The “Grande Torino”

Grande Torino (”The Great Torino”) is the name by which the Torino F.C. team of the 1940s is popularly known in Italy. Grande Torino set many important records of Italian football, all of which still stand today. Grande Torino played with an attacking 4-2-4 formation, 10 years before the Brazil 1958 World Cup team, and some of their game tactics inspired the Dutch Total Football that revolutionized the game in the 1970s. The all-star starting lineup of Grande Torino that died at Superga is the most famous in ItalianfootballValerio Bacigalupo, Aldo Ballarin, Virgilio Maroso, Pino Grezar, Mario Rigamonti, Eusebio Castigliano, Romeo Menti, Ezio Loik, Guglielmo Gabetto, Valentino Mazzola, and Franco Ossola; the son of Ossola is now the major biographer of the Club’s history. The Italy national football team starting lineup in the second half of the forties consisted almost entirely of Grande Torino players, which regularly contributed 8-9 starters. On May 11, 1947, for the friendly match between Italy and Hungary 3-2, the Azzurri starting lineup was made of 10 Grande Torino players plus the Juventus goalkeeper Sentimenti IV. Italian manager Vittorio PozzoValentino Mazzola was also the captain of the Italy national football team as well as the father of Sandro Mazzola, who was also a great champion playing for Internazionale Milano and Italy in the 1960s-70s. Valentino was an all-around midfield playmaker who could direct the team, pass, score, tackle, defend, inspire and lead his teammates. history: reserved the Azzurri starting keeper Valerio Bacigalupo; otherwise it would have been the whole Grande Torino team playing for Italy. Legendary captain

Big “star” of the group was the leader Valentino Mazzola. The Head of Turin was a great player, with technical and physical skills beyond imagination. But his “nerve” was also affected, in some cases even for their own teammates. On 1947-48 season, the Torino was away, in Florence, but the team players refused to enter the stadium with Mazzola. Ultimately the ‘Grande Torino’ players lined up to pitch, but they had decided that their leader will not get a single pass. The answer of Mazzola? He returned to his defense, he took the ball himself and after pass anyone found in front of the opposing team, scored. The final whistle found the great Italian offensive in the hands of teammates: Apotheosis!.

On May 4, 1949, all except one player (who was out for an injury) of Grande Torino were killed when their plane crashed into the hills of Superga, on the outskirts of Turin.

source:
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grande_Torino
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grande_Torino#Il_Grande_Torino

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