Former coach Carlo Mazzone, famous for his long career in Serie A and his boundless enthusiasm, has passed away at the age of 86, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and several of his former clubs announced on Saturday.
“We say goodbye to a true icon of Italian football. He invented a unique style that embodied seriousness and humanity,” FIGC president Gabriele Gravina said in a statement.
The Italian Federation has announced that a minute of silence will be observed at all matches of the first round of the 2023/24 Italian Championship between next Saturday and Monday.
Mazzone, whose coaching career began in 1968 and ended in 2006, holds the record for top-level appearances (792), with a total of 1,278 in all categories.
He led Fiorentina (1975-78), Roma (1993-96), Napoli (1997) and Brescia (2000-03), among others.
Despite his longevity in football, he only won one title, the extinct Intertoto Cup with Bologna (1998). But ‘Carletto’ launched Francesco Totti’s career at Roma and had a major impact on those of Roberto Baggio, Enzo Francescoli and Pep Guardiola, who dedicated his 2009 Champions League title to him with Barcelona.
The charismatic coach was also known for his explosive statements and a legendary run, even his assistants, in the stands after Brescia’s draw against neighbor Atalanta in September 2001.
Source: DN
