He passed away at the age of 77 due to an illness while he was in hospital. The world of football mourns him
Comunardo Niccolai, the ‘king of own goals’, has died. The world of sport mourns the passing of the former footballer and coach who left an indelible mark on the history of Italian football. Protagonist of Cagliari’s historic championship in the 1969/70 season, Niccolai is also known as the “king of own goals”. He passed away at the age of 77 due to illness while he was in hospital.
The name Comunardo has a particular history: his father, a goalkeeper from Livorno and a convinced anti-fascist, named him in reference to the Paris Commune of 1871, a socialist-inspired government. His mother, a Christian Democrat and Catholic, never accepted that name and always called him Silviano.
Niccolai was nicknamed “king of own goals” not so much for the number, since he scored six, but for the spectacular nature of the goals. One of the most famous is the one scored in a Juventus-Cagliari match in 1970, when he anticipated Zigoni, transforming a cross from Furino into an own goal.
Comunardo Niccolai, the ‘king of own goals’, dies
You may also be interested in: Collapses during a badminton match: 17-year-old promising athlete Zhang Zhijie dies
Niccolai, in an interview with the AIC, recalled some of his own goals and explained that, due to his often reckless interventions, he sometimes arrived uncoordinated on the ball. “I remember the own goals, one in Catanzaro in the 300th match refereed by Concetto Lo Bello, one in Perugia, one against Roma and one in Florence. At Franchi I was not to blame because the goalkeeper, instead of saving, lowered his arm and the ball bounced back at me. On the other hand, my interventions were often a bit reckless and it happened that I arrived uncoordinated on the ball. It seemed that I scored 10 a season… Luckily I also scored 4 real goals. I would like to be remembered for the ’70 World Cup, for the championship in Cagliari or for my career as a coach, but ultimately the important thing is to be remembered”.
Nicknamed “agonia” for his lean physique, Niccolai was a top-level defender who had many successes in his career. His name is associated above all with Cagliari, with whom he won the exceptional scudetto in 1970, playing there for 12 seasons. He also played with Torres, Chicago Mustangs, Perugia and Prato. In the Italian national team, he won silver at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, after having completed the entire youth national team.
Continue reading on Chronist.it
2024-07-02 14:27:40
#Comunardo #Niccolai #king #goals #dies
