Former Italy coach Vicini dies at 84

ROME (Reuters) - Former Italy coach Azeglio Vicini, in charge of the team at the 1990 World Cup, has died at the age of 84, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) said on Wednesday.





Vicini coached Italy from 1986 and 1991 and led them to the semi-finals at both the 1988 European championship and the World Cup which they hosted two years later.

Italy's bid to win the title on home soil ended when they were beaten on penalties by a Diego Maradona-inspired Argentina following a 1-1 draw in a dramatic semi-final. They went on to beat England 2-1 in the third-place match.

"It was a national team which played with heart, passion and entertained the Italians," said the FIGC.

He stepped down in 1991 after Italy surprisingly failed to qualify for Euro 1992 after finishing below the Soviet Union in their group.

Vicini coached Italian national teams at youth level for eleven years before taking charge of the senior side and only coached three club sides -- Brescia, Cesena and Udinese.

His playing career took him to Vicenza, Sampdoria and, finally, Brescia.

The FIGC said that a minute's silence would be held before Wednesday's Coppa Italia match between AC Milan and Lazio and the weekend's Serie A games.

(This story has been refiled to replace and with to in second paragraph)





(Writing by Brian Homewood in Bern; Editing by Christian Radnedge)


Share
2 min read

Published

Source: Reuters


Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world
Former Italy coach Vicini dies at 84 | SBS News