Omar Sivori
Encyclopedia
Enrique Omar Sívori was an Italian Argentine
football
striker
and manager. He is known for his time with the successful Juventus
side during the late 1950s and early 1960s. At club level he also played for River Plate
and Napoli
.
On the international level, he first appeared for the Argentine national team
, winning the Copa América
. Later in his career, he played for the Italian national team
and took part in some of the 1962 World Cup
. After his retirement as player, he coached several teams in Argentina, including the national side.
Sívori's footballing talent was acclaimed and he won the coveted European Footballer of the Year
in 1961.
describe his playing style as "audacious and brilliant". Sívori utilized his dribbling
skills and favourite move of the nutmeg
(playing the ball between an opposition players legs) to defeat defenders. Primarily a left footed player, Sívori had the ability to score with his left, his right and despite his relatively short stature his head; this would sometimes see him receiving kicks to the face.
Especially while with Juventus, he was able to utilise his vision and passing skills, working in unison with Charles
and Boniperti
. Because of his playing style, country of birth and at times rebellious nature on and off the field, Sívori is retroactively compared to a player who emerged after him; Diego Maradona
, with some parts of the media dubbing him "the Maradona of the Sixties".
, a town which falls within the Buenos Aires Province
of Argentina
. As a youngster Sívori became heavily interested in the game of football
and by the time he reached his teens he was signed up to a side from his home province; River Plate
. The teenage Sívori was given a chance to break through into a squad which included players like the famed forwards Ángel Labruna
and Félix Loustau
who established themselves in the era of the maquina
, one of the foremost formations in football history. He soon earned the nickname El Cabezón (bighead) from the fans, due to his playing style.
River were able to win the Primera División Argentina
in 1955, the title was confirmed when River beat hated local rivals Boca Juniors
2–1 at La Bombonera
, in Buenos Aires
, with just one game remaining. The same season River won the Copa Río de La Plata by beating Nacional
from Uruguay
. The following season he had similar success when River won the Argentine league title on the final day of the season; beating Rosario Central
4–0, with Sívori scoring the final goal. Sívori would play his final game for River against the same team on 5 May 1957.
During the 1957–58
season, the 21 year old Sívori was signed by Italian club Juventus
after being spotted by Renato Cesarini
. Juventus paid 10 million pesos
(the equivalent of £91,000) for the transfer, which was a world-record transfer fee for the time. Sívori's move would prove bad for River's league fortunes, in the 18 years after 1957 they were unable to win the league in Argentina. However, they were able to complete their El Monumental
stadium (previously nicknamed the horseshoe
) by adding a fourth stand baring his name, with the money from the deal.
(Bologna
). The three were nicknamed the "Angels with Dirty Faces" by the media on account of their typically South American colour and flair, and also "The Trio of Death" on account of their fearless playing style and clinical finishing.
Prior to the arrival of Sívori and Welshman John Charles
, Juventus had been going through somewhat of a slump. However, the duo along with experienced Juventini Giampiero Boniperti
put together a formidable force and won Serie A during 1957-58. The good form continues and Sívori won two more scudetto titles (1959–60 and 1960–61) as well as two Coppa Italia
's (1958–59 and 1959–60). Omar Sívori's hard work had paid off and he was named European Footballer of the Year
(also known as Ballon d'or) in 1961.
The same year as his personal achievement however, "the Magical Trio" as they were known, had broken up with Boniperti's retirement and the following season John Charles moved back to Leeds United. Sívori stayed on with the Old Lady, notably scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory against Real Madrid
, making Juventus the first Italian side ever to win at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
. Sívori did not win anymore championships or trophies with Juventus, and left after the 1964-65 season, because of a disagreement with new coach Heriberto Herrera.
