Grande Torino

Grande Torino, 1948-1949. Standing, from the left: Eusebio Castigliano, Aldo Ballarin, Mario Rigamonti, Ezio Loik, Virgilio Maroso, Valentino Mazzola (team captain); crouched, from the left: Valerio Bacigalupo, Romeo Menti, Franco Ossola, Danilo Martelli, Guglielmo Gabetto.

Grande Torino takes field, lead by team captain Valentino Mazzola, who played as inside forward with the n. 10. Valentino Mazzola is considered among the all-time best football players in the world.

The Filadelfia Stadium in Turin.

Grande Torino, 1942-1943.

In 1944, Grande Torino took part in the northern Italy's football championship as Torino Fiat.

Grande Torino, 1945-1946.

Grande Torino, 1946-1947.

Grande Torino, 1947-1948.

Grande Torino, 1948-1949.

Grande Torino on training at the Filadelfia Stadium in Turin. Valentino Mazzola is the second from the left.

Eusebio Castigliano (Grande Torino's midfielder, the first from the left) and Valentino Mazzola (Grande Torino's inside forward and team captain, the second from the left) with legendary Italian and world cycling champion Fausto Coppi (the first from the right). Italian cycling racer Serse Coppi (younger brother of Fausto Coppi) is the third from the left. Valentino Mazzola's first wife, Emilia Ranaldi, and their sons, Ferruccio and Sandro, are also in the picture.

Eusebio Castigliano, Valentino Mazzola and his younger son Ferruccio with Fausto Coppi (the fourth from the left) and Serse Coppi (the first from the right).

Grande Torino was the reference team for the Italy's national football team in the post-war years.
Above: picture from Italy-Hungary (3-2) held in Turin on 11th May 1947. In that match, 10 of the 11 Italian players (on the left) belonged to Grande Torino.

Valentino Mazzola, team captain of Italy's national football team and of Grande Torino, in the course of Italy-Hungary (3-2) held in Turin on 11th May 1947.

Picture from friendly match Italy-Portugal (4-1) held in Genoa on 27th February 1949: Portoguese football champion Francisco Ferreira (team captain of Portugal's national football team and of Lisbon's football team Sport Lisboa E Benfica, aka Benfica; left) and Valentino Mazzola (team captain of Italy's national football team and of Grande Torino).
After the match, Valentino Mazzola and Francisco Ferreira agreed that Grande Torino would have played against Benfica in the Francisco Ferreira's tribute match, already planned in Lisbon. Grande Torino used to play exhibiton matches abroad, including a tour in Brasil in 1948 (opposing Palmeiras, Corinthians, San Paulo and Portoguesa) and the inauguration match of the new stadium of Brussel's football team Racing Club in the early 1949.
The Lisbon's match was scheduled for Tuesday 3rd May 1949.

Grande Torino's arrival in Lisbon on 1st May 1949. The Italian team was welcomed by Francisco Ferrera and by thousands of people gathered outside the Lisbon's airport.

Cover of Portoguese weekly sport magazine Selecçao for the Francisco Ferreira's tribute match: Today in the National Stadium it will be paid homage to the great football player Francisco Ferreira (3rd May 1949).

Ticket for the Francisco Ferreira's tribute match.

Lisbon, 3rd May 1949: Grande Torino's last match.

Grande Torino's team captain Valentino Mazzola, English referee Henry Pearce and Benfica's team captain Francisco Ferreira just before the match began.