kids encyclopedia robot

Luigi Simoni facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Luigi Simoni
1960s AC Torino - Luigi Simoni.jpg
Simoni with Torino in the mid-1960s
Personal information
Date of birth (1939-01-22)22 January 1939
Place of birth Crevalcore, Italy
Date of death 22 May 2020(2020-05-22) (aged 81)
Place of death Pisa, Italy
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position Attacking midfielder
Youth career
Fiorentina
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1959–1961 Mantova 47 (10)
1961–1962 Napoli 11 (1)
1962–1964 Mantova 48 (8)
1964–1967 Torino 81 (18)
1967–1968 Juventus 11 (0)
1968–1971 Brescia 100 (12)
1971–1974 Genoa 88 (13)
Total 386 (62)
Teams managed
1974–1978 Genoa
1978–1980 Brescia
1980–1984 Genoa
1984–1985 Pisa
1985–1986 Lazio
1986–1987 Pisa
1987–1988 Genoa
1988–1989 Empoli
1989–1990 Cosenza
1990–1992 Carrarese
1992–1996 Cremonese
1996–1997 Napoli
1997–1998 Internazionale
1999–2000 Piacenza
2000–2001 Torino
2001–2002 CSKA Sofia
2002–2003 Ancona
2003–2004 Napoli
2004–2005 Siena
2005–2006 Lucchese
2011–2012 Gubbio (caretaker)
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Luigi "Gigi" Simoni (born January 22, 1939 – died May 22, 2020) was a famous Italian football player and manager. He was known for being a smart coach. Simoni helped many teams get promoted from Serie B to Serie A. He did this seven times with five different clubs!

He is most famous for his time as manager of Inter Milan in 1997–98. During this time, he won the UEFA Cup in 1998. His team also came very close to winning the Italian league title, called the scudetto. He had the amazing Brazilian player Ronaldo on his team, and Simoni used Ronaldo's skills perfectly.

Luigi Simoni's Football Journey

Luigi Simoni was born in Crevalcore, a town in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. He started his football career as a player.

Playing Career

Simoni played as an attacking midfielder. He played for several well-known Italian clubs. These included Mantova, Napoli, Torino, Juventus, Brescia, and Genoa.

One of his biggest achievements as a player was winning the Coppa Italia (Italian Cup) in 1961–62 with Napoli.

Becoming a Manager

After his playing days, Simoni became a football manager. He started coaching Genoa in the 1974–75 season. The very next year, he helped Genoa get promoted back to Serie A, Italy's top football league.

Simoni became known for his ability to lead teams to promotion. He helped clubs like Pisa, Brescia, and Cremonese move up to Serie A.

Time at Inter Milan

In 1997, Massimo Moratti, the president of Internazionale (Inter Milan), asked Simoni to be their coach. This was a big moment in his career. With Ronaldo playing incredibly well, Simoni led Inter to win the UEFA Cup in 1998. They beat Lazio in the final.

Inter Milan also finished second in Serie A that season, just behind Juventus. Even though he was fired in November 1998, Inter fans still remember him fondly.

Later Coaching Roles

After Inter, Simoni continued to coach different teams. He managed clubs like Piacenza and Torino. He even had a short time coaching in Bulgaria with CSKA Sofia.

In 2003, he helped Ancona Calcio get promoted to Serie A. Later, in 2011, at the age of 72, Simoni took on a role as technical director for Gubbio. He even stepped in as caretaker coach for a short time. Under his guidance, Gubbio achieved a historic promotion to Serie B.

Later Years and Passing

Luigi Simoni passed away on May 22, 2020, at the age of 81. He had been unwell for some time.

Honours

Player

Napoli

Manager

Inter

Individual

  • Panchina d'Oro (1): 1997–98
  • Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2021

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Luigi Simoni para niños

  • List of UEFA Cup winning managers
kids search engine
Luigi Simoni Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.