Giorgio Chinaglia facts for kids
Football card by Panini showing Chinaglia with Lazio in 1975
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Giorgio Chinaglia | ||
| Date of birth | 24 January 1947 | ||
| Place of birth | Carrara, Tuscany, Italy | ||
| Date of death | 1 April 2012 (aged 65) | ||
| Place of death | Naples, Florida, U.S. | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1962–1964 | Swansea Town | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1964–1966 | Swansea Town | 6 | (1) |
| 1966–1967 | Massese | 32 | (5) |
| 1967–1969 | Internapoli | 66 | (24) |
| 1969–1976 | Lazio | 209 | (98) |
| 1976–1983 | New York Cosmos | 213 | (193) |
| Total | 525 | (321) | |
| National team | |||
| 1972–1975 | Italy | 14 | (4) |
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Giorgio Chinaglia (born January 24, 1947 – died April 1, 2012) was a famous Italian footballer. He played as a striker, which means he was a main goal scorer. Giorgio grew up and started playing football in Cardiff, Wales.
He began his professional career with Swansea Town in 1964. Later, he moved back to Italy to play for teams like Massese and Internapoli. In 1969, he joined S.S. Lazio, where he became a legend. Chinaglia helped Lazio win their first-ever league championship in the 1973–74 season. He was also the top scorer in the league that year.
From 1972 to 1975, he played for the Italian national team, scoring 4 goals in 14 games. He even played in the 1974 FIFA World Cup. Giorgio Chinaglia was the first Italian player to be called up to the national team while playing in the second division.
In 1976, Chinaglia moved to the United States to play for the New York Cosmos in the NASL. He played alongside football greats like Pelé and Franz Beckenbauer. With the Cosmos, he won four league titles. When he retired in 1983, he was the NASL's all-time leading goal scorer with 193 goals. He was known as "Long John" because of his strong playing style and his height.
In 2000, Chinaglia was honored by being inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in the United States. He was also named the greatest player in Lazio's history during the club's 100th anniversary celebrations.
Contents
Early Life and Moving to Wales
Giorgio Chinaglia was born in Carrara, Italy, in 1947. When he was eight years old, in 1955, his family moved to Cardiff, Wales. They moved because there were not many jobs in Italy after World War II.
His family faced challenges, and Giorgio once shared that they all lived in one room. His father worked with iron, and times were tough. While in Cardiff, Giorgio attended St Mary's of The Angels Catholic Primary School.
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Swansea
When Giorgio was 13, he showed his talent by scoring three goals in one game for Cardiff Schools. This led him to join Swansea Town as a young player in 1962. Swansea Town was in the Football League Third Division at the time.
Chinaglia made his first senior team appearance for Swansea in October 1964. His last game for Swansea was in March 1966. While with Swansea, he helped them win the 1965 West Wales Senior Cup. He even scored a goal in the final match, which they won 3–0 against Llanelli.
Playing in Italy's Lower Divisions
In 1966, at age 19, Chinaglia and his family moved back to Carrara, Italy. This was partly because he had to complete his Italian military service. He said that this military requirement helped his career. The Italian army had a special group for soccer players, so he could train all day.
Because he had played professionally outside Italy, Chinaglia was not allowed to play in Serie A, Italy's top division, for three years. So, his father helped him join Massese, a Serie C club near his home.
The next season, he joined another Serie C club called Internapoli in Naples. He played there for two seasons and scored 26 goals in 66 matches.
Becoming a Star at Lazio
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Giorgio Chinaglia became very famous as a top goal scorer for S.S. Lazio in Italy's Serie A. In his first Serie A season (1969–70), he scored 12 goals. One memorable goal was against Milan, who were the European champions at the time.
In his second season, he scored 9 goals, but Lazio was still moved down to Serie B, the second division. Even so, Chinaglia helped Lazio win the Coppa delle Alpi in 1971, beating Basel 3–1 in the final.
He then helped Lazio get promoted back to Serie A in the next season. He was the top goal scorer in Serie B that year with 21 goals. The following season, Chinaglia scored 10 goals in Serie A. Lazio almost won the title but lost it to Juventus on the very last day.
During the 1973–74 season, Chinaglia was the top scorer in the Italian league with 24 goals. He led his team to win the Serie A title that year. He scored the winning goal from a penalty kick in a 1–0 victory over Foggia. In his last season in Italy (1975–76), he was named the team captain and scored 14 goals.
Overall, he scored 98 league goals for Lazio in 209 games. In all competitions for Lazio, he scored 122 goals in 246 appearances.
Success with the New York Cosmos
In 1976, Chinaglia decided to leave Lazio and move to the United States. He wanted to ensure his family's safety and explore new opportunities. He joined the New York Cosmos in the NASL.
