Episode Summary
Hosts
Graham Dunn, Jamie Rooney
Phil Craig
Guest(s)
Release Date
21 November 2024
Duration
78 min
In this episode of By Far The Greatest Team, hosts Graham Dunn and Jamie Rooney are joined by regular guest Phil Craig to tell the incredible, yet tragic, story of Il Grande Torino (1942–1949).
Built by visionary president Ferruccio Novo and shaped by coach Ernő Erbstein, Torino dominated Italian football during the 1940s, winning five consecutive league titles and becoming the first Italian side to achieve the domestic double. At the heart of the team was Valentino Mazzola, a leader whose influence extended far beyond the pitch.
But their story ended in heartbreak. On 4 May 1949, the team perished in the Superga air disaster, a tragedy that shook Italy and left an irreplaceable void in both Torino and the national team. The episode reflects on their tactical innovations, the resilience of Erbstein, and how Torino’s memory continues to shape Italian football — from Sandro Mazzola’s career to the annual pilgrimages to Superga.
Takeaways
Ferruccio Novo’s vision and Ernő Erbstein’s tactics transformed Torino
Valentino Mazzola as captain, talisman, and symbol of the era
Five straight league titles and Italy’s first league-and-cup double
The devastating Superga air disaster of 1949
Torino’s enduring legacy in Italian football and cultural memory
Torino 1942–49: Il Grande Torino – Glory and Tragedy
Between 1942 and 1949, Torino FC built one of the most dominant teams football had ever seen. Known as Il Grande Torino, they won five straight Serie A titles, revolutionised tactics under Ernő Erbstein, and provided almost the entire Italian national team.
Driven by the charisma and class of Valentino Mazzola, Torino played football of beauty and precision — attacking in waves, pressing as a unit, and turning the Stadio Filadelfia into a fortress. Under president Ferruccio Novo, professionalism and preparation reached unprecedented levels, creating a blueprint for modern club management.
But on 4 May 1949, tragedy struck. Returning from a friendly in Lisbon, Torino’s plane crashed into the Basilica di Superga near Turin. Every player, coach, and staff member perished. Italy mourned as one: a golden generation wiped out in an instant.
The nation rebuilt its football identity from their legacy. Sandro Mazzola, Valentino’s son, would later carry the family name for Inter Milan and Italy, symbolising rebirth from loss.
Il Grande Torino remain more than a team — they are a monument to courage, excellence, and humanity. Their greatness lives not in statistics, but in memory.
Main Topics
Iconic Moments
Ferruccio Novo’s vision and professional revolution of Italian football
Ernő Erbstein’s tactical innovation and resilience as a Holocaust survivor
Valentino Mazzola’s leadership and symbolic power
Torino’s dominance: five straight Scudetti and a domestic double
The 1949 Superga air disaster and its lasting national impact
Five consecutive Serie A titles (1943–49)
First Italian domestic double (1943)
10-player Torino starting XI for Italy v Hungary (1947)
Valentino Mazzola’s “five-minute fury” team signal
The Superga air disaster (4 May 1949)
Notable Manager
Egri Erbstein, Luigi Ferrero, Ferruccio Novo (technical director)
Notable Players
Valentino Mazzola, Ezio Loik, Eusebio Castigliano, Mario Rigamonti, Aldo Ballarin, Pietro Ferraris, Virgilio Maroso, Romeo Menti, Franco Ossola, Guglielmo Gabetto, Franco Moro
Style of Play
WM Formation, Fluid, Attacking, Pressing, Collective Play, Tactical Innovation, High Tempo
Il Grande Torino were pioneers of collective, fluid football decades ahead of their time. Playing primarily in a WM system adapted by Ernő Erbstein, the team emphasised intelligent movement, short passing, and positional interchange — creating a seamless rhythm between defence and attack.
At the heart of this system was Valentino Mazzola, who roamed between midfield and attack, dictating tempo and emotion alike. Torino’s strength lay in unity: they pressed aggressively, recycled possession quickly, and attacked with width through Ferraris and Menti, while Gabetto and Loik supplied relentless finishing power.
Their matches at the Stadio Filadelfia were spectacles of precision and flair — fast, synchronised, and brutally efficient. Erbstein’s training methods, influenced by Hungarian football, encouraged positional fluidity and tactical intelligence long before “total football” became a term.
Even defensively, Torino’s organisation was revolutionary. The back line operated as a single unit, anticipating transitions rather than reacting to them. Every player knew their role; every movement had purpose.
Their style embodied post-war optimism — attacking, confident, and deeply human. It was football as poetry, cut tragically short.
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