Comunardo Niccolai
 Niccolai with Cagliari | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 15 December 1946 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Uzzano, Italy | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 2 July 2024 (aged 77) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Pistoia, Italy | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 1963–1964 | Torres | 22 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 1964–1976 | Cagliari | 218 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| 1976–1977 | Perugia | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 1977–1978 | Prato | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 251 | (4) | |||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1970 | Italy | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
Comunardo Niccolai (Italian pronunciation: [komuˈnardo nikkoˈlai]; 15 December 1946 – 2 July 2024) was an Italian footballer, who played as a defender.
Club career
[edit]A tough, physically strong centre-back,[1] Niccolai initially began his career with Torres in 1963,[2] before joining Cagliari Calcio, where he played from 1964 to 1976, winning the only Serie A championship in the club's entire club history in 1970.[3] He ended his career in 1977 with Perugia.[2] Niccolai played 218 Serie A matches,[2] and is still remembered today for his proneness to score own goals, including some very spectacular ones.[4]
International career
[edit]Niccolai made three appearances for the Italy national team in 1970, and represented the team at the 1970 FIFA World Cup, where he won a runners-up medal; he only appeared in Italy's opening group match, a 1–0 win against Sweden on 3 June, as he was replaced by Roberto Rosato in the 37th minute, after sustaining an injury which kept him out of the remainder of the tournament.[5][6] This led his Cagliari coach Manlio Scopigno to declare: "I could expect everything from my life, but to see Niccolai in international telecast".[7]
After retirement
[edit]Niccolai worked with the Italian Football Federation as national team scout.[8] He also worked as a youth coach for the Cagliari under-18 side.[9]
Niccolai died on 2 July 2024, at the age of 77.[10][11]
Honours
[edit]Cagliari[3]
Italy[7]
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1970
References
[edit]- ^ Vittore Trabucco (4 July 2014). "MOSE GALAN COME NICCOLAI Comunardo Niccolai, arcigno difensore del Cagliari" (in Italian). Il Gazzettino. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ a b c Nanni Boi (29 May 2003). "Niccolai, autogol alla Sivori" (in Italian). La Repubblica. Archived from the original on 9 March 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ a b Federico Ventagliò (19 November 2012). "ESCLUSIVA TC - Comunardo Niccolai: "I miei bellissimi autogol"" (in Italian). Tutto Cagliari. Archived from the original on 30 May 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ "Storia dell'autogol" (in Italian). Storie di Calcio. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ "Niccolai, Cumunardo" (in Italian). FIGC. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ Nanni Boi (16 December 2013). "I 5 gol veri di Niccolai che finì in nazionale per due autoreti non sue" (in Italian). Tiscali. Archived from the original on 2 November 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ a b Sebastiano Vernazza (10 March 2007). "Niccolai, artista dell'autogol" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Archived from the original on 16 April 2017. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ "COMUNARDO NICCOLAI". FIGC. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ "Raffaelli, il talent scout dei giovani" (in Italian). La Repubblica. 10 June 2003. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2015.
- ^ "È morto Comunardo Niccolai, campione del Cagliari dello scudetto". La Nuova Sardegna. Archived from the original on 2 July 2024. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
- ^ "Comunardo Niccolai è morto: re degli autogol, vinse lo scudetto con il Cagliari". Corriere della Sera. 2 July 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2024.
External links
[edit]- Communardo Niccolai profile @ gazzetta.it (in Italian)
- Communardo Niccolai profile @ archiviorossoblu.it (in Italian)
- Communardo Niccolai profile @ cagliaristory.it (in Italian)
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