Pietro Vierchowod facts for kids
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Vierchowod in 2013
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Pietro Vierchowod | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 6 April 1959 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Calcinate, Italy | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1973–1976 | Romanese | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1976–1981 | Como | 115 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1981–1982 | Fiorentina | 28 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1982–1983 | Roma | 30 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1983–1995 | Sampdoria | 358 | (25) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Juventus | 21 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | AC Milan | 16 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1997–2000 | Piacenza | 79 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 647 | (42) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1981–1993 | Italy | 45 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Catania | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | Florentia Viola | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | Triestina | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Budapest Honvéd | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2018 | Kamza | ||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||
Pietro Vierchowod (born 6 April 1959) is a famous Italian former professional football player. He played as a centre-back, which is a defender who plays in the middle of the field. He also worked as a manager. Pietro played for the Italian national team and was part of the squad that won the 1982 FIFA World Cup.
Many people think he is one of the best Italian centre-backs ever. He was known as lo Zar ("the Tsar"). This nickname came from his amazing speed, strong defense, and tough playing style. His father was a Ukrainian soldier, which also contributed to the nickname.
Contents
Pietro's Early Life
Pietro Vierchowod was born in Calcinate, Italy. His father was a Ukrainian soldier who was captured during World War II. He escaped from a Nazi camp and fought with Italian freedom fighters. After the war, he stayed in Italy.
Pietro's Club Career
Pietro Vierchowod started his football journey as a defender who closely marked his opponents. Later, he also became great at a different defense style called zonal marking.
Starting His Professional Journey
He began his professional career playing for Como. After that, he moved to Fiorentina. His first big wins came when he joined Roma. With Roma, he won a Serie A title, called a scudetto, in 1983.
Success with Sampdoria and Juventus
Next, he moved to Sampdoria. There, he won four Italian Cups. He also won one European Cup Winners' Cup and another scudetto in 1991. In 1995, Vierchowod joined Juventus. He was an experienced defender there and won his only UEFA Champions League title in 1996. He was 37 years old at the time. Juventus won the final against Ajax in Rome through penalty kicks.
Later Career and Retirement
After Juventus, Vierchowod played for AC Milan and Piacenza. He kept playing regularly until he was in his early 40s. In the 1998–99 season, he scored three important goals for Piacenza. These goals helped his team avoid being moved to a lower league. One goal was scored just three days before his 40th birthday! He became one of the oldest players to score a goal in Serie A.
Pietro retired from playing in 2000 when he was 41. He played 562 matches in Serie A. This makes him one of the players with the most appearances in the league's history.
Pietro's International Career
Pietro Vierchowod played 45 times for the Italian national team between 1981 and 1993. He scored two goals for his country.
World Cup Achievements
He made his first international appearance in 1981. He was part of the Italian squad that won the 1982 FIFA World Cup, though he did not play in that tournament. He also played in the 1986 FIFA World Cup. In the 1990 FIFA World Cup, which was held in Italy, he played three matches. Italy finished in third place in that tournament.
Oldest Goalscorer for Italy
Pietro Vierchowod is also the oldest player to score a goal for the Italian national team. He scored in a World Cup qualification match against Malta in 1993. Italy won that game 6–1. He also played for Italy at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. Italy finished fourth in that competition.
Pietro's Playing Style
Pietro Vierchowod was nicknamed lo Zar because of his strong and determined playing style. He was a left-footed centre-back known for his incredible speed. Many people considered him one of the fastest defenders in the world during his time. He was also one of the toughest defenders in Serie A in the 1980s and 1990s. This was due to his great strength, how closely he marked opponents, and his hard tackles.
Key Defensive Skills
Early in his career, he was a "stopper" who marked one player very closely. His speed, strong body, and ability to predict plays helped him stop opposing attacks. He was great at winning the ball back and intercepting passes. These skills also helped him play well in a "zonal marking" system later on. Even though he wasn't the tallest defender, he was very good at heading the ball. He often scored goals with his head, making him one of the highest-scoring Italian defenders ever.
Respected by Legends
Despite his aggressive style, he was seen as a fair player. He was also known for playing for a long time, being a leader, and training very hard. Famous football players like Diego Maradona and Gary Lineker said Vierchowod was one of the toughest defenders they ever faced. Maradona even called him Hulk because of his strength. Marco van Basten and Gabriel Batistuta also praised his defensive skills.
Pietro's Coaching Career
After he stopped playing, Vierchowod became a coach. He coached several teams in Italy, including Catania, Florentia Viola (now Fiorentina), and Triestina. He also coached Budapest Honvéd in Hungary in 2014 and FC Kamza in Albania in 2018. In most cases, he left before the season ended.
Pietro's Honours and Awards
Pietro Vierchowod won many titles and awards during his career.
Roma
- Serie A: 1982–83
Sampdoria
- Serie A: 1990–91
- Coppa Italia: 1984–85, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1993–94
- European Cup Winners' Cup: 1989–90
- Supercoppa Italiana: 1991
Juventus
- Supercoppa Italiana: 1995
- UEFA Champions League: 1995–96
Italy
- FIFA World Cup: 1982
- Scania 100 Tournament: 1991
Individual Awards
- Serie A Team of The Year: 1983, 1985, 1988, 1990, 1991
- Guerin d'Oro: 1983
- Premio Nazionale Carriera Esemplare "Gaetano Scirea": 1995
Orders
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4th Class / Officer: Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 1991
See also
In Spanish: Pietro Vierchowod para niños
