Azeglio Vicini

Azeglio Vicini Grande Ufficiale OMRI (Italian pronunciation: [adˈdzeʎʎo viˈtʃiːni]; 20 March 1933 – 30 January 2018)^[3] was an Italian football coach and player, who also served as the President of the Technical Sector of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).

Azeglio Vicini

Vicini with Sampdoria
Personal information
Full name	Azeglio Vicini[1]
Date of birth	(1933-03-20)20 March 1933[2]
Place of birth	Cesena, Italy[2]
Date of death	30 January 2018(2018-01-30) (aged 84)
Place of death	Brescia, Italy
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Position(s)	Defensive Midfielder
Youth career
1952–1953	Cesena
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1953–1956	Vicenza	54	(8)
1956–1963	Sampdoria	191	(6)
1963–1966	Brescia	55	(2)
Total		300	(16)
Managerial career
1967–1968	Brescia
1975–1976	Italy U23
1977–1986	Italy U21
1986–1991	Italy
1992–1993	Cesena
1993–1994	Udinese
Medal record Men's football Representing  Italy (as manager) FIFA World Cup 1990
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

One of Italy's most important coaches during the eighties, he coached the Italy under-21 side, reaching the semi-final of the 1984 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, and final of the 1986 UEFA European Under-21 Championship; he later coached the Italy national side, reaching the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 1988, and leading the team to another semi-final, and eventually a third-place finish, in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, in Italy.

Playing career

A defensive midfielder, Vicini started playing football with his hometown side Cesena. He began his professional career with Lanerossi Vicenza, helping the team to Serie A promotion the following season, after winning the 1954–55 Serie B title, and subsequently making his Serie A debut on 25 September 1955 in a 2–0 home defeat to Inter. He later moved to Sampdoria, playing with the club for 7 seasons in the top division, before moving to Serie B club Brescia. He made his club debut on 15 September 1963, in a 4–0 away defeat to Varese, narrowly missing out on Serie A promotion during his first season with the club. The following season, he won the Serie B title with the club, finally achieving Serie A promotion after 17 years. After suffering relegation, the team immediately won back Serie A promotion the following season. Vicini ended his playing career during the 1967–68 season, when he became the club's manager midway through the season, although he was ultimately unable to save the club from relegation, despite impressing with his performances.^[2][4]

Managerial career

After starting his professional coaching career with his former club Brescia from 1967 to 1968, he was named the head coach of the Italian Under-23 side in his 30s, between 1975 and 1976, participating in the 1976 UEFA European Under-23 Championship, where Italy were eliminated in the group stages. He was later named the head coach of the Italy national under-21 football team, a position which he occupied between 1977 and 1986. With the Under-21 side, he reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA European Under-21 Championships in 1978, 1980, and 1982, and the semi-finals in 1984; he won the "Seminatore d'Oro" award, for the best coach in Italian football in 1986,^[5] after the team reached the final of the 1986 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.^[6]

He subsequently managed the senior Italian team from 1986 to 1991.^[7] He led Italy to the semi-finals of the UEFA Euro 1988, where they were eliminated by USSR. Two years later, he led Italy to the semi-finals of the 1990 FIFA World Cup, which was held on home soil, where they eventually finished in third-place, defeating England 2–1 in the bronze medal match. Italy won six out of seven matches throughout the tournament, scoring ten goals and only conceding two, with their only draw coming in their penalty-shootout defeat to defending champions Argentina in the semi-finals, following a 1–1 draw after extra-time. However, after the team failed to qualify for the 1992 UEFA European Football Championship, he was replaced as Italy's head coach by former Milan manager Arrigo Sacchi.^{[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]}

In 1991, he was awarded the "Panchina d'Oro" Award for his career;^[17] he later managed his hometown team Cesena from 1992 to 1993, and Udinese from 1993 to 1994, before retiring.^[4]

Vicini later took up the position as head of the technical sector of the FIGC; he was replaced by Roberto Baggio in 2010.^[18] Vicini was awarded the Premio Malatesta Novello by his hometown of Cesena in 2008.^[19]

