ari . ▁At ▁the ▁trial , ▁which ▁he ▁showed ▁up ▁and ▁played ▁bare foot , ▁having ▁left ▁his ▁bo ots ▁intention ally ▁at ▁home ▁not ▁to ▁ru in ▁them . ▁He ▁convinced ▁everyone , ▁especially ▁the ▁manager ▁Giuseppe ▁Gir ani ▁to ▁purchase ▁him . ▁After ▁a ▁few ▁months ▁in ▁the ▁reserve ▁team , ▁which ▁participated ▁in ▁its ▁own ▁championship , ▁he ▁was ▁h ired ▁on ▁ 1 ▁January ▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁for ▁ 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁lire . ▁He ▁made ▁his ▁debut ▁in ▁Serie ▁A ▁on ▁ 3 1 ▁March ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 – 0 ▁defeat ▁away ▁to ▁Laz io , ▁entering ▁as ▁a ▁substitute ▁for ▁the ▁center ▁forward ▁Francesco ▁P ern igo , ▁and ▁kept ▁his ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁starting ▁line up ▁on ▁his ▁own ▁mer its . ▁He ▁played ▁in ▁all ▁five ▁of ▁the ▁remaining ▁league ▁games , ▁often ▁in ▁the ▁middle ▁of ▁the ▁attack , ▁creating ▁a ▁goal ▁on ▁the ▁pen ult imate ▁day ▁against ▁B ari , ▁guarantee ing ▁Venez ia ▁mathematical ▁safety ▁from ▁re leg ation . ▁In ▁a ▁Coppa ▁Italia ▁round ▁of ▁ 1 6 ▁defeat ▁against ▁Mod ena ▁that ▁ended ▁ 3 – 1 , ▁he ▁would ▁also ▁score ▁his ▁team ' s ▁only ▁goal . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁during ▁this ▁time ▁at ▁Venez ia ▁that ▁M azz ola ▁first ▁met ▁Ez io ▁Lo ik , ▁who ▁had ▁moved ▁to ▁the ▁club ▁from ▁Milan . ▁They ▁deb uted ▁together ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9