With Juventus, Sívori scored 167 goals in 253 appearances in all competitions, remaining Juventus' fifth highest goalscorer ever as of 2011. He also holds the record for most Juventus goals in a single league game; during the 9-1 victory against Inter Milan
on 10 June 1961 he scored six goals, this is also the joint record for any Serie A team shared with Silvio Piola
of Pro Vercelli
.
helping them to a third place finish in the first season at the club, they also won the Coppa delle Alpi
. During the 1967-68 season, Napoli's squad boasted talents along with Sívori such as Dino Zoff
and José Altafini
, the club took A.C. Milan
all the way in the battle for the Serie A championship; Napoli eventually finished as second. Ironically, Sívori's last ever game was against Juventus, he was given a red card for kicking Erminio Favalli and was suspended for six matches.
|1954||rowspan="4"|River Plate||rowspan="4"|Primera División||16||8||||||||||16||8
|-
|1955||23||11||||||||||23||11
|-
|1956||23||10||||||||||23||10
|-
|1957||1||0||||||||||1||0
|-
|1957/58
||rowspan="8"|Juventus||rowspan="8"|Serie A
||32||22||8||9||colspan="2"|-||40||31
|-
|1958/59
||24||15||3||5||2||3||29||23
|-
|1959/60
||31||27||4||3||0||0||35||30
|-
|1960/61
||27||25||1||2||1||1||29||28
|-
|1961/62
||25||13||0||0||5||2||30||15
|-
|1962/63
||33||16||4||3||1||1||38||20
|-
|1963/64||28||13||2||1||4||0||34||14
|-
|1964/65
||15||3||1||1||3||2||19||6
|-
|1965/66
||rowspan="4"|Napoli||rowspan="4"|Serie A
||33||7||||||||||33||7
|-
|1966/67
||20||2||||||||||20||2
|-
|1967/68
||7||2||||||||||7||2
|-
|1968/69
||3||1||||||||||3||1
63||29||||||||||63||29
278||146||23||24||16||9||317||179
341||175||23||24||16||9||380||208
|}
!Total||19||9
|}
|-
|1961||5||8
|-
|1962||4||0
|-
!Total||9||8
|}
eighteen times and registered nine goals. The Argentine side of the time had a formidable attack with Sívori, Omar Oreste Corbatta
, Osvaldo Cruz
, Humberto Maschio
and Antonio Angelillo
. They were nicknamed the "caras sucias" which literally means "dirty faces" in Spanish; in reference to the way they played the game, like fun, dirty faced, mischievous children.
He helped the team win the 1957 South American Championship
held in Lima, Peru. Argentina dominated in every game during that year's Copa América
, wins included an 8-2 victory against Colombia
and a 3-0 victory against close rivals Brazil
.
Following his move to Italy
in 1957, Sívori was barred from playing for the Argentine national side
by the country's government. Sívori himself was of Italian ancestry, hence his surname, and in April 1961 he made his debut for the Italy national football team
. In total Omar earned nine caps and scored eight goals while playing for the azzurri.
, Estudiantes de La Plata
, Racing Club
and Vélez Sársfield
.
From 1972 until 1974, Sívori took charge of the Argentine national football team, he helped the club qualify for the 1974 FIFA World Cup
. Sívori was the first man to call up Ubaldo Fillol
for the national side, Fillol would become one of the most highly regarded keepers in Argentine history. After that he became a full-time scout
for Juventus in South America
.
In March 2004, he was named by Pelé
as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers and honoured as part of the in FIFA 100
. The following year in February 2005, Sívori died in his hometown of San Nicolás
, at the age of 69 due to pancreatic cancer
.
Total of goals in career: 223 goals in 408 matches
Italian Argentine
An Italian Argentine is a person born in Argentina of Italian ancestry. It is estimated up to 25 million Argentines have some degree of Italian descent...
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...
striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
and manager. He is known for his time with the successful Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
side during the late 1950s and early 1960s. At club level he also played for River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
and Napoli
S.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
.
On the international level, he first appeared for the Argentine national team
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, winning the Copa América
Copa América
The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
. Later in his career, he played for the Italian national team
Italy 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...
and took part in some of the 1962 World Cup
1962 FIFA World Cup
The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final...
. After his retirement as player, he coached several teams in Argentina, including the national side.
Sívori's footballing talent was acclaimed and he won the coveted European Footballer of the Year
European Footballer of the Year
The "", literally translated as "the golden ball" and often referred to as the European Footballer of the Year award, was an annual association football award. It was presented to the player who had been considered to have performed the best over the previous calendar year...
in 1961.
