Antonio Valentín Angelillo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Antonio Angelillo

Angelillo as captain of Inter Milan
Personal information
Full name	Antonio Valentín Angelillo
Date of birth	(1937-09-13)13 September 1937
Place of birth	Buenos Aires, Argentina
Date of death	5 January 2018(2018-01-05) (aged 80)
Place of death	Siena, Italy
Height	1.78 m
Playing position	Inside forward, midfielder
Youth career
1952–1955	Arsenal de Llavallol
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1955	Racing	9	(3)
1956–1957	Boca Juniors	34	(16)
1957–1961	Internazionale	113	(68)
1961–1965	Roma	106	(27)
1965–1966	A.C. Milan	11	(1)
1966–1967	Lecco	12	(1)
1967–1968	A.C. Milan	3	(1)
1968–1969	Genoa	22	(5)
1969–1971	Angelana	–	(–)
National team
1955–1957	Argentina	11	(11)
1960–1962	Italy	2	(1)
Teams managed
1971–1972	Montevarchi
1972–1973	Chieti
1973–1974	Campobasso
1974–1975	Rimini
1975–1977	Brescia
1977–1978	Reggina
1978–1979	Pescara
1980–1984	Arezzo
1984–1985	Avellino
1985	Palermo
1987	Mantova
1988	Arezzo
1988–1989	Avellino
1988–1990	AS FAR
1989–1990	Morocco
1991–1992	Torres
1994	Provincial Osorno
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Antonio Valentín Angelillo (born September 13, 1937 – died January 5, 2018) was a famous football player. He was from Argentina but also became an Italian citizen. He played most of his career in Italy's top league, Serie A. Angelillo was a talented forward and played for both the Argentine and Italian national teams.

Playing for Clubs: Angelillo's Career

Angelillo playing for Boca Juniors around 1956

Antonio Angelillo was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He started his professional football journey in 1952 with Arsenal de Llavallol. In 1955, he played for Racing Club de Avellaneda before moving to Boca Juniors in 1956.

The "Angels with Dirty Faces"

Angelillo was part of the Argentine national team that won the 1957 South American Championship. This team was known for its exciting style of play. Their group of forwards, including Angelillo, was nicknamed The Angels with Dirty Faces. This name came from a popular movie at the time.

After this big win, Angelillo and two other Argentine forwards, Omar Sívori and Humberto Maschio, moved to Italy to play football. In Italy, they were called The Trio of Death because they were so good at scoring goals.

Time at Internazionale

In 1957, Angelillo joined the Italian club Internazionale, also known as Inter. He played his first game in Serie A on September 8, 1957. In his first season, he scored 16 goals.

From 1957 to 1961, Angelillo played 127 games for Inter, scoring 77 goals. He scored 68 goals in 113 Serie A matches for the club. He even became the team's captain.

Record-Breaking Season

Angelillo playing for Roma in the early 1960s

During the 1958–59 Serie A season, Angelillo had an amazing year. He scored 33 goals in 33 matches. This made him the top scorer in the league that season. His 33 goals were the most scored in a single 18-team Italian league season for a very long time. No player scored more goals until Gonzalo Higuaín scored 36 goals in the 2015–16 Serie A season. Angelillo still holds the club record for most goals in a single season for Inter, with 38 goals in all competitions during the 1950–51 season. He shares this record with Giuseppe Meazza.

Even though Angelillo scored many goals for Inter, the team did not win any major titles during his time there. Later, a new coach named Helenio Herrera joined the club. Angelillo and the coach had some disagreements. Because of this, Angelillo was sold to Roma in 1961.

Playing for Roma and Other Clubs

From 1961 to 1965, Angelillo played 106 games for Roma in Serie A, scoring 27 goals. With Roma, he won the 1960–61 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup and the 1963–64 Coppa Italia.

After Roma, he played one season with Milan in 1965–66. He then joined Lecco. Lecco was relegated to Serie B that year. Angelillo wanted to play in the top division again. He briefly returned to Milan as a reserve player. He won the 1967–68 Serie A title with Milan, but he didn't play much.

He then moved to Genoa in Serie B. His last team was Angelana, where he was a player and a manager. He retired from playing professional football in 1971.

Playing for His Country: International Career

Angelillo wearing the Argentina shirt on the cover of El Gráfico in 1956

Angelillo played 11 matches and scored 11 goals for the Argentine national team. In the 1957 South American Championship, which Argentina won, Angelillo scored eight goals in six matches. He scored in every game except the last one.

After this tournament, Angelillo and his two teammates, Omar Sívori and Humberto Maschio, moved to play in Italy. Because of this move, the Argentine Football Federation stopped them from playing for the national team. This meant they missed the 1958 FIFA World Cup in Sweden.

Later, Angelillo became an Italian citizen because his grandfather was Italian. He then played for the Italian national team. His first game for Italy was on December 10, 1960. He played two matches for Italy between 1960 and 1962, scoring one goal. This goal came in his last game for Italy, a 6–0 win against Israel in 1961.

How Angelillo Played: Style of Play

Angelillo (center) playing for Inter Milan at San Siro.

Antonio Angelillo was a fast, skilled, and very good goal scorer. He was not just a typical striker who stayed in the penalty area. He also worked hard to defend and helped create attacking plays for his teammates. He could even provide assists.

Because he had so many skills, he could play in different positions. He played as an inside forward or second striker. He also played as a centre-forward, a winger, and even as a central attacking midfielder.

After Playing: Coaching Career

After he stopped playing football, Angelillo stayed in Italy and became a coach. He managed several clubs in the lower divisions. His biggest success as a coach was with Arezzo. He helped them win the Coppa Italia Serie C and a Serie C1 title. They almost got promoted to Serie A under his coaching.

After coaching, Angelillo worked as a scout for his old club, Inter, in South America. He is said to have discovered Javier Zanetti, who later became a famous captain for Inter. Angelillo continued to live in Arezzo.

Personal Life

Antonio Angelillo was married to Bianca and they had two children.

Death

Antonio Angelillo passed away on January 5, 2018, in a hospital in Siena, Italy. He was 80 years old.

Honours

Player

Roma

• Inter-Cities Fairs Cup: 1960–61
• Coppa Italia: 1963–64

Milan

• Serie A: 1967–68
• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1967–68

Argentina

• Copa América: 1957

Individual

• Serie A Top-scorer: 1958–59 (33 goals)

Manager

Angelana

• Prima Categoria: 1970–71

Arezzo

• Coppa Italia Serie C: 1980–81
• Serie C1: 1981–82 (Girone B)

AS FAR

• Moroccan League: 1988–89

See also

In Spanish: Antonio Angelillo para niños