Carlo Mazzone facts for kids
Mazzone (right) captaining Ascoli in 1968
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 19 March 1937 | ||
| Place of birth | Rome, Italy | ||
| Date of death | 19 August 2023 (aged 86) | ||
| Place of death | Ascoli Piceno, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.90 m | ||
| Playing position | Centre-back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1955–1956 | Roma | ||
| 1956–1957 | Latina | ||
| 1959–1960 | SPAL | ||
| 1960 | Siena | ||
| 1960–1969 | Ascoli | ||
| Teams managed | |||
| 1968–1975 | Ascoli | ||
| 1975–1977 | Fiorentina | ||
| 1978–1980 | Catanzaro | ||
| 1980–1984 | Ascoli | ||
| 1985–1986 | Bologna | ||
| 1987–1990 | Lecce | ||
| 1990–1991 | Pescara | ||
| 1991–1993 | Cagliari | ||
| 1993–1996 | Roma | ||
| 1996–1997 | Cagliari | ||
| 1997–1998 | Napoli | ||
| 1998–1999 | Bologna | ||
| 1999–2000 | Perugia | ||
| 2000–2003 | Brescia | ||
| 2003–2005 | Bologna | ||
| 2006 | Livorno | ||
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Carlo "Carletto" Mazzone (born March 19, 1937 – died August 19, 2023) was a famous Italian association football player and manager. He played as a centre-back, which is a defensive position in football.
Carlo Mazzone was known for his strong Roman accent and was often called Sor Carletto. He had a very long career in Italian football, first as a player and then as a coach for many different teams. He is remembered for his passion and for helping many young players become stars.
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Football Career Highlights
Carlo Mazzone was born in Rome. He played for several teams, including Roma, SPAL, and Ascoli. He spent nine seasons playing for Ascoli. In 1968, he stopped playing to become the manager of Ascoli. He helped the team win the Serie C title in 1972.
Mazzone was very popular with Ascoli fans because he had played for the club. He led the team for twelve years, helping them reach Serie A for the first time ever. This was a huge achievement for the club.
Coaching Different Teams
After his success with Ascoli, Mazzone coached many other teams in Italy's top leagues, Serie A and Serie B. He managed Fiorentina and helped them finish third in Serie A in the 1976–77 Serie A season. He also won the Anglo-Italian League Cup with them in 1975.
He coached teams like Catanzaro, Bologna, Lecce, Pescara, and Cagliari. He even led Cagliari to play in a European competition, which was a big deal for them. Even though he coached all over Italy, Mazzone always kept his home in Ascoli Piceno.
Coaching Roma and Bologna
Mazzone had a dream come true when he got to manage his hometown club, Roma, starting in the 1993–94 Serie A season. While at Roma, he coached a young player who would become a legend: Francesco Totti. Mazzone stayed with Roma for three seasons.
Later, he returned to coach Cagliari and briefly managed Napoli. He then went back to Bologna for the 1998–99 Serie A season. With Bologna, he won the 1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup. His team also reached the semi-finals of the 1998–99 UEFA Cup and the 1998–99 Coppa Italia.
Time at Brescia
In 2000, Mazzone became the coach of Brescia, a team that had just joined Serie A. Here, he coached some amazing players like Roberto Baggio, Andrea Pirlo, Luca Toni, Igli Tare, and even Pep Guardiola. In his first season, he helped Brescia avoid being relegated, which they hadn't done in 40 years. They even qualified for the 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup final.
Mazzone made a very important decision at Brescia. He was the first coach to use Andrea Pirlo in a new way. Instead of playing as an attacking midfielder, Pirlo played deeper on the field as a deep-lying playmaker. This role allowed Pirlo to use his amazing passing skills and vision. This change helped Pirlo become one of the best players in his position ever.
During the 2001–02 Serie A season, Mazzone was involved in a memorable moment. In a match against rivals Atalanta, he ran towards the opposing fans after his team scored a late goal. This happened because the fans had been insulting him during the game.
Records and Legacy
In 2002, Mazzone received the Panchina d'Oro award, which is a special award for a coach's career. He was known as one of the most experienced coaches in Italian football, having managed over 1,000 professional matches. On March 18, 2006, he broke the record for the most Serie A matches coached, with 792 appearances.
Many famous players spoke highly of Mazzone. Roberto Baggio often said Mazzone was one of the best coaches he ever had. Pep Guardiola also said he learned a lot from Mazzone during his time at Brescia.
Mazzone left Brescia in 2003 and coached Bologna for a third time. His career ended after Bologna was relegated to Serie B in 2005. This was the only time a team he coached was relegated. He briefly coached Livorno in 2006 before retiring. Carlo Mazzone passed away on August 19, 2023, at the age of 86.
Honours
Carlo Mazzone achieved many successes during his career as a manager:
Ascoli
- Serie C (Group B): 1971–72
- Torneo di Capodanno: 1981
Fiorentina
- Anglo-Italian League Cup: 1975
Lecce
- Serie B (Promotion to Serie A): 1987–88
Bologna
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1998
Individual Awards
- Panchina d'Oro (Career Award): 2002
- Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2019
