Liverpool round off
their pre-season preparations with a visit from Torino.
Torino is one of the most successful sides in Italian
history, with seven league titles to their name. Take a look at the profile of
Il Toro as they travel to Anfield on 7th August.
History
Torino was established in 1906, formed by a group of
dissidents unhappy with the way that fellow Turin club Juventus was run. Within
twenty-five years, the side were well-established in Italian football: 1927/28
saw the club’s first Calcio title.
The side reached the peak of their powers in the 1940s.
‘Grande Torino’, as the legendary side were known, won five consecutive
Scudetto titles from 1942 onwards. At one stage, ten of the eleven starters for
the national side played their domestic football for Torino.
Tragedy struck in 1949. With the world at their feet, the
entire Torino squad were killed in an aeroplane crash following a friendly with
Benfica in Lisbon – every player is memorialised in a monument at the site of
the disaster. Each year, the squad travel to this site to pay respects and to
reflect upon this dark time in the club’s history.
Some difficult times followed in the league, and in 1958/59
the club suffered its first relegation to Serie B. However, an immediate return
followed: the club embarked upon a rebuilding project, and in 1975/76 were able
to celebrate their first Serie A title since the disaster. Torino failed to win
at home for the first time that season when Cesena held them on the final day,
but Juventus’ loss against Perugia ensured that it was the maroon half of Turin
that were celebrating.
The early 1990s saw Torino’s best run in Europe, as the side
ventured all the way to the UEFA Cup final. They defeated Real Madrid along the
way, but lost the two-legged final to Ajax on the away goals rule. The
following season, Torino were able to win their fifth Coppa Italia.
A period of uncertainty followed, both on and off the pitch.
The club went back and forth between the top two divisions, and in 2005 faced
bankruptcy. However, Torino has successfully reinstated itself as a staple
fixture in Serie A: its current spell in the top flight stretches back to the
2012/13 season.
Last Season
Torino ended a steady season in 9th place. Their
key man was Spanish winger Iago Falque, who completed a permanent move from
Roma at the start of the season after a successful loan spell. He ended the campaign
on twelve goals; Italian striker Andrea Belotti was also able to hit double
figures, as the side matched their league finish from the previous season.
Il Toro had won just five league matches by January, and had
exited the Coppa Italia to rivals and eventual winners Juventus. This prompted
the club to appoint former Watford coach Walter Mazzarri. He immediately went
on a five-game unbeaten run – Torino ended the season with thirteen league wins
and a respectable 54 points. This was just three points adrift of a spot in the
Europa League qualifying round, and the team will likely be aiming for European
qualification in the forthcoming campaign.
The Manager
Mazzarri is a seasoned Italian coach. He concluded a playing
career in 1995, and has since managed sides including Sampdoria, Napoli and
Inter Milan.
His season-long spell in England, at Vicarage Road, ended in
a 17th-placed finish. He was criticised in some quarters for his
style of play, but departed with the gratitude of fans after securing a third
consecutive season of Premier League football for Watford.
His six months at Torino have been positive, and he will be
looking to finalise preparations for the new season when he visits Anfield.
The Stadium
Torino shared more than a city with Juventus until 2011,
when their neighbours moved out of the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino. The
ground seats 28,140 – the Olympics reference in its name refers to its use at
the 2006 Winter Olympics, while ‘Grande Torino’ is a tribute to the side of the
1940s that lost their lives.
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