Giorgio Ghezzi

Giorgio Ghezzi
Personal information
Date of birth (1930-07-11)11 July 1930
Place of birth Cesenatico, Italy
Date of death 12 December 1990(1990-12-12) (aged 60)
Place of death Forlì, Italy
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Youth career
Cesenatico
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1947–1949 Rimini 44 (0)
1949–1951 Modena 62 (0)
1951–1958 Internazionale 186 (0)
1958–1959 Genoa 32 (0)
1959–1965 Milan 123 (0)
Total 447 (0)
National team
1954–1961 Italy 6 (0)
Teams managed
1966–1967 Genoa

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.


Giorgio Ghezzi (11 July 1930 – 12 December 1990), nicknamed "Kamikaze", was an Italian football manager and player who played as a goalkeeper.[1]

Club career

Born in Cesenatico, Ghezzi started his career at Rimini in 1947 and later played for Modena between 1949 and 1951. He subsequently joined Internazionale in 1951, making his Serie A debut that season in a 3–1 home win over Legnano on 21 October. He remained at the club for 7 years, playing a total of 191 matches with the team across all competitions (Serie A, European Cup and Coppa Italia). During his time with Inter, he won 2 Serie A titles in 1953 and 1954.[1][2][3][4][5]

At the end of the 1957–58 season, he was sold to Genoa, and then, in the 1959 he returned to Milan, but to join Inter's cross-city rivals A.C. Milan, as a replacement for his rival Lorenzo Buffon, who had instead joined Inter that season. With Milan, Ghezzi won another Serie A title and the 1962–63 European Champions Cup; in the 1963 European Cup Final, he was one of the club's star performers as Milan defeated Eusébio's Benfica 2–1 at Wembley. Ghezzi retired with Milan in 1965.[1][2][3][4][5]

International career

At international level, Ghezzi made six appearances for the Italy national football team between 1954 and 1961. He made his debut on 11 April 1954, in a 3–1 away win over France, and was a starting member of the Italy team that took part at the 1954 FIFA World Cup, despite competition from several other excellent Italian goalkeepers at the time, such as Leonardo Costagliola, Giovanni Viola, Giuliano Sarti, and William Negri.[1][2][4][5]

Style of play

An aggressive, courageous and spectacular goalkeeper, Ghezzi was known in particular for his athleticism, agility, reflexes and acrobatic saves, as well as his speed when rushing off his line to anticipate or challenge opposing strikers; his playing style as a sweeper keeper inspired his nickname kamikaze. Despite his shot-stopping abilities and reputation as one of the greatest Italian goalkeepers of his generation, he was also at times criticised for his mentality and consistency, and was known for letting his emotions get the better of him on occasion.[1][2][3][5]

Managerial career

Following his retirement as a player, Ghezzi served as manager of Genoa between 1966 and 1967.[1]

Death

Ghezzi died in his hometown Forlì on 12 December, 1990, at the age of 60, from a heart attack.[1][2][3]

Honours

Club

Inter[1]
Milan[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Alberto Costa. "GHEZZI, Giorgio" (in Italian). Treccani: Enciclopedia dello Sport (2002). Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "Il kamikaze Ghezzi e le notti di Cesenatico" (in Italian). La Repubblica. 14 February 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "CIAO GHEZZI, KAMIKAZE" (in Italian). La Repubblica. 13 December 1990. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 "Profile: Ghezzi" (in Italian). Enciclopedia del Calcio. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Giorgio Ghezzi" (in Italian). Magliarossonera.it. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
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