Giancarlo Antognoni facts for kids
Antognoni in 2011
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Giancarlo Antognoni | ||
| Date of birth | 1 April 1954 | ||
| Place of birth | Marsciano, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1970–1972 | Asti | 27 | (4) |
| 1972–1987 | Fiorentina | 341 | (61) |
| 1987–1989 | Lausanne-Sport | 51 | (7) |
| Total | 419 | (72) | |
| International career | |||
| 1974–1983 | Italy | 73 | (7) |
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Giancarlo Antognoni was born on April 1, 1954, in Italy. He is a famous former Italian footballer who played as a midfielder. He was known as a very skilled and creative playmaker, which means he was great at setting up goals for his teammates.
Most of his career was spent playing for Fiorentina, a well-known Italian club. With Fiorentina, he helped them win the Coppa Italia (Italian Cup) and the Anglo-Italian League Cup in 1975.
Giancarlo also played for the Italian national team. He was part of the team that won the 1982 FIFA World Cup, which is one of the biggest football tournaments in the world! He also played in the 1978 World Cup and the 1980 European Championship. In 2010, he received the "Legends of Football" Golden Foot award, which is a special award for football greats.
Playing for Clubs
Early Career and Fiorentina Debut
Giancarlo Antognoni started his football journey at a young age. When he was just sixteen, he began playing in Serie D, which is a lower division of Italian football, for a team called Asti Ma.Co.Bi.
In 1972, a famous coach named Nils Liedholm saw his talent. Liedholm convinced Giancarlo to join Fiorentina, a big club in Italy's top league, Serie A. Giancarlo made his first appearance in Serie A for Fiorentina in October 1972.
Becoming a Fiorentina Legend
Giancarlo quickly became a key player for Fiorentina. He even became the team's captain and wore the famous number 10 jersey, which is often given to the team's best playmaker.
He helped Fiorentina win the Coppa Italia (Italian Cup) during the 1974–75 season. They also won the 1975 Anglo-Italian League Cup by beating West Ham. In the 1981–82 season, Fiorentina almost won the Serie A title, but they just missed out to their rivals, Juventus, by one point.
Giancarlo played a huge number of games for Fiorentina – 412 matches in total, scoring 61 goals. He played for the club throughout his entire professional career in Italy, from the 1970s to the 1980s. Because of this, he is seen as one of Fiorentina's greatest players ever. He holds the record for the most appearances in Serie A for Fiorentina, with 341 games.
Overcoming a Serious Injury
In November 1981, Giancarlo had a very serious accident during a game. He collided with the goalkeeper from Genoa, and his head was hit hard. He suffered a serious head injury and lost consciousness for a couple of days.
It was a scary moment, but thanks to the quick actions of Genoa's team doctor, Pierluigi Gatto, Giancarlo received immediate help. The doctor helped him breathe and performed chest compressions. This quick response saved his life. Giancarlo recovered from this injury and was able to return to playing football.
Later Career and Retirement
In 1987, after many years with Fiorentina, Giancarlo joined a Swiss team called Lausanne Sports. He played 51 games for them and scored seven goals. He retired from football in 1989 while playing for Lausanne.
Playing for Italy
Starting with the National Team
Giancarlo Antognoni began playing for the Italian national team on November 20, 1974. He was only twenty years old when he made his debut in a match against the Netherlands.
World Cup and European Championship
He played in the 1978 FIFA World Cup with Italy, where the team finished in fourth place. He also helped Italy reach fourth place in the 1980 UEFA European Championship, which was held in Italy. In this tournament, he wore the number 10 jersey for his country.
Winning the World Cup
Giancarlo's biggest achievement with the national team came in 1982. Even after his serious head injury the year before, he recovered in time to play in the 1982 FIFA World Cup. He played a very important role in Italy winning the World Cup!
He played in six matches during the tournament. He was key to the team's success because he was great at passing the ball and creating chances for his teammates. He was one of the top players for assists in the tournament. In the semi-final match against Poland, which Italy won 2–0, he got injured. This meant he couldn't play in the final match, where Italy beat West Germany 3–1 to win the World Cup.
National Team Records
In total, Giancarlo played 73 games for Italy and scored seven goals. His last game for Italy was in November 1983. He was also the captain of the national team four times. He holds the record for the most appearances for the national team by a Fiorentina player. He also has the most appearances wearing the number 10 shirt for Italy.
How He Played
Giancarlo Antognoni was known as a very skillful, fast, and creative attacking midfielder. Many people consider him one of Italy's greatest players ever. He was one of the most talented players of his time.
He had amazing vision, control of the ball, and technical skills. He was very intelligent on the field and could pass the ball accurately over short or long distances. He also had a good eye for scoring goals from midfield. He was excellent at keeping the ball moving and directing the play in the middle of the field. He could make quick short passes or switch the play with long diagonal balls.
Giancarlo was also a fantastic dribbler. He was fast and elegant with the ball, and he could keep his head up while running with it. He was often compared to another great Italian player, Gianni Rivera. Even though he usually played as a number 10 behind the forwards, he could also play deeper in midfield as a deep-lying playmaker.
He was also very good at taking free kicks and had powerful shots from outside the penalty area. Even though he was naturally right-footed, he could use both feet well. Besides his football skills, he was also known for his leadership and hard work on the field. Despite his great talent, he did have some injuries during his career.
Honours and Awards
With Fiorentina
- Coppa Italia: 1974–75
- Anglo-Italian League Cup: 1975
With Italy
Individual Awards
- Sport Ideal European XI: 1980
- Guerin Sportivo All-Star Team: 1980
- Golden Foot "Football Legends": 2010
- ACF Fiorentina Hall of Fame: 2012
- Fiorentina All-time XI
- Premio internazionale Giacinto Facchetti: 2016
- Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2018
See also
In Spanish: Giancarlo Antognoni para niños