Playing style
Encyclopædia BritannicaEncyclopædia Britannica
The Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...
describe his playing style as "audacious and brilliant". Sívori utilized his dribbling
Dribbling
In sports, dribbling refers to the maneuvering of a ball around a defender through short skillful taps or kicks with either the legs , hands , stick or swimming strokes...
skills and favourite move of the nutmeg
Nutmeg (football)
A nutmeg is a technique used in football or field hockey, in which a player rolls the ball through an opponent's legs. This can be whilst passing to another player, shooting or occasionally to carry on and retrieve it themselves.- Origin :...
(playing the ball between an opposition players legs) to defeat defenders. Primarily a left footed player, Sívori had the ability to score with his left, his right and despite his relatively short stature his head; this would sometimes see him receiving kicks to the face.
Especially while with Juventus, he was able to utilise his vision and passing skills, working in unison with Charles
John Charles
William John Charles, CBE , commonly known as John Charles, was a Welsh international footballer best remembered for spells with Leeds United and Juventus. Rated by many as the greatest all-round footballer ever to come from Wales, he was equally adept at centre-forward or centre-back...
and Boniperti
Giampiero Boniperti
Giampiero Boniperti is an Italian former football player who played his entire career at Juventus between 1946 and 1961. He also played for the Italian national football team...
. Because of his playing style, country of birth and at times rebellious nature on and off the field, Sívori is retroactively compared to a player who emerged after him; Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
, with some parts of the media dubbing him "the Maradona of the Sixties".
River Plate
Sívori was born in San Nicolás de los ArroyosSan Nicolás de los Arroyos
San Nicolás de los Arroyos is a city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the western shore of the Paraná River, 61 km from Rosario. It has about 138,000 inhabitants . It is the head town of the partido of the same name...
, a town which falls within the Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. As a youngster Sívori became heavily interested in the game of 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...
and by the time he reached his teens he was signed up to a side from his home province; River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
. The teenage Sívori was given a chance to break through into a squad which included players like the famed forwards Ángel Labruna
Ángel Labruna
Angel Amadeo Labruna, , was a football player and coach in Argentina. He is tied with Arsenio Erico as the all-time highest goalscorers in the Argentine first division...
and Félix Loustau
Félix Loustau
Félix Loustau is a former Argentine footballer who was a key player on the River Plate squad known as La Máquina. La Maquina is considered to be one of the greatest team ever assembled in the history of South American football...
who established themselves in the era of the maquina
La Máquina
La Máquina is a nickname given to the River Plate team of the early 1940s. The core group of la Máquina were forwards Juan Carlos Muñoz, José Manuel Moreno, Adolfo Pedernera, Ángel Labruna, and Félix Loustau...
, one of the foremost formations in football history. He soon earned the nickname El Cabezón (bighead) from the fans, due to his playing style.
River were able to win the Primera División Argentina
Primera División Argentina
The Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
in 1955, the title was confirmed when River beat hated local rivals Boca Juniors
Boca Juniors
Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....
2–1 at La Bombonera
Estadio Alberto J. Armando
The Estadio Alberto J. Armando is a stadium located in the La Boca district of Buenos Aires. Widely known as La Bombonera due to its shape, with a "flat" stand on one side of the pitch and three steep stands round the rest of the stadium...
, in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, with just one game remaining. The same season River won the Copa Río de La Plata by beating Nacional
Club Nacional de Football
Club Nacional de Football is a Uruguayan sports club based in Montevideo. It is best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Uruguayan Primera División....
from Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
. The following season he had similar success when River won the Argentine league title on the final day of the season; beating Rosario Central
Rosario Central
Club Atlético Rosario Central is a sports club based in Rosario, Argentina. Its football team currently plays in the Primera B Nacional, the second tier of the Argentine football league system, after being relegated in the 2009-10 season....
4–0, with Sívori scoring the final goal. Sívori would play his final game for River against the same team on 5 May 1957.
During the 1957–58
Serie A 1957-58
-Final classification:-Results:...
season, the 21 year old Sívori was signed by Italian club Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
after being spotted by Renato Cesarini
Renato Cesarini
Renato Cesarini was an Italian Argentine football player and coach, who also played for Juventus in Italy...
. Juventus paid 10 million pesos
Argentine peso
The peso is the currency of Argentina, identified by the symbol $ preceding the amount in the same way as many countries using dollar currencies. It is subdivided into 100 centavos. Its ISO 4217 code is ARS...
