Gigi Meroni
Encyclopedia
Luigi "Gigi" Meroni was an Italian
football player who played for Torino
. He died at the age of 24 after being hit by two cars while crossing the main street "Corso Re Umberto" near "Via Legnano" in Turin
, Italy
. His friend and teammate Fabrizio Poletti
was also hit but survived. They had been celebrating a 4–2 win over Sampdoria
at a nearby restaurant. While trying to get to a telephone to call his fiance Cristiana Uderstadt, he was clipped by a passing car and thrown onto the road where he was hit again by another car. One of his teammates, Lido Vieri
, who had left earlier and lived on the same street, heard the accident and ran to his side. Although still alive, he was badly injured and died later. The driver of the car which hit Meroni was a 19-year-old Torino F.C. supporter who idolised him. He had a photo of Meroni in his car. The young driver was Attilio Romero who later became the Torino F.C. President in 2000.
Meroni was a butterfly on the field, a fantastic dribbler and an expert at nutmegging (threading the ball through the opponent's legs). His style and ability led to comparisons with Northern Irish
star George Best
.
Meroni had the ability to create goals from nothing. He would often pass the ball to his teammates in quick one-two movements that would unlock the opposing team's defence or he would take the ball past every defender himself, leaving his teammates as spectators. His famous "signature" goal against Internazionale
at the San Siro
in Milan in 1967 is still considered by many soccer journalists to be one of the best goals in the history of the Italian League. He managed to hook the ball past the best defender in Europe at the time in Giacinto Facchetti
, which left both Facchetti and his goalkeeper Giuliano Sarti
stunned. Meroni played for the Italian National side The Azzurri in the 1966 World Cup
. He was famously denied from taking the field in the game against Korea DPR because it was considered that his hair was too long and his refusal to cut it had angered the coaching group. His teammate Natalino Fossati felt that had he played, he would have most certainly changed the outcome of that match. Following Gigi's death, Torino played the derby game against Juventus. As a tribute to Meroni, his good friend Nestor Combin
scored a hatrick. Torino destroyed Juventus 4-0. Some Juventus supporters were so enraged that they vandalized Meroni's grave.
This act served to fuel the hatred between the two clubs which remains to this day. These derby games between Torino F.C.
and Juventus F.C.
are called the Derby della Mole
and are often asscociated with violence.
Meroni loved to paint. He painted self portraits as well as a famous portrait of his fiance without eyes. When asked as to why he hadn't finished the portrait, his response was that Cristiana was "as beautiful as an angel" and he just could not express such beauty on canvas. He also had a certain style of dress that was individual and very much ahead of its time.
Gigi Meroni is still remembered with great affection in Turin and as a gesture of appreciation, the Turin council commissioned a monument to be built in his memory. "La stella del Calcio Granata e Nazionale" was unveiled in 2007 on the 40th anniversary of his death. It is placed permanently on the very street where he died.
Gigi Meroni played for Genoa
from 1962-64 and for Torino
from 1964-67 and broke into the Italian National side in 1966. The tragedy of his early death denied Torino
its first Scudetto
since the Superga
tragedy of 1949.
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 who played for 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....
. He died at the age of 24 after being hit by two cars while crossing the main street "Corso Re Umberto" near "Via Legnano" in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Italy
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...
. His friend and teammate Fabrizio Poletti
Fabrizio Poletti
Fabrizio Poletti is a former Italian footballer.During his club career he played for AC Asti , Torino , Cagliari and Sampdoria....
was also hit but survived. They had been celebrating a 4–2 win over Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
at a nearby restaurant. While trying to get to a telephone to call his fiance Cristiana Uderstadt, he was clipped by a passing car and thrown onto the road where he was hit again by another car. One of his teammates, Lido Vieri
Lido Vieri
Lido Vieri is a former Italian football goalkeeper.During his club career he played for Torino, Inter and Pistoiese. He earned 4 caps for the Italy national football team and was a backup keeper in the 1968 UEFA European Football Championship and 1970 FIFA World Cup.-References:...
, who had left earlier and lived on the same street, heard the accident and ran to his side. Although still alive, he was badly injured and died later. The driver of the car which hit Meroni was a 19-year-old Torino F.C. supporter who idolised him. He had a photo of Meroni in his car. The young driver was Attilio Romero who later became the Torino F.C. President in 2000.
