Silvio Piola
Encyclopedia
Silvio Piola was an Italian
footballer
from Robbio Lomellina
, province of Pavia
. He is known as a highly prominent figure in the history of Italian football due to several records he set. Piola won the 1938 FIFA World Cup
with Italy
, scoring two goals in the final.
Piola is third in the all-time goalscoring records of the Italian national team. He is also the highest goalscorer in Serie A history, with 274 goals, 49 ahead of anyone else. He played 537 Serie A games, putting him 4th on the all-time list for appearances in Italy's top flight.
After his death a pair of Italian stadiums were renamed after him: one in Novara
in 1997 and another in Vercelli in 1998.
, making his Serie A
debut against Bologna
on 16 February 1930, scoring 13 goals in his first year, at the age of 17. He went on to score 51 goals in 127 appearances in Serie A for Pro Vercelli.
In 1934, he moved to Lazio
, who had been on the receiving end of his first Serie A goal on 11 November 1930. He was to spend the next nine seasons there. Piola was the Serie A top scorer twice while at Lazio, in 1937 and 1943.
After leaving Lazio, he spent war-torn 1944 at Torino
, where he scored an amazing 27 goals in just 23 games. Toward the end of the war, he joined Novara
. Then, from 1945 to 1947, Piola played for Juventus, before moving back to Novara, where he stayed for seven more seasons.
came against Austria
on 24 March 1935, when he also scored his first goal for the team. He was a World Cup winner in 1938, when he scored two of Italy's goals in the 4–2 victory over Hungary
.
Piola went on to play 34 games for Italy and score 30 goals, a tally that would surely have been greater if not for the interruption caused by World War II
. His last international appearance was in 1952, when Italy drew 1–1 with England
. He died in Gattinara
in 1996, aged 83.
|1929–30
||rowspan="5"|Pro Vercelli
||rowspan="5"|Serie A
||4||0||||||||
|-
|1930–31
||32||13||||||||
|-
|1931–32||31||12||||||||
|-
|1932–33
||32||11||||||||
|-
|1933–34
||28||15||||||||
|-
|1934–35
||rowspan="9"|Lazio
||rowspan="9"|Serie A
||29||21||||||||
|-
|1935–36
||27||20||||||||
|-
|1936–37
||28||21||||||||
|-
|1937–38
||28||15||||||||
|-
|1938–39
||21||8||||||||
|-
|1939–40
||23||9||||||||
|-
|1940–41
||25||10||||||||
|-
|1941–42
||24||18||||||||
|-
|1942–43
||22||21||||||||
|-
|1944
||Torino
||Serie A
||23||27||||||||
|-
|1945–46
||rowspan="2"|Juventus
||rowspan="2"|Serie A
||29||16||||||||
|-
|1946–47
||28||10||||||||
|-
|1947–48
||rowspan="7"|Novara
||Serie B
||30||16||||||||
|-
|1948–49
||rowspan="6"|Serie A
||36||15||||||||
|-
|1949–50
||17||4||||||||
|-
|1950–51
||37||19||||||||
|-
|1951–52
||31||18||||||||
|-
|1952–53
||25||9||||||||
|-
|1953–54
||9||5||||||||
619||333||||||||
619||333||||||||
Juventus F.C.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
footballer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
from Robbio Lomellina
Robbio
Robbio is a city and comune in the Province of Pavia in the Italian region Lombardy, located about 50 km southwest of Milan and about 45 km west of Pavia...
, province of Pavia
Province of Pavia
The Province of Pavia is a province in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. Pavia is the capital.It has an area of 2,965 km², and a total population of 493,753...
. He is known as a highly prominent figure in the history of Italian football due to several records he set. Piola won the 1938 FIFA World Cup
1938 FIFA World Cup
The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:...
with Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, scoring two goals in the final.
Piola is third in the all-time goalscoring records of the Italian national team. He is also the highest goalscorer in Serie A history, with 274 goals, 49 ahead of anyone else. He played 537 Serie A games, putting him 4th on the all-time list for appearances in Italy's top flight.
After his death a pair of Italian stadiums were renamed after him: one in Novara
Stadio Silvio Piola (Novara)
Stadio Silvio Piola is a multi-use stadium in Novara, Italy. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Novara Calcio. The stadium holds 17,875....
in 1997 and another in Vercelli in 1998.
Club career
Piola began his career with Italian club side Pro VercelliU.S. Pro Vercelli Calcio
Football Club Pro Vercelli 1892, commonly known as Pro Vercelli, is an Italian association football club based in Vercelli, Piedmont. The team currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione....
, making his Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
debut against Bologna
Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...
on 16 February 1930, scoring 13 goals in his first year, at the age of 17. He went on to score 51 goals in 127 appearances in Serie A for Pro Vercelli.
In 1934, he moved to Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
, who had been on the receiving end of his first Serie A goal on 11 November 1930. He was to spend the next nine seasons there. Piola was the Serie A top scorer twice while at Lazio, in 1937 and 1943.
After leaving Lazio, he spent war-torn 1944 at Torino
Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....