(the equivalent of £91,000) for the transfer, which was a world-record transfer fee for the time. Sívori's move would prove bad for River's league fortunes, in the 18 years after 1957 they were unable to win the league in Argentina. However, they were able to complete their El Monumental
Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti
Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, is a stadium in the Belgrano district of Buenos Aires, Argentina at the intersection of Figueroa Alcorta and Udaondo. It is the home venue of Club Atlético River Plate and is named after former club president Antonio Vespucio Liberti...
stadium (previously nicknamed the horseshoe
Horseshoe
A horseshoe, is a fabricated product, normally made of metal, although sometimes made partially or wholly of modern synthetic materials, designed to protect a horse's hoof from wear and tear. Shoes are attached on the palmar surface of the hooves, usually nailed through the insensitive hoof wall...
) by adding a fourth stand baring his name, with the money from the deal.
Juventus
The same season two other prominent Argentines moved to the Italian league; Antonio Angelillo (Inter) and Humberto MaschioHumberto Maschio
Humberto Dionisio Maschio is an Italian Argentine former football player.Maschio started playing at Arsenal of Lavallol to later move to Quilmes Atlético Club where he proved himself a prolific goal-scorer. He joined Racing Club in 1954, and transferred to Italy in 1957...
(Bologna
Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...
). The three were nicknamed the "Angels with Dirty Faces" by the media on account of their typically South American colour and flair, and also "The Trio of Death" on account of their fearless playing style and clinical finishing.
Prior to the arrival of Sívori and Welshman John Charles
John Charles
William John Charles, CBE , commonly known as John Charles, was a Welsh international footballer best remembered for spells with Leeds United and Juventus. Rated by many as the greatest all-round footballer ever to come from Wales, he was equally adept at centre-forward or centre-back...
, Juventus had been going through somewhat of a slump. However, the duo along with experienced Juventini Giampiero Boniperti
Giampiero Boniperti
Giampiero Boniperti is an Italian former football player who played his entire career at Juventus between 1946 and 1961. He also played for the Italian national football team...
put together a formidable force and won Serie A during 1957-58. The good form continues and Sívori won two more scudetto titles (1959–60 and 1960–61) as well as two Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
's (1958–59 and 1959–60). Omar Sívori's hard work had paid off and he was named European Footballer of the Year
European Footballer of the Year
The "", literally translated as "the golden ball" and often referred to as the European Footballer of the Year award, was an annual association football award. It was presented to the player who had been considered to have performed the best over the previous calendar year...
(also known as Ballon d'or) in 1961.
The same year as his personal achievement however, "the Magical Trio" as they were known, had broken up with Boniperti's retirement and the following season John Charles moved back to Leeds United. Sívori stayed on with the Old Lady, notably scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory against Real Madrid
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, making Juventus the first Italian side ever to win at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
Santiago Bernabéu Stadium
The Estadio Santiago Bernabéu is an all-seater football stadium in Madrid, Spain. It was inaugurated on 14 December 1947 and is owned by Real Madrid Club de Fútbol. It has a current capacity of 85,454 spectators....
. Sívori did not win anymore championships or trophies with Juventus, and left after the 1964-65 season, because of a disagreement with new coach Heriberto Herrera.
With Juventus, Sívori scored 167 goals in 253 appearances in all competitions, remaining Juventus' fifth highest goalscorer ever as of 2011. He also holds the record for most Juventus goals in a single league game; during the 9-1 victory against Inter Milan
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...
on 10 June 1961 he scored six goals, this is also the joint record for any Serie A team shared with Silvio Piola
Silvio Piola
Silvio Piola was an Italian footballer from Robbio Lomellina, province of Pavia. He is known as a highly prominent figure in the history of Italian football due to several records he set. Piola won the 1938 FIFA World Cup with Italy, scoring two goals in the final.Piola is third in the all-time...
of Pro Vercelli
U.S. Pro Vercelli Calcio
Football Club Pro Vercelli 1892, commonly known as Pro Vercelli, is an Italian association football club based in Vercelli, Piedmont. The team currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione....
.
