Antonio Sbardella
Encyclopedia
Antonio Sbardella was an Italian
football player, referee and sports official. He is best known for refereeing at the 1970 FIFA World Cup
.
near Rome
, Sbardella first got involved in football playing as a goalkeeper at youth levels of the local powerhouse Lazio
. However Sbardella never appeared in the Serie A
as he failed to rise through the ranks at Lazio, and he eventually finished his playing career at Artiglio, a small Rome-based Serie C
club.
He then took up refereeing, and in his domestic career he officiated a total of 167 Serie A matches. Along with Concetto Lo Bello
he was considered one of the top two Italian referees of the 1960s and 1970s.
The pinnacle of his career came at the 1970 FIFA World Cup
in Mexico
, in which he refereed two matches, including the third place play-off between West Germany
and Uruguay
. Sbardella had been designated to referee the final, but was eventually replaced by East Germany's Rudi Glöckner
because Italy national football team had reached the final
.
In club football his highlights include officiating two Coppa Italia
finals (the 1963 final between Atalanta
and Torino
and the 1966 final between Catanzaro
and Fiorentina
), and the second leg of the 1967 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final
between Leeds United
and Dinamo Zagreb.
After retiring from refereeing, Sbardello became a sports official and was sports director at Lazio, Roma
and Triestina
football clubs in the 1970s and 1980s.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
football player, referee and sports official. He is best known for refereeing at the 1970 FIFA World Cup
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
.
Career
Born in PalestrinaPalestrina
Palestrina is an ancient city and comune with a population of about 18,000, in Lazio, c. 35 km east of Rome...
near Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, Sbardella first got involved in football playing as a goalkeeper at youth levels of the local powerhouse Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
. However Sbardella never appeared in the Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
as he failed to rise through the ranks at Lazio, and he eventually finished his playing career at Artiglio, a small Rome-based Serie C
Serie C
The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico , commonly known as Lega Pro , is the governing body that runs the third and fourth highest football divisions in Italy, the Prima Divisione and Seconda Divisione respectively. It also includes the sole professional club of San Marino...
club.
He then took up refereeing, and in his domestic career he officiated a total of 167 Serie A matches. Along with Concetto Lo Bello
Concetto Lo Bello
Concetto Lo Bello was an Italian football referee, born & died in Syracuse, Sicily. He holds the record for refereeing the most games in Serie A ....
he was considered one of the top two Italian referees of the 1960s and 1970s.
The pinnacle of his career came at the 1970 FIFA World Cup
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, in which he refereed two matches, including the third place play-off between West Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
and Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
. Sbardella had been designated to referee the final, but was eventually replaced by East Germany's Rudi Glöckner
Rudi Glöckner
Rudolf "Rudi" Glöckner was the first German to referee a football World Cup final when he took charge of the 1970 FIFA World Cup final between Brazil and Italy in Mexico City....
because Italy national football team had reached the final
1970 FIFA World Cup Final
The 1970 FIFA World Cup Final was contested by Brazil and Italy on 21 June 1970 in the Azteca Stadium in Mexico, to determine the winner of the 1970 FIFA World Cup....
.
In club football his highlights include officiating two Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
finals (the 1963 final between Atalanta
Atalanta B.C.
Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy.They are nicknamed the Nerazzurri and the orobici...
and Torino
Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....
and the 1966 final between Catanzaro
F.C. Catanzaro
Catanzaro Calcio 2011 is an Italian football club based in Catanzaro, Calabria.The club were founded in 1929 as Catanzarese, then changed their denomnation to Unione Sportiva Catanzaro in 1946, shortly after the end of the World War II and in 2006 to Football Club Catanzaro...
and Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
), and the second leg of the 1967 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup final
1967 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final
The 1967 Inter-Cities Fairs Cup Final was the final of the ninth edition of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. It was played on 30 August and 6 September 1967 between Dinamo Zagreb of Yugoslavia and Leeds United of England...
between Leeds United
Leeds United A.F.C.
Leeds United Association Football Club are an English professional association football club based in Beeston, Leeds, West Yorkshire, who play in the Football League Championship, the second tier of the English football league system...
and Dinamo Zagreb.
After retiring from refereeing, Sbardello became a sports official and was sports director at Lazio, Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
and Triestina
U.S. Triestina Calcio
Unione Sportiva Triestina is an Italian football club based in Trieste, in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.It is in the season 2010-11 from Serie B, having returned there in 2002 after 11 seasons in Serie C and Serie D, the club was relegated to Lega Pro Prima Divisione.-History:The club was...
football clubs in the 1970s and 1980s.
External links
- Antonio Sbardella at WorldReferee.com