Fabio Cudicini facts for kids
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Cudicini with A.C Milan in 1968
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 20 October 1935 | ||
| Place of birth | Trieste, Italy | ||
| Date of death | 8 January 2025 (aged 89) | ||
| Place of death | Rome, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.91 m | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1950–1953 | Ponziana | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1953–1955 | Ponziana | 0 | (0) |
| 1955–1958 | Udinese | 30 | (0) |
| 1958–1966 | A.S. Roma | 166 | (0) |
| 1966–1967 | Brescia | 18 | (0) |
| 1967–1972 | A.C. Milan | 127 | (0) |
| Total | 341 | (0) | |
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Fabio Cudicini (born 20 October 1935 – died 8 January 2025) was a famous Italian footballer. He played as a goalkeeper from 1955 to 1972.
Fabio was very tall for his time, standing at 1.91 meters (about 6 feet 3 inches). Many people think he was one of the best goalkeepers of his generation. He is also considered one of Italy's best goalkeepers ever.
He is best known for his successful time with A.C. Milan. He helped them win many important titles. These included the 1969 European Cup Final, which is a huge European club competition.
Contents
Fabio Cudicini's Club Career
Fabio Cudicini was born in Trieste, Italy. He started his professional football journey with Udinese in 1955. He played his first game in the 1955–56 Serie B season. His team, Udinese, then moved up to Serie A, which is Italy's top football league.
In his first Serie A season, he played 13 games. He kept a "clean sheet" (meaning he didn't let any goals in) in his first Serie A game. This was a 2–0 win against Palermo in December 1956.
Playing for Roma
In 1958, Fabio joined Roma. For two seasons, he was a backup goalkeeper. But in 1960, he became the main goalkeeper. He stayed in this important role for six seasons. During this time, he played 166 league games. He helped Roma win the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1960–61. He also won a Coppa Italia (Italian Cup) in 1964.
After Roma, he played one season with Brescia in 1966–67 Serie A. He helped them avoid being moved down to a lower league.
Success with AC Milan
In 1967, when he was 32, Fabio joined Milan. He played for Milan until he retired in 1972. He played 127 league games and 183 games in total for the club.
With Milan, he achieved great success both in Italy and in Europe.
- In his first season, he won the Serie A title and the Cup Winners' Cup.
- In 1969, he won the European Cup and the Intercontinental Cup.
- Finally, in 1972, he won the Coppa Italia.
Fabio Cudicini is one of Milan's top goalkeepers ever. He is their seventh most-capped (played the most games) goalkeeper.
International Career: Playing for Italy
Even though Fabio Cudicini was a very good goalkeeper, he never played for the main Italian national team. This was mainly because there were many other amazing goalkeepers at the same time. Some of these included Lorenzo Buffon, Dino Zoff, and Enrico Albertosi.
He did play for Italy's youth teams. He was also called up to the Italy B team in 1963. He was even called up to the senior team a few times as a backup. This happened during Italy's qualifying games for the 1970 FIFA World Cup.
Fabio Cudicini's Style of Play
Fabio Cudicini was known as a spectacular goalkeeper. Many people consider him one of the best goalkeepers of his time. He was also one of Italy's and Milan's greatest ever.
He was famous for his:
- Agility: How quickly he could move.
- Reactions: How fast he responded to shots.
- Shot-stopping ability: How well he saved goals.
His tall, slender body and long arms helped him a lot. He could reach far to catch crosses (balls kicked across the goal). Sometimes, his height made him a little slower.
Fabio was very athletic and could make amazing dives and saves. He was also very efficient and had a great sense of where to be on the field. He was good from a young age and played well for many years. Even in his later years, he was very successful with Milan. He sometimes had injuries, but he always showed great ability.
Fabio often wore all-black goalkeeping clothes. Because of this, his long arms, and his great skills, people called him Il Ragno Nero. This means 'The Black Spider'. This nickname was also given to the famous Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin. Before becoming a goalkeeper, Fabio actually played as a right winger when he was younger.
Personal Life and Death
Fabio Cudicini's son, Carlo Cudicini, also became a professional goalkeeper. Carlo played for famous clubs like Chelsea and Tottenham. Fabio's father, Guglielmo Cudicini, was also a footballer who played as a defender.
Fabio Cudicini passed away in Rome on 8 January 2025. He was 89 years old.
Honours
Roma
- Coppa Italia: 1963–64
- Inter-Cities Fairs Cup: 1960–61
AC Milan
- Serie A: 1967–68
- Coppa Italia: 1971–72
- European Cup: 1968–69
- European Cup Winners' Cup: 1967–68
- Intercontinental Cup: 1969
Individual
- A.C. Milan Hall of Fame
See also
In Spanish: Fabio Cudicini para niños