Napoli
In 1965 he signed with NapoliS.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
helping them to a third place finish in the first season at the club, they also won the Coppa delle Alpi
Coppa delle Alpi
Coppa delle Alpi , was a football tournament, first organized by the Italian national league to start 1960 and then aided by the Swiss League in 1962 for the reason that the majority of the Alps are in Switzerland...
. During the 1967-68 season, Napoli's squad boasted talents along with Sívori such as Dino Zoff
Dino Zoff
Dino Zoff is an Italian former football goalkeeper and is the oldest winner ever of the World Cup, which he earned as captain of the Italian team in the 1982 tournament in Spain, at the age of 40 years, 4 months and 13 days.Zoff was a goalkeeper of outstanding ability and has a place in the...
and José Altafini
José Altafini
José João Altafini, is an Italian Brazilian former footballer. He is the joint-third highest scorer in Italian Serie A history with 216 goals. He currently holds the record for the highest no...
, the club took A.C. Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
all the way in the battle for the Serie A championship; Napoli eventually finished as second. Ironically, Sívori's last ever game was against Juventus, he was given a red card for kicking Erminio Favalli and was suspended for six matches.
Club statistics
|-|1954||rowspan="4"|River Plate||rowspan="4"|Primera División||16||8||||||||||16||8
|-
|1955||23||11||||||||||23||11
|-
|1956||23||10||||||||||23||10
|-
|1957||1||0||||||||||1||0
|-
|1957/58
Serie A 1957-58
-Final classification:-Results:...
||rowspan="8"|Juventus||rowspan="8"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie 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...
||32||22||8||9||colspan="2"|-||40||31
|-
|1958/59
Serie A 1958-59
The 1958/1959 Serie A season was the 29th edition of Serie A, the top-level football competition in Italy. The championship was won by A.C...
||24||15||3||5||2||3||29||23
|-
|1959/60
Serie A 1959-60
-Final classification:-Results:...
||31||27||4||3||0||0||35||30
|-
|1960/61
Serie A 1960-61
-Final classification:-Results:...
||27||25||1||2||1||1||29||28
|-
|1961/62
Serie A 1961-62
-Final classification:-Results:...
||25||13||0||0||5||2||30||15
|-
|1962/63
Serie A 1962-63
-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
||33||16||4||3||1||1||38||20
|-
|1963/64||28||13||2||1||4||0||34||14
|-
|1964/65
Serie A 1964-65
-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
||15||3||1||1||3||2||19||6
|-
|1965/66
Serie A 1965-66
-Final classification:-Results:-References:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:* :it:Classifica calcio Serie A italiana 1966 - Italian version with pictures and info....
||rowspan="4"|Napoli||rowspan="4"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie 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...
||33||7||||||||||33||7
|-
|1966/67
Serie A 1966-67
Serie A 1966-67 season was won by Juventus, it was their second scudetto of the 1960s. The season was closely contested and went down to the final day of the season; Inter were left needing just a draw or having Juventus not beat Lazio to win the title. However, Inter lost 1-0 on the final day to...
||20||2||||||||||20||2
|-
|1967/68
Serie A 1967-68
Serie A 1967-68 season was won by A.C. Milan.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
||7||2||||||||||7||2
|-
|1968/69
Serie A 1968-69
The 1968/1969 Serie A season was won by A.C. Fiorentina.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
||3||1||||||||||3||1
63||29||||||||||63||29
278||146||23||24||16||9||317||179
341||175||23||24||16||9||380||208
|}
National team statistics
|-!Total||19||9
|}
|-
|1961||5||8
|-
|1962||4||0
|-
!Total||9||8
|}
International career
He represented the Argentine sideArgentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
eighteen times and registered nine goals. The Argentine side of the time had a formidable attack with Sívori, Omar Oreste Corbatta
Omar Oreste Corbatta
Omar Oreste Corbatta Fernández was an Argentine footballer who played as a forward.Dubbed Arlequín and El dueño de la raya , he played for five teams in his country - six in total - namely Racing Club and Boca Juniors, winning four major titles and scoring 86 official goals with both teams...
, Osvaldo Cruz
Osvaldo Cruz
For the Brazilian epidemiologist, see Oswaldo Cruz. For the neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro, see Oswaldo Cruz .Osvaldo Cruz is a municipality in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The population in 2004 was 30,023 and the area is 248.69 km². The elevation is 485 m...
