Franco Gallina

{{Infobox football biography

|name = Franco Gallina

|image =

|fullname =

|birth_date = {{birth date|1945|01|1|df=y}}

|birth_place = Naples, Kingdom of Italy

|death_date = {{death date and age|2021|6|29|1945|1|1|df=y}}

|death_place =

|height =

|position = Forward

|youthyears1 =

|youthclubs1 =

|years1 = 1962–1963 |clubs1 = Casertana |caps1 = 1 |goals1 = 0

|years2 = 1963–1964 |clubs2 = Genoa |caps2 = 0 |goals2 = 0

|years3 = 1964–1965 |clubs3 = Virtus Entella |caps3 = 23 |goals3 = 7

|years4 = 1965–1966 |clubs4 = Cesena |caps4 = 30 |goals4 = 10

|years5 = 1966–1968 |clubs5 = Genoa |caps5 = 42 |goals5 = 4

|years6 = 1968–1969 |clubs6 = Lanerossi Vicenza |caps6 = 12 |goals6 = 4

|years7 = 1969–1971 |clubs7 = Internapoli |caps7 = 34 |goals7 = 1

|years8 = 1971 |clubs8 = Montreal Olympique |caps8 = 20 |goals8 = 10

|years9 = 1971–1973 |clubs9 = Atlante |caps9 = |goals9 =

|years10 = 1973 |clubs10 = Montreal Cantalia |caps10 = |goals10 =

|years11 = 1974 |clubs11 = Toronto Italia |caps11 = |goals11 =

|years12 = 1975–1976 |clubs12 = Montreal Castors |caps12 = |goals12 =

|manageryears1 = 1973

|managerclubs1 = Montreal Cantalia (player-manager)

|manageryears2 = 1974

|managerclubs2 = Toronto Italia (player-manager)

}}

Franco Gallina (1 January 1945 – 5 July 2021) was an Italian footballer who played as a forward, most notably in the Serie A and the North American Soccer League.

Career

Gallina played in the Serie D in 1962 with Casertana F.C. where he assisted in securing promotion after winning the Serie D title. The following season he was signed by Genoa C.F.C. of the Serie A, but failed to make an appearance. In 1964, he played in the Serie C with Virtus Entella, and later with Cesena F.C.{{Cite web|title=Francesco Gallina|url=https://www.calcio.com/profilo_giocatori/francesco-gallina/|access-date=23 August 2020|website=calcio.com|language=it}} He returned to his former club Genoa where he played in the Serie B.{{Cite web|title=Calcio-seriea.net - Scheda giocatore - Gallina Franco|url=http://calcio-seriea.net/scheda_giocatore/1966/8375/|access-date=23 August 2020|website=calcio-seriea.net}} After two seasons with Genoa he played in the Serie A with Lanerossi Vicenza, and made his debut on 17 November 1968 against A.C. Milan.{{Cite web|title=Calcio-seriea.net - Risultati Serie A 68-69 -|url=http://calcio-seriea.net/tabellini/1968/10877/|access-date=23 August 2020|website=calcio-seriea.net}}

In 1969, he returned to Serie C to play with Internapoli Football Club. He played abroad in 1971 with Montreal Olympique in the North American Soccer League.{{Cite web|title=NASL-Franco Gallina|url=http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/G/Gallina.Franco.htm|access-date=23 August 2020|website=www.nasljerseys.com}}{{Cite web|last=Onorato|first=Andre|date=5 June 1971|title=Olympics collapse after lineup shuffle|url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/421052528/?terms=Franco+Gallina|access-date=23 August 2020|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=The Montreal Gazette|page=15|language=en}} In his debut season with Montreal he was named to the NASL Second Team.{{Cite web|title=Steve Dimitry's NASL Web Page|url=http://www.oocities.org/colosseum/Arena/6925/nasl.html|access-date=23 August 2020|website=www.oocities.org}} The next season he played in the Mexican Primera División with Atlante F.C.{{Cite web|last=Priego|first=Francisco Güemes|date=11 July 2017|title=Fútbol sin compromisos: JUGADORES ITALIANOS EN MÉXICO|url=http://noesotroblogdefutbol.blogspot.com/2017/07/jugadores-italianos-en-mexico.html|access-date=23 August 2020|website=Fútbol sin compromisos}}{{Cite web|title=Mexico 1971/72|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/mex72.html|access-date=23 August 2020|website=RSSSF}} In 1973, he played in the National Soccer League with Montreal Cantalia where he served as a player-coach.{{Cite web|last=Onorato|first=Andre|date=28 May 1973|title=Defeat by Italia first for Cantalia|url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/421308003/?terms=Franco+Gallina|access-date=23 August 2020|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=The Montreal Gazette|page=31|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Onorato|first=Andre|date=2 July 1973|title=Cantalia wins 3-1 paced by Gallina|url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/421356586/?terms=Franco+Gallina|access-date=23 August 2020|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=The Montreal Gazette|page=16|language=en}} In 1974, he played with league rivals Toronto Italia once more in a capacity of a player-coach.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=21 May 1974|title=Ottawa Tigers drop two|url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/48521427/?terms=Franco+Gallina|access-date=23 August 2020|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=The Ottawa Journal|page=23|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=Onorato|first=Andre|date=8 June 1974|title=Wait and See|url=http://www.newspapers.com/image/421530963/?terms=Franco+Gallina|access-date=23 August 2020|website=Newspapers.com|publisher=The Montreal Gazette|page=32|language=en}} The following season he played with Montreal Castors.{{cite web|date=17 June 1976|title=Castors feature international soccer stars|url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/49472680/|publisher=Ottawa Journal|page=30}}

He died on 5 July 2021.{{Cite web|last=|date=5 July 2021|title=Lutto nel mondo Genoa: è morto Franco Gallina, ala sinistra degli anni '60|url=https://www.pianetagenoa1893.net/primo-piano/lutto-nel-mondo-genoa-e-morto-franco-gallina-ala-sinistra-degli-anni-60/|access-date=5 July 2021|website=PianetaGenoa1893|language=it-IT}}