 Vicini withSampdoria | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
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| 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 | 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
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| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
Azeglio ViciniGrande Ufficiale OMRI (Italian pronunciation:[adˈdzeʎʎoviˈtʃiːni]; 20 March 1933 – 30 January 2018)[3] was an Italianfootballcoach and player, who also served as the President of the Technical Sector of theItalian Football Federation (FIGC).
One of Italy's most important coaches during the eighties, he coached theItaly under-21 side, reaching the semi-final of the1984 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, and final of the1986 UEFA European Under-21 Championship; he later coached theItaly national side, reaching the semi-finals ofUEFA Euro 1988, and leading the team to another semi-final, and eventually a third-place finish, in the1990 FIFA World Cup, in Italy.
Adefensive midfielder, Vicini started playing football with his hometown sideCesena. He began his professional career withLanerossi Vicenza, helping the team toSerie A promotion the following season, after winning the1954–55 Serie B title, and subsequently making hisSerie A debut on 25 September 1955 in a 2–0 home defeat toInter. He later moved toSampdoria, playing with the club for 7 seasons in the top division, before moving toSerie B clubBrescia. 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 theSerie 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 the1967–68 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]
After starting his professional coaching career with his former clubBrescia from 1967 to 1968, he was named the head coach of theItalian Under-23 side in his 30s, between 1975 and 1976, participating in the1976 UEFA European Under-23 Championship, where Italy were eliminated in the group stages. He was later named the head coach of theItaly 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 theUEFA European Under-21 Championships in1978,1980, and1982, and the semi-finals in1984; he won the "Seminatore d'Oro" award, for the best coach in Italian football in 1986,[5] after the team reached the final of the1986 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.[6]
He subsequently managed thesenior Italian team from 1986 to 1991.[7] He led Italy to the semi-finals of theUEFA Euro 1988, where they were eliminated byUSSR. Two years later, he led Italy to the semi-finals of the1990 FIFA World Cup, which was held on home soil, where they eventually finished in third-place, defeatingEngland 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 championsArgentina in the semi-finals, following a 1–1 draw after extra-time. However, after the team failed to qualify for the1992 UEFA European Football Championship, he was replaced as Italy's head coach by formerMilan managerArrigo 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 teamCesena from 1992 to 1993, andUdinese from 1993 to 1994, before retiring.[4]
Vicini later took up the position as head of the technical sector of theFIGC; he was replaced byRoberto Baggio in 2010.[18] Vicini was awarded the Premio Malatesta Novello by his hometown of Cesena in 2008.[19]
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 Italianzona mista approach (or "Gioco all'Italiana"), which was a cross betweenzonal marking andman-marking systems, such ascatenaccio. 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]
Vicini was married and had three children.[20] Vicini died in Brescia on 30 January 2018, at the age of 84.[20]
Vicenza[21]
Brescia[21]
Italy[21]
2nd Class / Grand Officer:Grande Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 1991[24]
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