Addio Omar Sivori!

[Djet]

Former Juventus and Napoli great Enrique Omar Sivori has died in his Argentine home at the age of 69.

Sivori, a major figure of Italian football in the 1950s and 1960s, was suffering with a tumour of the pancreas.

The attacking talent was born in San Nicolas on October 2, 1935, and went on to make his debut in Argentina’s top-flight at the age of just 19 for River Plate.

The South American scored 56 goals in two seasons with the outfit, which led to a switch to Juventus in 1957 – allowing River to rebuild their stadium with the £60,000 fee received.

Sivori - famous for always playing with his socks rolled around his ankles - won numerous honours in Turin, winning the Scudetto in 1958, ’60 and ’61, while also lifting three Italian Cups.

He was rewarded with the Golden Ball in 1961, as well as winning the Serie A Capocannoniere crown in 1960 thanks to his 27 goals in 31 games.

Sivori, who netted 146 times in 278 Serie A matches, ended his career at Napoli before retiring in 1968 because of a knee injury.

The player, one of the so-called ‘angels with dirty faces’, won international honours with both Argentina and Italy.

Sivori made 19 appearances for the South American nation, winning the Copa America in 1955 and 57.

He would also appear at the 1962 World Cup for Italy, scoring eight goals in nine caps for the Azzurri.

Sivori took to coaching once he hung up his boots, taking charge of Rosario Central, River Plate and Argentina at the 1974 World Cup in Germany.

Famous as a player for continually dribbling the ball through the legs of his opponents, he later worked as a TV pundit in Italy and also as a transfer consultant for Juventus.

"A great man and a great champion has died," said Juventus chief executive Antonio Giraudo. "It’s a massive blow, he was one of the best players Juve have ever had."

Juve Vice-president Roberto Bettega added: "He was like a big brother for me. He was a formidable player but also a great friend. Our thoughts are with his family."

Director general Luciano Moggi also paid tribute to the man. "We’ve lost a club symbol, as well as a true friend," he stated.

Antonio Iuliano, his former teammate at Napoli, explained exactly how good a player he really was.

"He was the Maradona of the 60s," stated the Azzurri legend. "He was a genius, an extrovert but still a man."

Channel 4 . com

[Pinturicchio]

Ich hab zwar nur 10 Minuten Videomaterial von ihm, doch er muss großartig gewesen sein. Er schoss insgesamt 167 Tore für Juventus (gleich viele wie derzeit Del Piero), war aber alles andere als ein Knipser vor dem Tor. Er glänzte vorallem mit seiner Technik und mit seinen Vorarbeiten für John Carles, Charles + Sivori --> das Stürmerduo der 50er und 60er.

[Milano18]

Ich habe die Meldung gestern Abend gehört, wusste aber nicht, wie viele Leute hier mit diesem Namen was anfangen können und habe daher nix gepostet.

In ogni caso...Addio, Omar Sivori!