4 2 ▁game ▁Italy ▁played ▁against ▁Cro atia ▁and ▁won ▁ 4 – 0 . ▁Both ▁were ▁very ▁different , ▁although ▁they ▁came ▁from ▁very ▁hum ble ▁background s : ▁F ium e - born ▁Lo ik ▁was ▁quiet ▁and ▁somewhat ▁def ensive , ▁while ▁Lomb ard ▁M azz ola ▁was ▁much ▁more ▁imp uls ive ▁and ▁friendly . ▁Lo ik ▁did ▁not ▁like ▁Valent ino ▁at ▁first ▁instance , ▁taking ▁his ▁reserve ▁for ▁ar rog ance , ▁but ▁both ▁soon ▁found ▁a ▁way ▁of ▁understanding ▁each ▁other . ▁The ▁partners hip ▁of ▁both ▁attack ing ▁mid field ers ▁( me zz ala ▁in ▁Italian ) ▁was ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁Lo ik ' s ▁stub born ▁gener os ity ▁and ▁the ▁M azz ola ' s ▁rare ▁talent . ▁So on , ▁they ▁became ▁Italy ' s ▁most ▁cov et ed ▁u pr ising ▁young ▁players . ▁ ▁M azz ola ' s ▁career ▁with ▁Venez ia ▁started ▁mod est ly , ▁with ▁a ▁t enth - pla ced ▁finish ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁and ▁a ▁tw elf th - place ▁finish ▁the ▁next ▁season . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁however , ▁the ▁team ▁won ▁the ▁Coppa ▁Italia ▁final ▁against ▁Roma , ▁and ▁finished ▁third ▁in ▁the ▁league ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 2 . ▁ ▁Tor ino ▁ ▁In ▁early ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 2 , ▁he ▁transferred ▁to ▁Tor ino ▁for ▁one ▁million ▁and ▁ 2 5 0 ▁thousand ▁li ra , ▁a ▁figure ▁that