Gino Cappello
Italian footballer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gino Cappello (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdʒiːno kapˈpɛllo]; 2 June 1920 – 28 March 1990) was an Italian footballer who played as a striker.[2]
 Cappello playing for Bologna, c. 1951. | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gino Cappello IV | ||
| Date of birth | 2 June 1920 | ||
| Place of birth | Padua, Kingdom of Italy | ||
| Date of death | 28 March 1990 (aged 69) | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position | Forward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1939–1940 | Padova | 60 | (39) |
| 1940–1943 | Milan | 74 | (29) |
| 1944 | Padova | 10 | (6) |
| 1945–1956 | Bologna | 245 | (80) |
| 1956–1958 | Novara | 22 | (5) |
| Total | 411 | (159) | |
| International career | |||
| 1949–1954 | Italy | 11 | (3) |
| 1950 | Italy B[1] | 1 | (2) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Club career
Gino Capello was born in Padua. He began his career with Calcio Padova in the Serie B. In 1940, after two seasons with the club, he was transferred to AC Milan in Serie A. He was the second leading goal scorer in all three of his seasons at the club. Milan, however, was not a title-contender at the time. After the end of World War II, he moved to Bologna, where he played for ten seasons, scoring 80 goals in 245 games. In his last two seasons, he played for Novara in the Serie B. He retired in 1958 at the age of thirty-eight.[3][4]
International career
Cappello debuted for the Italian national team on 22 May 1949 in a 3–1 win against Austria. He was one of four Italian players to play both games at the 1950 World Cup. Four years later, he was selected for the 1954 World Cup in Switzerland. He was the first Italian player to wear the number 10 shirt at a World Cup; it was the first tournament to require shirt numbers. He played his last game for Italy in a 4–1 win against Belgium during the tournament.[3][4]
Style of play
Capello was known for his body feints, close control and dribbling ability, but also for a poor work rate and inconsistency. Initially an advanced playmaker or second striker, he became proficient in playing anywhere along the front line, on either wing or in the center. Capello later adapted to the center-forward role. He was known for drifting out of matches for long periods before producing a decisive goal or assist.[1]