, Humberto Maschio
Humberto Maschio
Humberto Dionisio Maschio is an Italian Argentine former football player.Maschio started playing at Arsenal of Lavallol to later move to Quilmes Atlético Club where he proved himself a prolific goal-scorer. He joined Racing Club in 1954, and transferred to Italy in 1957...
and Antonio Angelillo
Antonio Valentin Angelillo
Antonio Valentín Angelillo is an Italian Argentine former football forward who played the majority of his professional career in the Italian Serie A, and was a member of both the Argentine and the Italian national teams.-Club career:...
. They were nicknamed the "caras sucias" which literally means "dirty faces" in Spanish; in reference to the way they played the game, like fun, dirty faced, mischievous children.
He helped the team win the 1957 South American Championship
South American Championship 1957
The South American Championship 1957 was a football tournament held in Peru and won by Argentina with Brazil as a second.Humberto Maschio from Argentina and Javier Ambrois from Uruguay became top scorers of the tournament with 9 goals each.-Final round:...
held in Lima, Peru. Argentina dominated in every game during that year's Copa América
Copa América
The Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
, wins included an 8-2 victory against Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
and a 3-0 victory against close rivals Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
.
Following his move to Italy
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...
in 1957, Sívori was barred from playing for the Argentine national side
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
by the country's government. Sívori himself was of Italian ancestry, hence his surname, and in April 1961 he made his debut for the Italy national football team
Italy 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...
. In total Omar earned nine caps and scored eight goals while playing for the azzurri.
Goals for Argentina
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ?. | 18 March 1956 | Mexico City Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole... , Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
2-2 | Draw | 1956 Pan American Championship | |
| ?. | 17 March 1957 | Lima Lima Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima... , Peru Peru Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.... |
3-0 | Win | 1957 South American Championship South American Championship 1957 The South American Championship 1957 was a football tournament held in Peru and won by Argentina with Brazil as a second.Humberto Maschio from Argentina and Javier Ambrois from Uruguay became top scorers of the tournament with 9 goals each.-Final round:... |
|
| ?. | 28 March 1957 | Lima Lima Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima... , Peru Peru Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.... |
6-2 | Win | 1957 South American Championship | |
| ?. | 6 April 1957 | Lima Lima Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima... , Peru Peru Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean.... |
1-2 | Loss | 1957 South American Championship | |
Goals for Italy
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 25 April 1961 | Bologna Bologna Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,... , Italy 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... |
3-2 | Win | Friendly | |
| 2. | 24 May 1961 | Rome Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half... , Italy 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... |
2-3 | Loss | Friendly | |
| 3. | 15 June 1961 | Florence Florence Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area.... , Italy 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... |
4-1 | Win | Friendly | |
| 4. | 4 November 1961 | Turin Turin Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat... , Italy 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... |
6-0 | Win | FIFA World Cup 1962 Qual. 1962 FIFA World Cup qualification Sweden and Switzerland finished level on points, and a play-off on neutral ground was played to decide who would qualify.Switzerland qualified for FIFA World Cup 1962 in Chile-UEFA Group 2:--------------------... |
|
| 5. | 4 November 1961 | Turin Turin Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat... , Italy 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... |
6-0 | Win | FIFA World Cup 1962 Qual. | |
| 6. | 4 November 1961 | Turin Turin Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat... , Italy 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... |
6-0 | Win | FIFA World Cup 1962 Qual. |
Managing career
Sívori retired from the playing field in 1969. Although he retired to his native Argentina as a wealthy man, his love for the game meant that he decided to take up a further career as a coach; he coached River Plate, Rosario CentralRosario Central
Club Atlético Rosario Central is a sports club based in Rosario, Argentina. Its football team currently plays in the Primera B Nacional, the second tier of the Argentine football league system, after being relegated in the 2009-10 season....
, Estudiantes de La Plata
Estudiantes de La Plata
Club Estudiantes de La Plata , simply referred to as Estudiantes, is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Plata. The club's football team currently competes in the Primera División, where it has spent most of its history....
, Racing Club
Racing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
and Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield
Club Atlético Vélez Sársfield is a sports club based in the Liniers neighborhood of western Buenos Aires, Argentina. Vélez is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División, the top level of the Argentine league system...
