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 Niginho (center) in 1936 | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leonídio Fantoni | |||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1912-02-12)12 February 1912 | |||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Belo Horizonte (MG), Brasil | |||||||||||||
| Date of death | 5 September 1975(1975-09-05) (aged 63) | |||||||||||||
| Position | Forward | |||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 1929–1933 | Palestra Itália (MG) | 31 | (6) | |||||||||||
| 1934–1936 | Lazio | 50 | (42) | |||||||||||
| 1936 | Palestra Itália (SP) | 6 | (6) | |||||||||||
| 1937–1938 | Vasco da Gama | 18 | (25) | |||||||||||
| 1939–1947 | Cruzeiro | 257 | (207) | |||||||||||
| Total | 362 | (296) | ||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||
| 1937–1938 | Brazil | 4 | (2) | |||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||
| 1948–1949 | Cruzeiro | |||||||||||||
| 1950–1951 | Santos | |||||||||||||
| 1953–1955 | Cruzeiro | |||||||||||||
| 1959–1961 | Cruzeiro | |||||||||||||
| 1962–1963 | Cruzeiro | |||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||
Leonídio Fantoni, best known asNiginho orFantoni III (born inBelo Horizonte, 12 February 1912 – died 5 September 1975) was a professionalassociation footballer who played as aforward.
His Italian-origins family was a supporter ofCruzeiro, than known as "Palestra Itália". Fantoni started his career in that club, playing with his brotherJoão Fantoni (Ninão) and their cousinOtávio Fantoni (Nininho). In 1931, they were sold toLazio, where they would be known by their surnames, like a dynasty: Ninão was Fantoni I, Nininho was Fantoni II and him, Fantoni III.[1] They played with another Italian-Brazilian player,Anfilogino Guarisi, in a Lazio squad known as "Brasilazio". Before moving to Italy, Niginho conquested theMinas Gerais State Championship in 1928, 1929 and 1930.[1]
In 1935, having dual citizenship, he was called by the Italian Army to fight in the invasion ofAbyssinia. He had married just one month before, and decided to go back toBrazil.[1] Lazio authorized it and paid the ship ticket.[2] That year was particularly difficult to him: his cousin Fantoni II died of generalized infection from a broken nose.[3]
Without formal authorization of Lazio, Niginho transferred toPalmeiras, than also known as Palestra Itália. Playing there from March to May, he scored six goals in six games and conquered theSão Paulo State Championship. After that, he played inVasco da Gama in 1937. In that club, he received his first call toBrazil national football team. He was called to1938 FIFA World Cup as aLeônidas da Silva stand-by player. Unfortunately, the Italians warnedFIFA that Niginho was in irregular situation, needing an authorization of Lazio to play,[2] and that he was a deserter of Italian Army.[1]
Leônidas injured himself in the game againstCzechoslovakia and had to play again in the play-off against the Czechs, because Niginho couldn't substitute him.[2] His injury got worse and he hadn't conditions to play againstItaly in the semifinals.[2]
In 1939, Niginho came back to Palestra Itália, who had to change its name to Cruzeiro in 1942. He conquered anothertricampeonato, theMinas Gerais State Championship in 1943, 1944 and 1945. He played in there along another brother,Orlando Fantoni. Orlando would also play in Lazio, becoming known as Fantoni IV.[1]
Niginho stopped to play in 1947, but would be linked with Cruzeiro until his death. As a coach, he conquered thetricampeonato in 1959, 1960 and 1961.[1] In the 60s, his nephewsBenito Fantoni andFernando Fantoni played in the club. Fernando would also play in Lazio, as Fantoni V.[4]
Niginho died by a heart attack in 1975, when he was visiting Cruzeiro. He was one of the top goalscorers in the club's history, scoring 207 goals in 272 appearances, and the biggest idol in the pre-Mineirão years.[1]
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