Armando Picchi
Encyclopedia
Armando Picchi was an Italian
football
player and coach. Regularly positioned as a sweeper
, he captained the Internazionale
side known as La Grande Inter
.
, Picchi started his by career playing for A.S. Livorno Calcio
. In 1959 he moved to SPAL
, before later at the peak of his time, and most of his career, at Milan
ese powerhouse F.C. Internazionale Milano
.
experimented by placing him as a libero
. The new position was successful; he became a strong figure at the defence, and indirectly set examples for teammates Tarcisio Burgnich
and Giacinto Facchetti
. During that time, Internazionale was still captained by Bruno Bolchi
.
When Bolchi moved to Verona
, Picchi was then selected as team captain. It was in his captaincy that Internazionale evolved into the era famously known as La Grande Inter
, when they won three scudetti, two European Champions Cup
s and two Intercontinental Cup
s in the 1960s.
He played for two seasons at Varese
before retiring at the age of 34.
several months after becoming Intercontinental champion
with Internazionale, in a 6-1 victory over Finland in November 1964. However, Italy coach at that time, Edmondo Fabbri
, deemed him unsuitable for the team's scheme, and subsequently left him out of the squad for 1966 World Cup
in England
.
Under the management of Ferruccio Valcareggi, he was regularly called for the qualifying matches of Euro 1968. Yet a fractured pelvis injury in a match against Bulgaria in April 1968, ruled him out of the competition, which concluded his last match with the Azzurri with 12 appearances.
.
The football stadium of Livorno
is named after him.
Internazionale
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
player and coach. Regularly positioned as a sweeper
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
, he captained the Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
side known as La Grande Inter
La Grande Inter
Grande Inter is the name given to the Internazionale team led by Helenio Herrera that won back-to-back European Cup wins in 1964 and 1965, victories but were spotted in the light of a series of revelations published in recent years....
.
Club career
Born in LivornoLivorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
, Picchi started his by career playing for A.S. Livorno Calcio
A.S. Livorno Calcio
Associazione Sportiva Livorno Calcio is an Italian football club based in Livorno, Tuscany. The club was formed in 1915 and currently plays in Italian Serie B. The team's colors are dark red or maroon...
. In 1959 he moved to SPAL
Spal 1907
SPAL 1907 is an Italian football club, based in Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna. The club was founded in 1907 as Società Polisportiva Ars et Labor and was refounded in 2005....
, before later at the peak of his time, and most of his career, at Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
ese powerhouse F.C. Internazionale Milano
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
.
Captain of Grande Inter
He started to play in Internazionale as a right back, a role he previously held at SPAL. During the course of 1961-62 season, the legendary coach Helenio HerreraHelenio Herrera
Helenio Herrera Gavilán was a Franco-Argentine football player and manager.Although born in Argentina, Herrera's parents were both Spanish, his father being a well-known Spanish anarchist in exile...
experimented by placing him as a libero
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
. The new position was successful; he became a strong figure at the defence, and indirectly set examples for teammates Tarcisio Burgnich
Tarcisio Burgnich
Tarcisio Burgnich is a former Italian football defender.After short spells at Udinese, Juventus and Palermo, it was with Internazionale that he found his spiritual home in the 1960s...
and Giacinto Facchetti
Giacinto Facchetti
Giacinto Facchetti was an Italian football player. From January 2004 until his death, he was President of Internazionale, the club for which he played for his whole career during the 1960s and 1970s, playing 634 official games and scoring 75 goals. He played for the Internazionale team remembered...
. During that time, Internazionale was still captained by Bruno Bolchi
Bruno Bolchi
Bruno Bolchi is an Italian retired football manager and former player.-Playing:Bolchi, a midfielder, made his debut at the age of 18 with F.C. Internazionale Milano in a Serie A away match lost 1-0 to S.S.C. Napoli on May 18, 1958...
.
When Bolchi moved to Verona
Hellas Verona F.C.
Hellas Verona Football Club is a professional Italian association football team, based in Verona, Veneto. The team's colours are yellow and blue and gialloblu is the team's most widely used nickname...
, Picchi was then selected as team captain. It was in his captaincy that Internazionale evolved into the era famously known as La Grande Inter
La Grande Inter
Grande Inter is the name given to the Internazionale team led by Helenio Herrera that won back-to-back European Cup wins in 1964 and 1965, victories but were spotted in the light of a series of revelations published in recent years....
, when they won three scudetti, two European Champions Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
s and two Intercontinental Cup
Intercontinental Cup (football)
The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
s in the 1960s.
He played for two seasons at Varese
A.S. Varese 1910
A.S. Varese 1910 is an Italian football club from Varese, founded 22 March 1910. It currently plays in Serie B, ranked one division below Serie A in the Italian football league.-History:...
before retiring at the age of 34.
International career
He made his debut for ItalyItaly national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
several months after becoming Intercontinental champion
1964 Intercontinental Cup
The 1964 Intercontinental Cup was a football tie held over three legs in September 1964 between Independiente and Internazionale.The first leg was held on 9 September 1964 at Avellaneda, home of Independiente, who won the match 1–0. San Siro hosted the return leg two weeks later on 23 September...
with Internazionale, in a 6-1 victory over Finland in November 1964. However, Italy coach at that time, Edmondo Fabbri
Edmondo Fabbri
Edmondo Fabbri was an Italian football player and coach.Fabbri was born at Castel Bolognese-He was the head coach of the Italy national football team from 1962 to 1966, with a record of 18 wins, 6 draws and 5 losses, and led the team in the 1966 FIFA World Cup, where they were eliminated in the...
, deemed him unsuitable for the team's scheme, and subsequently left him out of the squad for 1966 World Cup
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Under the management of Ferruccio Valcareggi, he was regularly called for the qualifying matches of Euro 1968. Yet a fractured pelvis injury in a match against Bulgaria in April 1968, ruled him out of the competition, which concluded his last match with the Azzurri with 12 appearances.
Coaching
After his playing career was over, he went on to coach Varese, Livorno, and then Juventus, but he died early because of cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
The football stadium of Livorno
A.S. Livorno Calcio
Associazione Sportiva Livorno Calcio is an Italian football club based in Livorno, Tuscany. The club was formed in 1915 and currently plays in Italian Serie B. The team's colors are dark red or maroon...
is named after him.
Club
InternazionaleF.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
- Serie ASerie ASerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
: 1962–63, 1964–65, 1965–66 - European Champions CupUEFA Champions LeagueThe UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
: 1963-64, 1964-65 - Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (football)The European/South American Cup, commonly referred to as the World Club Championship, Intercontinental Cup or Toyota Cup, was a football competition endorsed by UEFA and CONMEBOL, contested between the winners of the European Cup and the South American Copa Libertadores...
: 19641964 Intercontinental CupThe 1964 Intercontinental Cup was a football tie held over three legs in September 1964 between Independiente and Internazionale.The first leg was held on 9 September 1964 at Avellaneda, home of Independiente, who won the match 1–0. San Siro hosted the return leg two weeks later on 23 September...
, 19651965 Intercontinental CupThe 1965 Intercontinental Cup was a football tie held over two legs in September 1965 between the runners up of the 1964–65 European Cup winners Internazionale and Independiente, winners of the 1965 Copa Libertadores, premier competitions in European and South American club football.The first leg...