.
From 1972 until 1974, Sívori took charge of the Argentine national football team, he helped the club qualify for the 1974 FIFA World Cup
1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
. Sívori was the first man to call up Ubaldo Fillol
Ubaldo Fillol
Ubaldo Matildo Fillol , nicknamed el Pato , is an Argentine football coach and former goalkeeper. He took part in the 1974, 1978 and 1982 World Cups representing the Argentine national team...
for the national side, Fillol would become one of the most highly regarded keepers in Argentine history. After that he became a full-time scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
for Juventus in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
.
In March 2004, he was named by Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers and honoured as part of the in FIFA 100
FIFA 100
The FIFA 100 is a list of the world-renowned Brazilian striker Pelé's choice of the "greatest living footballers". Unveiled on 4 March 2004 at a gala ceremony in London, the FIFA 100 marked part of the celebrations of the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the Fédération Internationale de...
. The following year in February 2005, Sívori died in his hometown of San Nicolás
San Nicolás de los Arroyos
San Nicolás de los Arroyos is a city in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, on the western shore of the Paraná River, 61 km from Rosario. It has about 138,000 inhabitants . It is the head town of the partido of the same name...
, at the age of 69 due to pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer refers to a malignant neoplasm of the pancreas. The most common type of pancreatic cancer, accounting for 95% of these tumors is adenocarcinoma, which arises within the exocrine component of the pancreas. A minority arises from the islet cells and is classified as a...
.
Club
- 1954-55 and 1955-56 Primera División ArgentinaPrimera División ArgentinaThe Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
(River Plate) - 1956-57 Primera División ArgentinaPrimera División ArgentinaThe Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
(River Plate) - 1957-58 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...
(Juventus) - 1958-59 Coppa ItaliaCoppa ItaliaThe Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
(Juventus) - 1959-60 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...
(Juventus) - 1959-60 Coppa ItaliaCoppa ItaliaThe Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
(Juventus) - 1960-61 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...
(Juventus) - 1963, 1966 Coppa delle AlpiCoppa delle AlpiCoppa delle Alpi , was a football tournament, first organized by the Italian national league to start 1960 and then aided by the Swiss League in 1962 for the reason that the majority of the Alps are in Switzerland...
(Juventus) (Napoli)
International
- 1957 Copa AméricaCopa AméricaThe Copa América —previously known as South American Championship—is an international football competition contested between the men's national teams of CONMEBOL, the sport's continental governing body...
(Argentina) - 1956 Raul Colombo Cup (Argentina)
Total of goals in career: 223 goals in 408 matches
Filmography
Sívori played the part of himself, in two Italian films.- Idoli controluce - (1965)
- Presidente del Borgorosso Football Club, II - (1970)
Quotes
- Giampiero BonipertiGiampiero BonipertiGiampiero Boniperti is an Italian former football player who played his entire career at Juventus between 1946 and 1961. He also played for the Italian national football team...
: "Playing alongside him was pure fun. Charles was the target man, while Omar used the space to put defenders in trouble. He used to play with socks down around his ankles, without any kind of protection, to show he wasn't scared of defenders. He had an incredible winning mentality." - Marcello LippiMarcello LippiMarcello Lippi, Commendatore OMRI is a former Italian World Cup-winning football manager and former player. He served as Italian national team head coach from 16 July 2004 to 12 July 2006 and led Italy to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was re-appointed as Italian head coach in the summer of 2008...
: "Whenever we were talking about Juventus, his eyes brightened up." - Humberto MaschioHumberto MaschioHumberto Dionisio Maschio is an Italian Argentine former football player.Maschio started playing at Arsenal of Lavallol to later move to Quilmes Atlético Club where he proved himself a prolific goal-scorer. He joined Racing Club in 1954, and transferred to Italy in 1957...
: "He was amazing. A first-class dribbler who had speed and the ability to surprise at any moment." - Roberto BettegaRoberto BettegaRoberto Bettega is an Italian former footballer. Bettega was regarded as a player of noteworthy intelligence and at his prime was one of the most feared strikers . Bettega is mostly remembered for his time at his hometown club Juventus...
: "He was like an older brother for me. He was my idol when I was a kid and then we became close friends. He was one of the best players in the history of football."