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 (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1950–1953 | Ponziana | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1953–1955 | Ponziana | 0 | (0) |
| 1955–1958 | Udinese | 30 | (0) |
| 1958–1966 | Roma | 166 | (0) |
| 1966–1967 | Brescia | 18 | (0) |
| 1967–1972 | A.C. Milan | 127 | (0) |
| Total | 341 | (0) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Fabio Cudicini was a famous Italian football player. He was a goalkeeper from 1955 to 1972. Standing at 1.91 meters (about 6 feet 3 inches) tall, he was one of the tallest goalkeepers of his time.
Even though he never played for the Italian national team, many people thought he was one of the best goalkeepers of his generation. He is especially remembered for his amazing time with A.C. Milan. He helped Milan win many important titles, including the 1969 European Cup Final.
Contents
Fabio Cudicini's Football Journey
Early Career and Rise to Fame
Fabio Cudicini was born in Trieste, Italy. He started his professional football career 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 had a "clean sheet" (meaning he didn't let the other team score) in his first Serie A game. This was a 2–0 win against Palermo in December 1956.
Playing for Roma
In 1958, Cudicini joined Roma. For two seasons, he was the back-up goalkeeper. But in 1960, he became the main goalkeeper. He kept this important role for six years.
During his time at Roma, he played 166 league games. He helped Roma win the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1960–61. They also won the Coppa Italia in 1964. After Roma, he spent one season with Brescia in 1966–67. He helped Brescia stay in Serie A.
Success with A.C. Milan
In 1967, when he was 32, Cudicini joined Milan. He stayed there until he retired in 1972. He played 127 league games for Milan and 183 games in total.
He had huge success with Milan. In his first season, they won the Serie A title and the Cup Winners' Cup. In 1969, they won the European Cup and the Intercontinental Cup. His last trophy with Milan was the Coppa Italia in 1972. He is one of Milan's top goalkeepers of all time.
Playing for Italy
Even though Fabio Cudicini was a fantastic goalkeeper, he never played for the main Italian national team. This was mainly because there were many other great goalkeepers at the same time. Some of these included Lorenzo Buffon, Dino Zoff, and Enrico Albertosi.
However, he did play for Italy's youth teams. He was also called up to the Italy B team in 1963. He was even called to join the senior team a few times, for example, as a back-up during the qualifying games for the 1970 FIFA World Cup.
How He Played
Fabio Cudicini was known as a spectacular goalkeeper. Many people consider him one of Italy's and Milan's best ever. He was famous for his quickness, amazing reactions, and ability to stop shots.
His tall, slim body and long arms helped him catch crosses. He was very athletic and could make acrobatic dives and important saves. He was also very efficient and had a great sense of where to be on the field.
Cudicini was talented from a young age. He was also very consistent throughout his career, even in his later years at Milan. He often wore all-black goalkeeper clothes. Because of his long arms and great skills, he was nicknamed Il Ragno Nero, which means 'The Black Spider'. This nickname was also given to the famous Soviet goalkeeper Lev Yashin. Before becoming a goalkeeper, Cudicini actually played as a right winger when he was younger.
Family Life
Fabio Cudicini came from a football family. His father, Guglielmo Cudicini, was a defender for Ponziana Trieste. Fabio's son, Carlo Cudicini, also became a famous goalkeeper. Carlo played for big clubs like Chelsea and Tottenham.
Fabio Cudicini passed away in Rome on January 8, 2025, at the age of 89.
His Achievements
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