Chinaglia became a huge star with the Cosmos. He played alongside famous players like Pelé and Franz Beckenbauer. He led his team in scoring for seven straight seasons. He scored 397 goals in outdoor games and 38 goals in 21 indoor games, totaling 435 goals in 413 matches.
He scored 2 or more goals 54 times for the Cosmos. In 1980, he scored a record 7 goals in a playoff game against the Tulsa Roughnecks. He also scored 7 goals in an indoor game in 1981. Chinaglia won the NASL Most Valuable Player Award in 1981.
He scored 49 goals in 41 playoff games for the Cosmos. He also scored 5 goals in 5 Soccer Bowls, which are the championship games. Three of these goals were game-winners (in 1977, 1978, and 1982). In 1980, he scored 76 goals in 66 total matches. The NASL regular-season record for most goals is also held by Chinaglia, with 34 goals in 1978.
In 2000, he was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. In 2014, the new Cosmos team retired Chinaglia's number 9 jersey to honor him. This ceremony took place before a match, with his children attending.
International Career with Italy
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Chinaglia's great play with Lazio earned him a spot on the list for the Italy squad for the 1970 FIFA World Cup. He didn't make the final team but went to Mexico for experience. Italy reached the final of that tournament.
In 1971, after Lazio was moved down to Serie B, Chinaglia made history. He became the first Italian national team player in modern times to be chosen from a second-division club. He scored a goal in his first game for Italy against Bulgaria on June 21, 1972.
In 1973, Chinaglia returned to Britain with the Italian team to play England in a friendly match. In the 86th minute, Chinaglia passed the ball to Fabio Capello, who scored. This helped Italy win against England at Wembley Stadium for the first time ever.
Chinaglia played in the 1974 FIFA World Cup in Germany. He didn't play much in the tournament. In Italy's first match against Haïti, he showed his frustration when he was substituted. Italy won that game 3–1, but they were eliminated in the first round. In total, he scored 4 goals for Italy in 14 games between 1972 and 1975.
Playing Style and Personality
Giorgio Chinaglia is considered one of the best and most productive Italian strikers of all time. He was a big, strong, fast, and powerful player who was excellent at scoring goals. He was often seen as one of the first true "centre-forwards" in Italy. His determined and opportunistic way of playing was unique at first, but he became a very successful goal scorer.
Chinaglia was known for his strong and accurate shots, his ability to head the ball, and his precise finishing both inside and outside the penalty area. He was also athletic and good at scoring goals in the air. Even though he wasn't initially seen as the most naturally talented player, he improved his skills and control over time. He became very good at dribbling the ball quickly during counterattacks. He was also accurate when taking penalty kicks.
Beyond his football skills, Chinaglia was a confident and influential player on the field. He had a lively, outgoing, and unique sense of humor with his teammates. This made him one of the first true football stars. He was also known for his leadership, especially during his time at Lazio.
However, despite his many goals, he was sometimes criticized for being a bit selfish or for not working hard enough when he didn't have the ball. While popular with fans and teammates, he also had a strong and sometimes challenging personality. This led to disagreements with some of his managers and teammates.
Personal Life
In 1970, Giorgio Chinaglia married Connie Eruzione. They had three children: Cynthia, Giorgio Jr., and Stephanie. After their divorce, Chinaglia married Angela Cacioppo, and they had two more children: Anthony and Donald.
In 1979, Chinaglia became an American citizen. He was very proud of this and kept his citizenship papers in his locker.
Giorgio Chinaglia passed away in Naples, Florida, from a heart attack on April 1, 2012. His body was brought back to Rome to be buried. The Giorgio Chinaglia Foundation, a non-profit organization, was later created by his first three children. This foundation helps youth football programs and children with disabilities.
Honors and Achievements
Club Trophies
- Serie A: 1973–74 (Italian League Champions)
- Coppa delle Alpi: 1971
- New York Cosmos
- North American Soccer League Soccer Bowl: 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982 (League Champions)
- NASL Atlantic/National Conference: 1977, 1978, 1980, 1981, 1982
- NASL Regular Season: 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982
- NASL Eastern Division: 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982
Individual Awards
- Serie A Top Goalscorer: 1973–74
- Serie B Top Goalscorer: 1971–72
- Coppa delle Alpi Top Goalscorer: 1971
- NASL Top Goalscorer: 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981
- NASL MVP: 1981
- Soccer Bowl MVP: 1980, 1982
- N° 9 jersey retired by the Cosmos
Images for kids
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Football card by Panini showing Chinaglia with Lazio in 1975
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Chinaglia playing for Lazio, against Nené of Cagliari, around 1970
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Chinaglia (#9) with the New York Cosmos before a friendly match against Club Cipolletti in Argentina, March 1980
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Rivera, Chinaglia and Pulici with the Italian national team in 1973
See also
In Spanish: Giorgio Chinaglia para niños
