Eraldo Monzeglio (Italian pronunciation: [eˈraldo monˈdzeʎʎo]; 5 June 1906 – 3 November 1981) was an Italian association football coach and player, who played as a defender, in the position of full-back. Monzeglio had a highly successful career as a footballer, although he also later attracted controversy due to his close relationship with the Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini. At club level, he played for Casale, Bologna, and Roma, winning the Serie A title and two editions of the Mitropa Cup with Bologna. At international level, he also had success representing the Italy national football team, and was a member of the Italian teams that won consecutive FIFA World Cup titles in 1934 and 1938, being named to the tournament's All-star Team in 1934; he also won two editions of the Central European International Cup with Italy. Along with Giuseppe Meazza and Giovanni Ferrari, he is one of only three Italian players to have won two World Cups.[1][2] Following his retirement as a player, he worked as a coach for Italian clubs Como, Pro Sesto, Napoli, Sampdoria, and Juventus, as well as Swiss club Chiasso. He was posthumously inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2013.

Eraldo Monzeglio
Monzeglio in 1934
Personal information
Date of birth (1906-06-05)5 June 1906
Place of birth Vignale Monferrato, Italy
Date of death 3 November 1981(1981-11-03) (aged 75)
Place of death Turin, Italy
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1923–1926 Casale 29 (1)
1926–1935 Bologna 245 (4)
1935–1939 Roma
International career
1930–1938 Italy 35 (0)
Managerial career
1946–1947 Como
1947–1949 Pro Sesto
1949–1956 Napoli
1958–1962 Sampdoria
1964 Juventus
1966–1967 Chiasso
1973 Chiasso
Medal record
Men's Football
Representing  Italy
FIFA World Cup
Winner 1934 Italy
Winner 1938 France
Central European International Cup
Winner 1927–30
Runner-up 1931–32
Winner 1933–35
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

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Monzeglio was born in Vignale Monferrato, in the province of Alessandria (Piedmont).[3]

In his nineteen-year career as a football defender, which lasted from 1924 to 1943, he played for Casale, Bologna, and Roma. With Bologna, he was victorious in the 1928–29 championship, also winning two Mitropa Cups in 1932 and 1934.[3][4]

International career

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At international level, Monzeglio played for the Italy national team on 35 occasions, which the team also won two FIFA World Cup finals, in 1934 and 1938, being named to the Team of the Tournament in 1934; he also won two Central European International Cups with Italy.[3][5][6]

Coaching career

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Despite his success and fame as a footballer, following the conclusion of the Second World War, however, Monzeglio had initially attracted controversy, due to his political views and close friendship with the Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, as well as his role as Mussolini's personal coach.[7][8] Monzeglio later became a coach, managing the Italian teams of A.S. Roma, Como, Pro Sesto, Napoli, Sampdoria, Juventus, and Lecco, as well as Chiasso, in Switzerland, between 1941 and 1973. Monzeglio died in Turin, on 3 November 1981, at the age of 75.[3] In 2013, he was posthumously inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame.[9]

Honours

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Player

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Club

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Bologna[3]

International

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Italy[3]

Manager

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Napoli[3]

Individual

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References

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  1. ^ "Record e Curiosità" [Records and Trivia] (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  2. ^ "Presenze" [Appearances] (in Italian). la Repubblica. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Eraldo MONZEGLIO" (in Italian). Il Pallone Racconta. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  4. ^ "Monzeglio". Archived from the original on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 2 May 2009.
  5. ^ "Monzeglio, Eraldo" (in Italian). FIGC. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  6. ^ Roberto Di Maggio (21 April 2011). "Eraldo Monzeglio - International Appearances". RSSSF. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  7. ^ Oreste Giannetta (5 June 2014). "Tanti auguri a... Eraldo Monzeglio" (in Italian). Tutto Mondiali. Archived from the original on 8 April 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  8. ^ Massimo Iaretti (27 December 2014). "Eraldo Monzeglio, calciatore in camicia nera" (in Italian). Il Torinese. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
  9. ^ a b "Hall of fame, 10 new entry: con Vialli e Mancini anche Facchetti e Ronaldo" [Hall of fame, 10 new entries: with Vialli and Mancini also Facchetti and Ronaldo] (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 27 October 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  10. ^ "FIFA World Cup Awards: All-Star Team". Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 15 November 2015.
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