Comunardo Niccolai
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 Niccolai with Cagliari in the 1960s | |||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 15 December 1946 | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Uzzano, Italy | ||||||||||||||||
| Date of death | 2 July 2024 (aged 77) | ||||||||||||||||
| Place of death | Pistoia, Italy | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
| 1963–1964 | Torres | 22 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 1964–1976 | Cagliari | 218 | (4) | ||||||||||||||
| 1976–1977 | Perugia | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| 1977–1978 | Prato | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
| Total | 251 | (4) | |||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||
| 1970 | Italy | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||
Comunardo Niccolai (Italian pronunciation: [komuˈnardo nikkoˈlai]; 15 December 1946 – 2 July 2024) was an Italian footballer, who played as a defender.
A tough, physically strong centre-back,[1] Niccolai initially began his career with Torres in 1963,[2] before joining Cagliari Calcio, where he played from 1964 to 1976, winning the only Serie A championship in the club's entire club history in 1970.[3] He ended his career in 1977 with Perugia.[2] Niccolai played 218 Serie A matches,[2] and is still remembered today for his proneness to score own goals, including some very spectacular ones.[4]
International career
Niccolai made three appearances for the Italy national team in 1970, and represented the team at the 1970 FIFA World Cup, where he won a runners-up medal; he only appeared in Italy's opening group match, a 1–0 win against Sweden on 3 June, as he was replaced by Roberto Rosato in the 37th minute, after sustaining an injury which kept him out of the remainder of the tournament.[5][6] This led his Cagliari coach Manlio Scopigno to declare: "I could expect everything from my life, but to see Niccolai in international telecast".[7]
After retirement
Niccolai worked with the Italian Football Federation as national team scout.[8] He also worked as a youth coach for the Cagliari under-18 side.[9]
