Vittorio Pozzo (born March 2, 1886 – died December 21, 1968) was a famous Italian football player, manager, and journalist. He is known as one of the greatest football managers of all time.

Pozzo is the only manager to win two FIFA World Cup titles with a national team. He led the Italian national team to victory in the 1934 FIFA World Cup and 1938 FIFA World Cup. People called him Il Vecchio Maestro, which means "The Old Master." He also guided Italy to a gold medal at the 1936 Olympic football tournament. This made him the only manager to win both the Olympics and the World Cup. He also won the Central European International Cup twice with Italy.

Early Life and Education

Vittorio Pozzo was born in Turin, Italy, on March 2, 1886. His family came from a town called Ponderano. He went to school in Turin. Later, he studied different languages and played football in France, Switzerland, and England. While studying in Manchester around 1900, he met famous football players like Charlie Roberts from Manchester United and Steve Bloomer from Derby County.

Playing Career Highlights

As a player, Pozzo played for Grasshopper Club Zürich in Switzerland during the 1905–06 season. After that, he returned to Italy. He helped start Torino F.C. (then called "Foot-Ball Club Torino"). He played for Torino for five seasons before he stopped playing football in 1911. From 1912 to 1922, he worked as the technical director for Torino. After finishing his studies, he worked as a manager at Pirelli, a large company. He later left this job to coach the Italian national team.

Coaching the Italian National Team

First Coaching Roles

Before the 1912 Summer Olympics, the Italian national team was coached by groups of people. But for the 1912 Olympics, Pozzo became the first official head coach. Italy lost to Finland and Austria and was eliminated early. Pozzo resigned after only three matches.

He went back to work at Pirelli. In 1921, he returned to the national team as part of a "technical commission." This was a group of managers, referees, players, and journalists. For many years, Pozzo was the main person in charge of the national team. He also served as a lieutenant in the Alpini during World War I.

In 1924, Pozzo was again chosen as the sole head coach for the 1924 Summer Olympics. Italy reached the quarter-finals but lost to Switzerland. After this defeat, Pozzo resigned again. He focused on his work and his wife, who sadly passed away soon after. He then moved to Milan and continued working at Pirelli. He also worked as a journalist for La Stampa newspaper almost until his death.

Winning with Italy in the 1930s

First Central European International Cup

Pozzo (left) giving instructions to players Monzeglio and Bertolini during the 1934 FIFA World Cup Final.

Vittorio Pozzo became the permanent coach of the Italian national team again in December 1929. Italy won the 1930 Central European International Cup. They beat Hungary 5–0 in Budapest. They won the title over Austria's famous "Wunderteam."

In the 1932 Central European International Cup, Italy finished second. They lost to Austria and Czechoslovakia. This led Pozzo to bring back Angelo Schiavio, a great goalscorer for Bologna.

1934 FIFA World Cup Victory

The 1934 FIFA World Cup was held in Italy. Pozzo's Italian team won the tournament. Some people thought the referees' decisions were influenced by the political situation in Italy at the time. The Italian leader, Benito Mussolini, reportedly met with some officials before Italy's matches.

Italy's quarter-final match against Spain was very tough. It ended in a 1–1 draw after extra time. The replay was also very physical, with many players getting injured. Italy won the replay 1–0. In the semi-final, Italy beat Austria 1–0. Enrique Guaita, one of Italy's "Oriundi" (foreign-born players with Italian heritage), scored the only goal.

The final was on June 10, in Rome, with temperatures over 40°C (104°F). Italy came from behind to beat Czechoslovakia 2–1 in extra time, winning their first World Cup title. After this success, Pozzo was given the title of Commendatore for his great achievement.

The Battle of Highbury and 1936 Olympics

Pozzo also coached Italy in a famous match called the Battle of Highbury on November 14, 1934. Italy played against England at Arsenal's home ground. England won 3–2.

Italy won the Central European International Cup again in 1935. Then, they went to the 1936 Summer Olympics and won the gold medal. They defeated Austria 2–1 in extra time in the final.

