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.jpg) Vinício with Vicenza in the 1960s | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Luís Vinícius de Menezes | ||
| Date of birth | (1932-02-28)28 February 1932 (age 93) | ||
| Place of birth | Belo Horizonte, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Centre forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1951–1954 | Botafogo | 42 | (24) |
| 1955–1960 | Napoli | 152 | (69) |
| 1960–1962 | Bologna | 47 | (17) |
| 1962–1966 | Vicenza | 116 | (61) |
| 1966–1967 | Internazionale | 8 | (1) |
| 1967–1968 | Vicenza | 25 | (7) |
| Total | 390 | (179) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1968–1969 | Internapoli | ||
| 1969–1970 | Brindisi | ||
| 1970–1971 | Ternana Terni | ||
| 1971–1973 | Brindisi | ||
| 1973–1976 | Napoli | ||
| 1976–1978 | Lazio | ||
| 1978–1980 | Napoli | ||
| 1980–1982 | Avellino | ||
| 1982–1984 | Pisa | ||
| 1984–1986 | Udinese | ||
| 1986–1988 | Avellino | ||
| 1991–1992 | Juve Stabia[1] | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Luís Vinícius de Menezes, more famously known asVinício (born 28 February 1932) is a former professional football player, who played as acentre forward. Although he is a Brazilian, Vinício played his entire career in Italy, and because of this, he was excluded from theBrazil national side, in a similar manner toJosé Altafini; unlike Altafini, however, Vinício chose not to play for theItaly national side. Following his professional footballing career, he later became amanager, who became known for introducing tactics based on Dutchtotal football in Italy.
Vinício was born inBelo Horizonte, Brazil. At age 23 he came to Italy, joining the Naples representative clubNapoli during the1955–56 season. He style was considered generous and powerful on the field, which soon gained him the nickname 'O lione (lion) from the Napoli faithful. In total for the club he played 152 games and scored 69 goals in a 5-year period.
He moved on next toBologna in 1960; he performed well during his first season with the club, during which he managed to win theMitropa Cup in 1961, but during the successive season, Vinício was used less frequently, due to competition from youngsterHarald Nielsen.
In the summer of 1962 he returned disconsolate to Brazil, after finding little football action in recent years with Bologna. However, soon he was recalled to Italy from the management ofLanerossi Vicenza, who offered him a new contract. To Vinício, joining Vicenza was like a second birth in Italian football.
After an average first year, he re-found his form, and became extremely prolific in front of goal, scoring 17 goals in the1963–64 season, which helped the club to a 6th place finish inSerie A. In1964–65 his performances were still decisive, as he helped Vicenza to a tenth place finish in championship. Thefollowing season, he scored 25 goals, finishing the season as theSerie A top scorer; his top-scoring record of 25 goals in a single Serie A campaign would not be equalled again untilMarco van Basten in1991–92.
In the summer of 1966, he left Vicenza becauseHelenio Herrera signed Vinício to play forInternazionale. His tenure innerazzurro did not bring much luck however; he competed only 8 games for the club and scored one goal.
For the final season of his playing career, he returned to Vicenza at age 36. This season saw him take his total goal scoring record, for all games player in Serie A during his career to over 150 goals.
Following his professional footballing career, Vinício later became an experienced football manager, coaching many different clubs, includingLazio andNapoli; he won the1971–72 Serie C title while coachingBrindisi, and narrowly missed out on the Serie A title during his time with Napoli (finishing two points behindJuventus in1974–75), leading a side which became renowned for their exciting attacking football, inspired by the DutchTotal Football, in an era in which defensivecatenaccio tactics still dominated Italy.[2][3]
Vinício was known for his exciting attacking football tactics, which were inspired by DutchTotal Football, and which he introduced in Italy in an era in which defensivecatenaccio tactics, which made use of man–to–man marking, still dominated in Italian football. His teams were known for using a fluid and attractive attacking style of play, as well as heavy pressing, theoffside trap, and azonal marking defensive system; during his time with Napoli, he usually employed a4–4–2 formation, and made use of an offensivesweeper (normallyTarcisio Burgnich) as one of his team's central defenders, who was required to push forward and advance into midfield in order to start attacking plays.[2][3][4][5]