Giancarlo Antognoni

Giancarlo Antognoni

Antognoni with Fiorentina in the 1970s
Personal information
Full name	Giancarlo Antognoni
Date of birth	(1954-04-01) 1 April 1954 (age 63)
Place of birth	Marsciano, Italy
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Attacking Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1970–1972	Astimacobi	27	(4)
1972–1987	Fiorentina	341	(61)
1987–1989	Lausanne Sports	51	(7)
Total		419	(72)
National team
1974–1983	Italy	73	(7)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Giancarlo Antognoni, (Italian pronunciation: [dʒaŋˈkarlo antoɲˈɲoːni]; born 1 April 1954 in Marsciano) is a former Italian footballer, who played as a midfielder. A skilful and creative offensive playmaker, regarded as one the best Italian players of all time in his position, he played most of his club career with Fiorentina, where he won the Coppa Italia and the Anglo-Italian League Cup in 1975. At international level, he won the 1982 FIFA World Cup with the Italian national team, and he also represented his country at the 1978 FIFA World Cup, and at the 1980 UEFA European Championship, finishing in fourth place on both occasions. On the 11th October 2010, he was awarded the "Legends of football" Golden Foot award.

His career started in the Italian Serie D with the club of Astimacobi, when he was only sixteen. In 1972, Nils Liedholm convinced him to join Fiorentina.

He made his debut in Italian Serie A in October 1972 with Fiorentina, whom he later captained, also eventually inheriting the number 10 shirt. He won the Coppa Italia (Italian Cup) during the 1974–75 season, as well as the 1975 Anglo-Italian League Cup that season, over West Ham. He narrowly missed out on the Serie A title with Fiorentina during the 1981–82 season, losing out to rivals Juventus by a single point on the final match-day. Antognoni played 412 games with Fiorentina and scored 61 goals. Antognoni is regarded as a Fiorentina legend, and as one of the club's best ever players, as he played for the club throughout his entire Italian professional career between the 70s and 80s. He holds the record for the most appearances in Serie A for Fiorentina, with 341 appearances.