Niginho facts for kids
Niginho (center) in 1936
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
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| Full name | Leonídio Fantoni | ||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 12 February 1912 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Belo Horizonte (MG), Brasil | ||||||||||||
| Date of death | 5 September 1975 (aged 63) | ||||||||||||
| Playing position | Forward | ||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||
| 1929–1933 | Palestra Itália (MG) | 31 | (6) | ||||||||||
| 1934–1936 | Lazio | 50 | (42) | ||||||||||
| 1936 | Palestra Itália (SP) | 6 | (6) | ||||||||||
| 1937–1938 | Vasco da Gama | 18 | (25) | ||||||||||
| 1939–1947 | Cruzeiro | 257 | (207) | ||||||||||
| Total | 362 | (296) | |||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||
| 1937–1938 | Brazil | 4 | (2) | ||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||
| 1948–1949 | Cruzeiro | ||||||||||||
| 1950–1951 | Santos | ||||||||||||
| 1953–1955 | Cruzeiro | ||||||||||||
| 1959–1961 | Cruzeiro | ||||||||||||
| 1962–1963 | Cruzeiro | ||||||||||||
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Honours
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Leonídio Fantoni, known to many as Niginho or Fantoni III, was a famous Brazilian footballer. He was born in Belo Horizonte on February 12, 1912, and passed away on September 5, 1975. Niginho played as a forward, scoring many goals for his teams.
Contents
Early Life and Family Connections
Niginho came from a family with Italian roots. His family strongly supported the football club Cruzeiro, which was known as "Palestra Itália" back then.
Playing with His Brothers
Niginho started his football journey at Cruzeiro. He played alongside his older brother, João Fantoni, who was called Ninão. Their cousin, Otávio Fantoni, known as Nininho, also played with them.
Moving to Italy
In 1931, Niginho and his family members moved to Italy. They joined the club Lazio. There, they became famous as a football family:
- Ninão was called Fantoni I.
- Nininho was Fantoni II.
- Niginho was Fantoni III.
They played with another Brazilian-Italian player, Anfilogino Guarisi. Their Lazio team was even nicknamed "Brasilazio" because of all the talented Brazilian players.
Early Triumphs in Brazil
Before going to Italy, Niginho helped his team win the Minas Gerais State Championship three times in a row. They won in 1928, 1929, and 1930.
Challenges and Return to Brazil
In 1935, Niginho faced a difficult decision. Because he had dual citizenship (both Brazilian and Italian), he was asked to join the Italian Army.
A Difficult Choice
Niginho had just gotten married a month before this request. He decided to return to Brazil instead. His club, Lazio, understood his choice and even paid for his ship ticket home.
Sad News for the Fantoni Family
That same year was very tough for Niginho. His cousin, Fantoni II (Nininho), sadly passed away from a serious infection. This happened after he broke his nose.
Back to Brazilian Football
After returning to Brazil, Niginho continued his football career.
Playing for Palmeiras
Without getting official permission from Lazio, Niginho joined Palmeiras. This club was also known as Palestra Itália at the time. He played for them from March to May in 1936. During this short period, he scored six goals in six games. He also helped Palmeiras win the São Paulo State Championship.
Joining Vasco da Gama
After his time at Palmeiras, Niginho played for Vasco da Gama in 1937. While playing for Vasco, he received his first call to join the Brazil national football team.
The 1938 FIFA World Cup
Niginho was chosen to be a backup player for Leônidas da Silva at the 1938 FIFA World Cup. However, there was a problem. Italian officials told FIFA that Niginho needed special permission from Lazio to play. They also mentioned his situation with the Italian Army.
Because of this issue, Niginho could not play in the World Cup. When Leônidas got injured in a game against Czechoslovakia, Niginho could not take his place. Leônidas had to play again even with his injury, which made it worse. This meant Leônidas could not play in the semi-finals against Italy.
Return to Cruzeiro and Later Career
In 1939, Niginho went back to his original club, Palestra Itália. In 1942, the club changed its name to Cruzeiro.
Another Championship Hat-Trick
Niginho helped Cruzeiro win the Minas Gerais State Championship three times in a row again. They won in 1943, 1944, and 1945. He played alongside another one of his brothers, Orlando Fantoni, during this time. Orlando also played for Lazio later and became known as Fantoni IV.
Life After Playing
Niginho stopped playing football in 1946. However, he remained closely connected to Cruzeiro until he passed away.
Becoming a Coach
As a coach for Cruzeiro, he led the team to win the championship three times in a row from 1959 to 1961. In the 1960s, his nephews, Benito Fantoni and Fernando Fantoni, also played for the club. Fernando later played for Lazio, becoming Fantoni V.
Legacy
Niginho passed away from a heart attack in 1975 while visiting Cruzeiro. He is remembered as one of the top goal scorers in the club's history. He scored 207 goals in 272 games. He was also the biggest idol for the club before the Mineirão stadium was built.
See also
In Spanish: Niginho para niños
