Armando Picchi
{{Short description|Italian footballer (1935–1971)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Armando Picchi
| image = Inter Milan 1965-1966 Armando Picchi.jpg
| caption = Picchi with Inter Milan in 1965
| birth_date = {{birth date|1935|6|20|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Livorno, Italy
| death_date = {{death date and age|1971|5|27|1935|6|20|df=yes}}
| death_place = Sanremo, Italy
| height = 1.71 m
| youthyears1 = 1949–1954
| youthclubs1 = Livorno
| years1 = 1954–1959
| clubs1 = Livorno
| caps1 = 99
| goals1 = 5
| years2 = 1959–1960
| clubs2 = SPAL
| caps2 = 27
| goals2 = 1
| years3 = 1960–1967
| clubs3 = Inter Milan
| caps3 = 206
| goals3 = 1
| years4 = 1967–1969
| clubs4 = Varese
| caps4 = 46
| goals4 = 0
| totalcaps = 378
| totalgoals = 7
| nationalyears1 = 1964–1968
| nationalteam1 = Italy
| nationalcaps1 = 12
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| manageryears1 = 1968–1969
| managerclubs1 = Varese
| manageryears2 = 1969–1970
| managerclubs2 = Livorno
| manageryears3 = 1970–1971
| managerclubs3 = Juventus
}}
Armando Picchi ({{IPA|it|arˈmando ˈpikki}}; 20 June 1935 – 27 May 1971) was an Italian football player and coach. Regularly positioned as a libero, he captained the Inter Milan side known as "La Grande Inter".
Club career
=Early career=
Born in Livorno, Picchi started his career by playing for Livorno. In 1959, he moved to SPAL, before moving later at the peak of his time, and most of his career, to Inter Milan.
=Captain of Grande Inter=
File: Inter Milan v L.R. Vicenza - 1960s - Armando Picchi (cropped).jpg
A versatile defender, Picchi started to play at Inter Milan as a right-back, a role he previously held at SPAL. During the course of 1961–62 season, the legendary Grande Inter coach Helenio Herrera experimented by placing him as a libero. The new position was successful; he became an important figure in the team's strong defence, and indirectly set examples for teammates Tarcisio Burgnich and Giacinto Facchetti with his leadership. During that time, Inter Milan was still captained by Bruno Bolchi.
When Bolchi moved to Verona, Picchi was then selected as team captain. It was in his captaincy that Inter Milan evolved into the era famously known as Grande Inter, when they won three scudetti, two European Champions Cups and two Intercontinental Cups in the 1960s.{{cite web|url=http://archivio.inter.it/cgi-bin/giocatori-scheda?codice=G0503&L=en|title=Armando Picchi, inter.it archive| date = 10 July 2010 |work=archivio.inter.it| accessdate = 27 July 2010}}{{cite web|url=http://www.inter.it/it/societa/storia2005-2.html |title=La leggenda della Grande Inter|trans-title=The legend of the Grande Inter|publisher=Inter.it|language=Italian|accessdate=10 September 2014 |url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019213304/http://www.inter.it/it/societa/storia2005-2.html|archivedate=19 October 2012}}
=Later career=
After his time at Inter Milan, Picchi played for two seasons at Varese before retiring in 1969, at the age of 34.
International career
Picchi made his debut for Italy several months after becoming Intercontinental champion with Inter Milan, in a 6–1 victory over Finland in November 1964. However, Italy coach at that time, Edmondo Fabbri, deemed him unsuitable for the team's scheme, as he felt he was too defensive minded, and subsequently left him out of the squad for 1966 World Cup in England.{{cite web|url=http://archiviostorico.corriere.it/2001/maggio/25/Picchi_battitore_libero_che_mandava_co_0_0105255410.shtml|title=Picchi, il battitore libero che mandava in crisi il Mago|publisher=Il Corriere della Sera|language=Italian|author=Mario Gherarducci|date=25 May 2001|accessdate=13 March 2017}}
Under the management of Ferruccio Valcareggi, he was regularly called for the qualifying matches of Euro 1968. Yet a fractured pelvis injury in a match against Bulgaria in April 1968, ruled him out of the competition, which concluded his last match with the Azzurri, totalling 12 international appearances.{{cite web|url=http://www.figc.it/nazionali/DettaglioConvocato?codiceConvocato=825&squadra=1|title=Nazionale in cifre: Picchi, Armando|website=figc.it|publisher=FIGC|language=Italian|accessdate=20 April 2015}}
Style of play
File:Inter Milan (Appiano Gentile, 1966) - Helenio Herrera, Luís Vinício and Armando Picchi.jpg and coach Helenio Herrera]]