Style of management

During his time as Italy's manager, Vicini came to be known for introducing younger talented players to the team, and for implementing a more attractive, offensive-minded possession based system, which he successfully used to great effect, guiding Italy to two consecutive semi-finals at Euro 1988 and the 1990 World Cup; as such, he came to be known as one of Italy's most beloved managers. Under Vicini, the Italy national team's more attacking style of play was combined with a solid back-line and elements of the Italian zona mista approach (or "Gioco all'Italiana"), which was a cross between zonal marking and man-marking systems, such as catenaccio. Despite their more aggressive and modern attacking approach under Vicini, Italy were still pragmatic, conceding little defensively, while still creating more going forward.^[10][11][12]

Personal life and death

Vicini was married and had three children.^[20] Vicini died in Brescia on 30 January 2018, at the age of 84.^[20]

Honours

Player

Vicenza^[21]

• Serie B: 1954–55

Brescia^[21]

• Serie B: 1964–65

Manager

Italy^[21]

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship runner-up: 1986
• FIFA World Cup third place: 1990
• Scania 100 Tournament: 1991^[22]

Individual

• Seminatore d'oro: 1986^[5]
• Panchina d'oro alla carriera: 1991^[17]
• Premio Malatesta Novello – Comune di Cesena: 2008^[19]
• Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2017^[23]

Orders

• 2nd Class / Grand Officer: Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 1991^[24]

References

1. "Vicini Sig. Azeglio" [Vicini Mr. Azeglio]. Quirinale (in Italian). Presidenza della Repubblica Italiana. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
2. "Azeglio Vicini". enciclopediadelcalcio.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
3. "Former Italy national coach Azeglio Vicini dies, aged 84". www.independent.com.mt. 31 January 2018. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
4. "La Simpatia di Vicini" (in Italian). Guerin Sportivo. 21 March 2013. Archived from the original on 2 February 2018. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
5. "AZEGLIO VICINI HA VINTO IL 'SEMINATORE D' ORO'". repubblica.it (in Italian). La Repubblica. 10 March 1987. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
6. "1986: Spagna di rigore sull'Italia". uefa.com (in Italian). UEFA. 1 March 2006. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
7. "Former Italy coach Azeglio Vicini dies aged 84". Sky Sports. Archived from the original on 1 February 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
8. "Mondiali 1990: Italia-Inghilterra 2-1" (in Italian). Storie di Calcio. 11 September 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
9. "Mondiali 1990: Italia-Argentina 1-1; 3-4 d.c.r." (in Italian). Storie di Calcio. 11 September 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
10. MURA, GIANNI (13 October 1991). "L' ITALIA S' ARRENDE E VICINI DICE ADDIO". La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 19 February 2020.
11. BOCCA, FABRIZIO (31 January 2018). "E' morto Azeglio Vicini, ex ct della Nazionale di calcio". La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 19 February 2020.
12. "La storia della Nazionale ai Mondiali" (in Italian). FIGC. 22 May 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
13. Roberto Di Maggio (30 November 2017). "ITALIAN NATIONAL TEAM COACHES". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 17 April 2016.
14. "Addio Azeglio Vicini, dagli Europei dell'88 a Italia '90, fu uno dei ct più amati di sempre". La Repubblica (in Italian). 31 January 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
15. "Rigori mondiali: la storia dell'Italia in 11 metri" (in Italian). sport.sky.it. 19 December 2016. Retrieved 19 February 2020.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
16. Witzig, Richard (2006). The Global Art of Soccer. New Orleans: CusiBoy Publishing. p. 137. ISBN 0-977-66880-0. Retrieved 19 February 2020.
17. "Guidolin panchina d' oro i complimenti di Mou". repubblica.it (in Italian). La Repubblica. 28 February 2012. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
18. "Baggio accetta l'offerta Torna azzurro in Figc". gazzetta.it (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 2 August 2010. Archived from the original on 31 October 2014. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
19. Federica Bianchi (20 November 2014). "Cerimonia di consegna del premio Malatesta Novello- città di Cesena 2014". comune.cesena.fc.it (in Italian). Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
20. "È morto Azeglio Vicini: l'ex c.t. portò gli azzurri al 3° posto a Italia '90" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 31 January 2018. Archived from the original on 31 January 2018. Retrieved 31 January 2018.
21. "Il était une fois...Azeglio Vicini". tifosamp.com (in French). 15 February 2014. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
22. Tournaments-Part 6 – Scania 100 (1991) Soccer Nostalgia. Tuesday, September 20, 2016
23. "Azeglio Vicini". FIGC.it (in Italian). Retrieved 23 April 2023.
24. "Onoreficenze". quirinale.it (in Italian). 30 September 1991. Retrieved 19 March 2015.