Comunardo Niccolai
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox football biography
Comunardo Niccolai (Script error: No such module "IPA".; 15 December 1946 – 2 July 2024) was an Italian footballer, who played as a defender.
Club career
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
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
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
Cagliari[3]
Italy[7]
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1970
References
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External links
- Communardo Niccolai profile @ gazzetta.it Template:In lang
- Communardo Niccolai profile @ archiviorossoblu.it Template:In lang
- Communardo Niccolai profile @ cagliaristory.it Template:In lang
- Template:Sports links
Script error: No such module "national squad". Template:Italy women's national football team managers Template:S.E.F. Torres 1903
- Pages with script errors
- 1946 births
- 2024 deaths
- Italian men's footballers
- Footballers from the Province of Pistoia
- Men's association football central defenders
- Italy men's international footballers
- 1970 FIFA World Cup players
- Serie A players
- SEF Torres 1903 players
- Cagliari Calcio players
- AC Perugia Calcio players
- AC Prato players
- Italian football managers
- Italy women's national football team managers
- 20th-century Italian sportsmen