Paolo Pulici facts for kids
Pulici captaining Torino in 1976
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Paolino Pulici | ||
| Date of birth | 27 April 1950 | ||
| Place of birth | Roncello, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Tritium (youth) | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 19??–1967 | Legnano | ||
| 1967–1968 | Torino | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1966–1967 | Legnano | 1 | (0) |
| 1967–1982 | Torino | 335 | (134) |
| 1982–1983 | Udinese | 26 | (5) |
| 1983–1985 | Fiorentina | 40 | (3) |
| Total | 412 | (142) | |
| International career | |||
| 1969–1972 | Italy U21 | 9 | (5) |
| 1973–1978 | Italy | 19 | (5) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1986–1989 | Piacenza (Assistant) | ||
| 1990– | Tritium (Youth) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Paolo Pulici, born on April 27, 1950, is a famous Italian football player and manager. He used to play as a striker. He scored 172 goals for Torino, which is more than any other player in the club's history!
People called him Pupi. A journalist named Gianni Brera gave him another cool nickname: Puliciclone. This name combined his last name, Pulici, with "Ciclone," which means "cyclone" in Italian. He was also known as one of "The Twins of Goal" (I gemelli del gol) with his teammate Francesco Graziani.
Paolo Pulici played for the Italian national team in two FIFA World Cups, in 1974 and 1978. In 1978, his team finished in fourth place. Since 1990, he has been teaching football at Sportiva Tritium 1908 in Trezzo sull'Adda, at a special football school named after him.
In 2014, Paolo Pulici was honored by being added to the Torino FC Hall of Fame. He was the very first player to be chosen for this honor, in the "Forwards" group.
Contents
Playing Career
Paolo Pulici was born on April 27, 1950, in Roncello, a small town in Italy. He started his football journey with Legnano. In 1967, Torino signed him.
Early Days at Torino
Pulici began playing for Torino in the 1968–69 season. In his first four seasons, he played in 79 league games. However, he only scored nine goals during this time.
Becoming a Top Scorer
In 1972, his coach, Gustavo Giagnoni, helped him improve his skills. This training paid off! In the 1972–73 season, Pulici became the top scorer in Serie A with 17 goals. He shared this honor with Gianni Rivera and Giuseppe Savoldi.
He was the top scorer again in 1974–75 with 18 goals. Then, in the 1975–76 season, he scored 21 goals. This was a very special year because Torino won the league title! He played alongside his strike partner, Francesco Graziani, and they were known as "the goal twins." Pulici's goal in the last game against A.C. Cesena was key to winning the championship.
Time with Torino
Pulici played for Torino for 14 seasons. He played in 437 official games and scored 172 goals in total. Besides winning the Serie A title in 1976, he also helped Torino finish second in the league in 1976–77. He also won a Coppa Italia trophy in 1971.
After many successful years, his goal count started to go down. In 1982, he left Torino and moved to Udinese. After one season there, he joined Fiorentina, where he finished his playing career.
International Matches
Paolo Pulici played his first game for the Italian national team on March 30, 1973. It was a World Cup qualifier against Luxembourg, which Italy won 5–0. He scored his first two goals for Italy on December 30, 1975, in a friendly game against Greece.
In total, he played 19 games for Italy and scored 5 goals. He was part of the squad for the 1974 and 1978 World Cups. However, he did not get to play in any games during those tournaments. Even though he often played with Graziani, just like at Torino, he couldn't quite repeat his club success for the national team.
What Kind of Player Was He?
Paolo Pulici was a very good forward. He was strong, fast, and always looked for chances to score. Even though he was right-footed, he was also good at using his left foot. He was especially good at heading the ball and scoring amazing acrobatic goals. He was also skilled at taking penalty kicks.
Awards and Honors
Team Awards
Torino
- Serie A: 1975–76
- Coppa Italia: 1970–71
Individual Awards
- Capocannoniere (Top Scorer in Serie A):
- 1972–73 (17 goals)
- 1974–75 (18 goals)
- 1975–76 (21 goals)
- Torino FC Hall of Fame: 2014
See also
In Spanish: Paolino Pulici para niños
