. He uttered that the city of Rome can afford two football squads at high levels that can compete on equal terms with the northern clubs. Thus S.S.Lazio refused the amalgamation, and so A.S. Roma came into existence absorbing Alba, Fortitudo and Roman. The city was instantly divided into two sections; those who had followed since its early years the pioneers of Roman football, continued to support Lazio, while the other romans that had previously followed the other clubs started to side with A.S.Roma.



In the season 1927-1928 the two clubs did not play each other since they were drawn in two separate groups of eleven teams each. Lazio placed 10th in group A with four wins, three draws and thirteen defeats. On the otherhand Roma finished 8th ingroup B. In the following season Lazio and Roma were again drawn in two different groups of sixteen teams each. Lazio was in group B and finished 8th together with Napoli, totalling 29 points in 30 matches. The 1929 League, was the last one to be subdivided in two groups, as the National League (Serie A) was about to kick off. Lazio and Napoli played a decider for a place in the first Serie A League, since the first eight teams in both groups qualified automatically to the national championship. The match ended in a draw, but the rematch was never played, as the Italian Federation decided to admit both teams to Serie A, thanks to the concomitant admission of Triestina (ninth in the Group A) based on merit. Thus the new Italian Serie A league consisted of eighteen teams. A.S.Roma , lead by the ex-Lazio player Bernardini, qualified also for the new Serie A.

The Serie A season (1929-30) started badly for Lazio, as it lost 3-0 to Bologna. Lazio's first victory arrived on the 7th match crashing Cremonese 6-0. On the 8th December of 1929, the much awaited first clash between Lazio and Roma was held in the Lazio's Rondinella Stadium. Fifteen thousand romans packed the Rondinella and assisted to this first derby, that saw A.S.Roma winning 1-0. In that season Lazio lost also the other derby 3-1 played at Roma's Testaccio Stadium. At the end Lazio finished thirteenth avoiding relegation for just two points. The league was won by Ambrosiana Inter

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