A quick, versatile and tenacious defender, Picchi began his career playing as a forward or as a central defensive midfielder, before being moved to right back, where he excelled, but later came into his own in the libero role. Picchi was primarily an old-fashioned sweeper, who was mainly known for his defensive skills, strong physique, and ability to win back, intercept and clear loose balls as a last man, while he was not particularly good in the air, due to his small stature; despite his more traditional, defensive-minded interpretation of the role, he was, however, also occasionally capable of getting forward, and of carrying the ball out into midfield, or starting plays from the back-line, due to his good technique and ability to read the game. Regarded as one of Italy's greatest defenders, and as one of the best sweepers of his generation, he was highly regarded for his tactical intelligence as well as vocal leadership on the pitch, and was known for his ability to organise the back-line and motivate his teammates.{{cite web|url=http://www.corriere.it/sport/calcio/serie-a/2016-2017/cards/volo-bonucci-classifica-8-migliori-difensori-italiani-sempre/terzo-picchi.shtml|title=Il volo di Bonucci e la classifica degli 8 migliori difensori italiani di sempre|publisher=Il Corriere della Sera|language=Italian|author1=Mario Sconcerti|date=23 November 2016|accessdate=27 December 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/armando-picchi_(Enciclopedia-dello-Sport)/|title=PICCHI, Armando|publisher=Treccani: Enciclopedia dello Sport|language=Italian|author1=Fabio Monti|accessdate=13 March 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.tuttocalciatori.net/notizie/2013/08/armando-picchi-un-eroe-malinconico/#|title=Armando Picchi: storia di un eroe malinconico|publisher=Tutto Calciatori|language=Italian|date=19 August 2013|accessdate=13 March 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/nato-oggi/armando-picchi-il-libero-livornese-capitano-all-inter-con-helenio-herrera-843478|title=Armando Picchi, il libero livornese capitano all'Inter con Helenio Herrera|publisher=TuttoMercatoWeb.com|language=Italian|author1=Simone Bernabei|date=20 June 2016|accessdate=13 March 2017}}{{cite web|url=http://www.inter.it/it/news/65824|title=Moratti ricorda Picchi "Era il perno dell'Inter"|publisher=Inter.it|language=Italian|date=13 June 2014|accessdate=13 March 2017|archive-date=21 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721180126/http://www.inter.it/it/news/65824|url-status=dead}}
Coaching career and death
File:1970–71 Juventus FC - Armando Picchi.jpg
After his playing career was over, Picchi pursued a coaching career in 1969; he went on to coach Varese, Livorno and then Juventus, until 16 February 1971, when he was hospitalised because of cancer, which ended his coaching career prematurely. He died three months later, at the age of 35, due a tumour in his sixth left rib.
Legacy
After his death in 1971, a memorial tournament, Memorial Armando Picchi, was played in his honour.[http://archivio.unita.it/archivio/navigatore.php?page=10&dd=08&mm=06&yy=1971&ed=nazionale&url=http://82.85.28.102/cgi-bin/showfile.pl?file=archivio/uni_1971_06/19710608_0010.pdf Il 19 inizia il quadrangolare Armando Picchi] - l'Unità {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222013249/http://archivio.unita.it/archivio/navigatore.php?page=10&dd=08&mm=06&yy=1971&ed=nazionale&url=http%3A%2F%2F82.85.28.102%2Fcgi-bin%2Fshowfile.pl%3Ffile%3Darchivio%2Funi_1971_06%2F19710608_0010.pdf |date=22 February 2014 }} On 21 October of the same year, the football club Armando Picchi Calcio was founded in his memory.{{cite web |url=http://www.armandopicchi.it/stor.htm |title=Armando Picchi Calcio Livorno – La storia |publisher=www.armandopicchi.it |language=Italian |accessdate=25 October 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060507052856/http://www.armandopicchi.it/stor.htm |archive-date=7 May 2006 |url-status=dead }}
As of 1990, the football stadium of Livorno, his hometown club, is named after him.
Honours
Individual
- Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2021{{Cite web |date=3 February 2022 |title=Hall of Fame: Nesta, Rummenigge, Conte, Rocchi, Cabrini and Bonansea among those inducted |url=https://www.figc.it/en/figc/news/hall-of-fame-nesta-rummenigge-conte-rocchi-cabrini-and-bonansea-among-those-inducted/ |access-date=3 February 2022 |website=Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20180120070053/http://www.interfc.it/Picchi.asp Inter Profile] {{in lang|it}}
- [http://www.figc.it/nazionali/DettaglioConvocato?codiceConvocato=825&squadra=1 FIGC Profile] {{in lang|it}}
{{Intercontinental Cup winning captains}}
{{UEFA Champions League Winning Captains}}
{{Italian Football Hall of Fame}}
{{Juventus F.C. managers}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Picchi, Armando}}
Category:Footballers from Livorno
Category:Italian men's footballers
Category:Italy men's international footballers
Category:Men's association football sweepers
Category:SSD Varese Calcio players
Category:Italian football managers
Category:US Livorno 1915 players
Category:US Livorno 1915 managers
Category:UEFA Champions League–winning players