Meroni was a butterfly on the field, a fantastic dribbler and an expert at nutmegging (threading the ball through the opponent's legs). His style and ability led to comparisons with Northern Irish
Northern Ireland national football team
The Northern Ireland national football team represents Northern Ireland in international association football. Before 1921 all of Ireland was represented by a single side, the Ireland national football team, organised by the Irish Football Association...
star George Best
George Best
George Best was a professional footballer from Northern Ireland, who played for Manchester United and the Northern Ireland national team. He was a winger whose game combined pace, acceleration, balance, two-footedness, goalscoring and the ability to beat defenders...
.
Meroni had the ability to create goals from nothing. He would often pass the ball to his teammates in quick one-two movements that would unlock the opposing team's defence or he would take the ball past every defender himself, leaving his teammates as spectators. His famous "signature" goal against Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
at the San Siro
San Siro
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano...
in Milan in 1967 is still considered by many soccer journalists to be one of the best goals in the history of the Italian League. He managed to hook the ball past the best defender in Europe at the time in Giacinto Facchetti
Giacinto Facchetti
Giacinto Facchetti was an Italian football player. From January 2004 until his death, he was President of Internazionale, the club for which he played for his whole career during the 1960s and 1970s, playing 634 official games and scoring 75 goals. He played for the Internazionale team remembered...
, which left both Facchetti and his goalkeeper Giuliano Sarti
Giuliano Sarti
Giuliano Sarti is a retired Italian professional football player.-Honours:* Serie A champion: 1955/56, 1964/65, 1965/66.* Coppa Italia winner: 1960/61.* European Cup winner: 1963/64, 1964/65....
stunned. Meroni played for the Italian National side The Azzurri in the 1966 World Cup
1966 FIFA World Cup
The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as...
. He was famously denied from taking the field in the game against Korea DPR because it was considered that his hair was too long and his refusal to cut it had angered the coaching group. His teammate Natalino Fossati felt that had he played, he would have most certainly changed the outcome of that match. Following Gigi's death, Torino played the derby game against Juventus. As a tribute to Meroni, his good friend Nestor Combin
Nestor Combin
Néstor Combin, is a former football Argentine player in France. He was striker, mainly with Olympique Lyonnais and France national team.-Clubs:*1959 - 1964 : Olympique Lyonnais...
scored a hatrick. Torino destroyed Juventus 4-0. Some Juventus supporters were so enraged that they vandalized Meroni's grave.
This act served to fuel the hatred between the two clubs which remains to this day. These derby games between Torino F.C.
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 Juventus F.C.
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
are called the Derby della Mole
Derby della Mole
Derby della Mole, known in English as the Turin Derby is the local derby, played out between the city's two most successful teams, Juventus F.C. and Torino F.C.. The first match took place in 1906 and most derbies take place in the Serie A or Coppa Italia...
and are often asscociated with violence.
Meroni loved to paint. He painted self portraits as well as a famous portrait of his fiance without eyes. When asked as to why he hadn't finished the portrait, his response was that Cristiana was "as beautiful as an angel" and he just could not express such beauty on canvas. He also had a certain style of dress that was individual and very much ahead of its time.
Gigi Meroni is still remembered with great affection in Turin and as a gesture of appreciation, the Turin council commissioned a monument to be built in his memory. "La stella del Calcio Granata e Nazionale" was unveiled in 2007 on the 40th anniversary of his death. It is placed permanently on the very street where he died.
Gigi Meroni played for Genoa
Genoa C.F.C.
Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria...
from 1962-64 and for 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....
from 1964-67 and broke into the Italian National side in 1966. The tragedy of his early death denied 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....
its first Scudetto
Italian football champions
The Italian football champions are the annual winners of Serie A, Italy's premier annual football league competition. The title has been contested since 1898 in varying forms of competition. While Milan are the current champions, Juventus have won a record 27 championship titles...
since the Superga
Superga air disaster
The Superga air disaster took place on Wednesday, 4 May 1949, when a plane carrying almost the entire Torino A.C. football squad, popularly known as Il Grande Torino, crashed into the hill of Superga near Turin killing all 31 aboard including 18 players, club officials, journalists accompanying the...
tragedy of 1949.