1938 FIFA World Cup Victory

By the time of the 1938 FIFA World Cup in France, Italy was still very strong under Pozzo. Silvio Piola and Giuseppe Meazza were key players. In the quarter-finals, Italy played against the host team, France. Both teams usually wore blue. Italy was told to play in all-black uniforms, which was a color linked to fascism. They also had a special symbol on their shirts. Despite a hostile crowd, Italy won 3–1.

Before the semi-final against Brazil, the Brazilians were so confident they would win that they had already booked the only plane from Marseille to Paris for the final. Pozzo used this to motivate his players. Italy won the match 2–1. The Brazilians then refused to sell their plane tickets, so the Italian team had to travel to Paris by train. In the final, Italy won their second World Cup title, beating Hungary 4–2.

There is a story that Benito Mussolini sent a telegram to the team saying, "Win or die!" However, player Pietro Rava later said this was not true. He said Mussolini sent a telegram wishing them well. With this 1938 victory, Pozzo became the first manager to win two FIFA World Cups with the same team. This record stood until 2019.

Between 1938 and 1939, Pozzo's Italy team had a record of nine consecutive wins. This record was broken in 2019. From 1935 to 1939, Italy also had a record 30-match unbeaten streak under Pozzo, which was surpassed in 2021.

Later Coaching Career (1939–1948)

Pozzo remained the coach during World War II. His last match as Italy's head coach was at the 1948 Summer Olympics. Italy lost 5–3 to Denmark in the quarter-finals. Pozzo finished his career with 63 wins, 17 draws, and 16 defeats in 95 matches. He holds the record for the longest time coaching any European men's national team.

Pozzo's Coaching Style

The Metodo System

In football, teams use different ways to arrange their players on the field, called formations. For a long time, a popular formation was the "pyramid of Cambridge," which was a 2–3–5 setup.

Vittorio Pozzo and his friend Hugo Meisl developed a new system called the Metodo (meaning "method"). This system used two defenders at the back and a key player in front of them, called the centromediano metodista. This player was like a central or defensive midfielder. Their job was not just to stop opponents but also to start attacks after winning the ball.

The Metodo formation was like a 2–3–2–3, sometimes called "WW." This system was good for teams that liked to play a slower game with lots of short passes on the ground. This was different from the English style, which was faster and more physical. Pozzo was also known for being one of the first coaches to use training camps before big tournaments.

Oriundi Players

Pozzo also used "oriundi". These were players born in other countries who had Italian family roots. This allowed Italy to use talented players from places like Argentina and Uruguay. For example, Luis Monti played for Argentina in the 1930 World Cup final before playing for Italy in their 1934 World Cup win.

When people criticized him for using oriundi, Pozzo famously said: "If they can die for Italy, they can also play for Italy." This meant that if they were willing to serve in the Italian army, they should be allowed to play for the national team.

He also believed in players like Raimundo Orsi and Giuseppe Meazza. Orsi, an Argentinian, scored a goal in the 1934 World Cup final. Pozzo also changed Meazza from a striker to an "inside forward," which helped the team's attacking play. Another important oriundo in the 1938 World Cup was Michele Andreolo from Uruguay.

After Football

After he stopped coaching, Pozzo went back to being a journalist for La Stampa newspaper. He covered the 1950 FIFA World Cup and other Italian national team matches.

Death and Legacy

Vittorio Pozzo lived to see Italy win the 1968 European Football Championship, which was the successor to the Central European International Cup he had won twice. He passed away later that year, on December 21, at the age of 82. He is buried in his family's hometown, Ponderano.

In 1986, the main stadium in Turin was renamed after him, becoming the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino. In 2016, a museum with his belongings was opened in Ponderano to honor him.

Honors and Awards

As Manager

Italy

FIFA World Cup: 1934, 1938
Central European International Cup: 1927–30, 1933–35
Men's Olympic football: 1936

Individual Awards

Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2011
Berlin-Britz Manager of the Decade (1930s)
World Soccer Magazine 13th Greatest Manager of All Time: 2013

Orders

Stella al Merito Sportivo

Images for kids

Pozzo as Torino manager in 1920

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