Giancarlo De Sisti facts for kids
![]() De Sisti in 1969
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Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | 13 March 1943 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Rome, Italy | |||||||||||||||||||||
Playing position | Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||
1960–1965 | Roma | 87 | (13) | |||||||||||||||||||
1965–1974 | Fiorentina | 256 | (28) | |||||||||||||||||||
1974–1979 | Roma | 135 | (9) | |||||||||||||||||||
Total | 478 | (50) | ||||||||||||||||||||
National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1967–1972 | Italy | 29 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||
Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1981–1985 | Fiorentina | |||||||||||||||||||||
1985–1987 | Udinese | |||||||||||||||||||||
1991–1992 | Ascoli | |||||||||||||||||||||
Honours
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Giancarlo De Sisti (born 13 March 1943) is a famous Italian football player and manager. He played as a midfielder, a player who helps both defense and attack.
Contents
Playing for Clubs
Giancarlo De Sisti was often called Picchio. He played for his hometown team, A.S. Roma, twice in his career. His first time was from 1960 to 1965, and then again from 1974 to 1979.
He also played for ACF Fiorentina from 1965 to 1974. With these clubs, he won several important titles in Italy and internationally.
De Sisti started his professional career in Serie A, Italy's top football league. His first game for Roma was on 12 February 1961. He learned a lot from the team's star player, Juan Alberto Schiaffino, during his early years.
His most successful time was with Fiorentina. He helped them win the league title in 1969. This was only the second time Fiorentina had won this championship. He also won the Coppa Italia, a major cup competition, with both Roma (in 1964) and Fiorentina (in 1966).
Playing for Italy

Giancarlo De Sisti played for the Italy national football team from 1967 to 1972. He played in 29 international matches and scored 4 goals. His first game for Italy was on 1 November 1967. Italy won that match 5–0 against Cyprus.
He was part of the Italian team that won the European Championship in 1968. He played in the final match against Yugoslavia, which Italy won 2–0. He was 25 years old at the time. De Sisti also played in the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico. Italy finished as runners-up in that tournament.
Coaching Career
After he stopped playing football, De Sisti became a coach. He got his coaching qualifications in 1980. Later that year, he became the head coach for his old club, Fiorentina. In 1982, his team almost won the league title, but they narrowly lost to their rivals, Juventus.
He had to take a break from coaching in 1985 due to health issues. However, he returned to football later that year with Udinese for two seasons.
De Sisti also coached the Italian national youth teams (called Juniores) from 1988 to 1990. He then coached the Italian Military football team from 1990 to 1991. He even won a Military World Championship with them in 1991. He returned to club coaching with Ascoli in 1991, but left in January 1992.
In March 2003, after more than ten years away from coaching, De Sisti joined Lazio. He worked as a youth team coach there. He left a few months later when a new head coach, Roberto Mancini, was appointed.
How He Played
Giancarlo De Sisti was known as a creative and skilled deep-lying playmaker in midfield. Many people consider him one of the greatest playmakers for Italy and Roma.
He had a simple but very effective way of playing. He was always looking for open spaces on the field. He would make many short, accurate passes along the ground. He also touched the ball very few times to keep possession and avoid mistakes. This helped his team control the game's speed.
De Sisti was calm under pressure and played consistently well. He rarely made bad passes or lost the ball. He also had excellent vision, meaning he could see the whole field. This allowed him to make long, accurate passes and through-balls to create scoring chances for his teammates.
Outside of Football
On 3 July 1968, Giancarlo De Sisti helped start the Italian Footballers' Association (AIC) in Milan. He founded it with other famous footballers like Giacomo Bulgarelli, Sandro Mazzola, and Gianni Rivera. This association helps support and protect the rights of football players in Italy.
After his football career, De Sisti also worked as a football expert. He shared his opinions and analysis on television and radio shows.
Honours and Awards
Club Achievements
- Roma
- Inter-Cities Fairs Cup: 1960–61
- Coppa Italia: 1963–64
- Fiorentina
- Serie A: 1968–69
- Coppa Italia: 1965–66
- Mitropa Cup: 1966
International Achievements
- Italy
- UEFA European Championship: 1968
- FIFA World Cup Runner up: 1970
Individual Awards
- ACF Fiorentina Hall of Fame: 2013
- A.S. Roma Hall of Fame: 2016
Images for kids
See also
In Spanish: Giancarlo De Sisti para niños