 Lazzatti in 1945 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1915-09-25)25 September 1915 | ||
| Place of birth | Bahía Blanca,Argentina | ||
| Date of death | 30 December 1988(1988-12-30) (aged 73) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1924–1933 | Puerto Comercial | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1934–1947 | Boca Juniors | 379 | (16) |
| 1947–1948 | Danubio | 50 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 1936–1937 | Argentina | 4 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ernesto Lazzatti (25 September 1915 – 30 December 1988) was anArgentinefootball midfielder and sports journalist. As a player, he won 10 titles withBoca Juniors, the only Argentine team where he played. Lazzatti's position on the field wascentral midfielder, being notable for his skills with the ball and elegant style of playing. In 503 official matches played, Lazzatti was never sent off.[1]
NicknamedEl Pibe de Oro (The Golden Kid), Lazzatti is considered one of Boca Juniors's greatest idols, having raised from the youth divisions with a long career in the club. Lazzatti also won a title as manager in 1954.[1]
Lazzatti was born inBahía Blanca but he grew up in neighbor city Ingeniero White, where he played in local club Puerto Comercial as right inside forward. Santos Ursino was the central midfielder and captain of that team and then became his adviser.[2] After a representative ofBoca Juniors (who was also Lazzatti's uncle) wrote a letter to the club recommending Ernesto,[3] the club decided to cost the travel to bring Lazzatti toBuenos Aires by train. With 18 years old, the young promise arrived to the club and played three matches (a friendly one and two in the reserve team) before debuting in the senior squad in1934 when Boca beatChacarita Juniors by 3–2 on April 8.
I had no expectations of being a professional footballer. I know I was fortunate because thousand of letters were sent to the club (Boca Juniors) each day, and they just picked my uncle's one and decided to pay attention to it.
In the year of his debut, Boca Juniors (managed byMario Fortunato) was champion, with 101 goals scored in 39 games.[4] Lazzatti was the central midfielder alongside Enrique Vernieres andPedro Arico Suárez. In1935 Boca won another championship.
Lazzatti played only four matches for theArgentina national team between 1936 and 1937. He was part of the squad that won the1937Copa América when Argentina beatBrazil by 2–0 in the final atEstadio Gasómetro. Lazzatti was part of the midfield line along withAntonio Sastre and Celestino Martínez.
In Boca Juniors, Lazzatti formed a memorable midfield line withCarlos Sosa andNatalio Pescia in the squad that won the1943 and1944 championships. That team overshadowedRiver PlateLa Máquina, being regarded as one of the best Boca Juniors teams ever.
Lazzatti played a total of 14 seasons in Boca Juniors, totalizing 503 matches and 7 goals scored. He was never sent off in his whole career. When he became a free agent at the age of 32, Lazzatti refused to play for other team in Argentina, so Uruguayan player and former teammateSeverino Varela offered him to play atDanubio. Lazzatti accepted and joined the club, playing there until his retirement in 1948 with 33 years old. His performances were praised by Uruguayan media, remarking that "his quality is as expected".[1]
After his tenure on Uruguay, Lazzatti returned to Argentina becoming manager of Boca Juniors in 1950. The team was runner-up toRacing Club but he resigned after a conflict with an executive of the club. Far from football environment, Lazzatti opened acar dealership inTemperley, working there until Boca Juniors called him to take over the team in1954. With Lazzatti as manager, Boca Juniors won a title after a decade without league championships. With players such asJulio Musimessi,Eliseo Mouriño, Pescia,José Borello, Boca set a record of attendance, with an average of 30,000 spectators per match, selling a total of 900,000 tickets during the tournament, which remains as the highest record in Primera División.[1][5]
Despite that success, he never returned to management, pursuing a career in sport journalism, working inEl Gráfico when the magazine was directed byDante Panzeri. When Panzeri left in 1962, Lazzatti followed him. Nevertheless, Lazzatti continued his career as journalist writing for newspaperLa Prensa and in the TV showDeporte con Opinión inCanal 7.
I have fond memories of Lazzatti. He knew how to led the team because of his football abilities and ethics. He took over the midfield line, always playing with the head up. Not only his short and long passes were perfect, he was a great header as well.
He was one of the greatcentrojás[note 1] of Argentine football. His distinctive style was fair play, intelligence and quality. A man with no great ball control but who knew how to pass the ball in the right moment. He didn't argue or play hard but he knew how to organise the team, being also an excellent person according to my personal experience and what my fellowmates told about him
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