, where he scored an amazing 27 goals in just 23 games. Toward the end of the war, he joined Novara
Novara Calcio
Novara Calcio is an Italian football club based in Novara, Piedmont.-History:In December 1908 the F.A.S. was created by eight students of Liceo Carlo Alberto, aged between 15–16 years; among them an engineer, Gianni Canestrini, and a lawyer, Piero Omodei Zorini...
. Then, from 1945 to 1947, Piola played for Juventus, before moving back to Novara, where he stayed for seven more seasons.
International career
His first game for ItalyItaly national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
came against Austria
Austria national football team
The Austria national football team is the association football team that represents the country of Austria in international competition and is controlled by the Austrian Football Association ....
on 24 March 1935, when he also scored his first goal for the team. He was a World Cup winner in 1938, when he scored two of Italy's goals in the 4–2 victory over Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
.
Piola went on to play 34 games for Italy and score 30 goals, a tally that would surely have been greater if not for the interruption caused by World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. His last international appearance was in 1952, when Italy drew 1–1 with England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
. He died in Gattinara
Gattinara
Gattinara is a comune in the Province of Vercelli in the Italian region Piedmont, located about northeast of Turin and about north of Vercelli...
in 1996, aged 83.
Career statistics
|-|1929–30
Serie A 1929-30
The Serie A 1929–30 was the 30th football tournament in Italy. Internazionale won its third Scudetto as Ambrosiana.-Final classification:-Results:...
||rowspan="5"|Pro Vercelli
U.S. Pro Vercelli Calcio
Football Club Pro Vercelli 1892, commonly known as Pro Vercelli, is an Italian association football club based in Vercelli, Piedmont. The team currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione....
||rowspan="5"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||4||0||||||||
|-
|1930–31
Serie A 1930-31
Serie A 1930—31 was won by Juventus.-Final classification:-Results:...
||32||13||||||||
|-
|1931–32||31||12||||||||
|-
|1932–33
Serie A 1932-33
-Final classification:-Results:...
||32||11||||||||
|-
|1933–34
Serie A 1933-34
-Final classification:-Results:...
||28||15||||||||
|-
|1934–35
Serie A 1934-35
-Final classification:-Results:...
||rowspan="9"|Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
||rowspan="9"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||29||21||||||||
|-
|1935–36
Serie A 1935-36
-Final classification:-Results:...
||27||20||||||||
|-
|1936–37
Serie A 1936-37
-Final classification:-Results:...
||28||21||||||||
|-
|1937–38
Serie A 1937-38
-Final classification:-Results:...
||28||15||||||||
|-
|1938–39
Serie A 1938-39
From this year, goal average became official ranking rule after total points.-Final classification:-Results:...
||21||8||||||||
|-
|1939–40
Serie A 1939-40
-Final classification:-Results:...
||23||9||||||||
|-
|1940–41
Serie A 1940-41
-Final classification:-Results:...
||25||10||||||||
|-
|1941–42
Serie A 1941-42
-Final classification:-Results:...
||24||18||||||||
|-
|1942–43
Serie A 1942-43
-Classification:-Results:...
||22||21||||||||
|-
|1944
Campionato Alta Italia 1944
This championship was disputed during the second World War and wasn't recognized by the FIGC until 2002, though Spezia's Scudetto is considered a "decoration"....
||Torino
Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....
||Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||23||27||||||||
|-
|1945–46
Serie A 1945-46
The 1945-46 Serie A championship is not usually included in the statistics, because some of the southern sides that took part to the competition were Serie B teams, while northern Serie B teams played at the second level with the Serie C teams...
||rowspan="2"|Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
||rowspan="2"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||29||16||||||||
|-
|1946–47
Serie A 1946-47
-Final classification:-Results:...
||28||10||||||||
|-
|1947–48
Serie B 1947-48
This championship had three gironi organized with geographical criteria for the last time. The round-robin system should be restored in 1948.-Final classification:-Results:...
||rowspan="7"|Novara
Novara Calcio
Novara Calcio is an Italian football club based in Novara, Piedmont.-History:In December 1908 the F.A.S. was created by eight students of Liceo Carlo Alberto, aged between 15–16 years; among them an engineer, Gianni Canestrini, and a lawyer, Piero Omodei Zorini...
||Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
||30||16||||||||
|-
|1948–49
Serie A 1948-49
Torino were declared champions on May 6, 1949, after the Superga tragedy. Their remaining four matches were played by their reserve team.-Final classification:Note: "GD" colomn is a pure wikipedian invention...
||rowspan="6"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||36||15||||||||
|-
|1949–50
Serie A 1949-50
-Final classification:-Results:...
||17||4||||||||
|-
|1950–51
Serie A 1950-51
-Final classification:-Results:...
||37||19||||||||
|-
|1951–52
Serie A 1951-52
-Final classification:-Results:...
||31||18||||||||
|-
|1952–53
Serie A 1952-53
-Final classification:-Results:...
||25||9||||||||
|-
|1953–54
Serie A 1953-54
-Final classification:-Results:...
||9||5||||||||
619||333||||||||
619||333||||||||
Club Playing Honours
S.S. LazioS.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
- Serie ASerie ASerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
: runner-up 1936–37
Juventus F.C.
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
- Serie ASerie ASerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
: runner-up 1945–46, 1946–47