Football: Ex-Italy coach Azeglio Vicini dies at 84
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Former Italy national football coach Azeglio Vicini died at his home in the northern city of Brescia at the age of 84.
PHOTO: TWITTER/BOLOGNA FC 1909
MILAN (AFP) - Former Italy national football coach Azeglio Vicini, who led the Azzurri to third place at the 1990 World Cup on home soil, has died at the age of 84.
He managed the senior side from 1986 to 1991, leading them to the semi-finals of the 1988 European Championship and also the World Cup two years later.
He died at his home in the northern city of Brescia, the Italian press reported on Wednesday (Jan 31).
During his 13-year senior playing career, Vicini lined up for Vicenza, Sampdoria and Brescia.
He coached Italy's Under-23 team from 1975 and then their U-21s before taking over the senior squad from 1982 World Cup-winning coach Enzo Bearzot in 1986, but he will mainly be remembered for being at the helm of Italy when the country hosted the World Cup.
He guided them to the last four where their campaign was halted by Diego Maradona's Argentina in a penalty shoot-out.
His controversial selection of Salvatore "Toto" Schillaci paid off as the striker netted six goals, sparking off cries of "Veni, vidi, vici, Vicini" during Italy's thrilling Finals run, alluding to Julius Caesar's famous victory statement "I came, I saw, I conquered".
He was succeeded by Arrigo Sacchi in 1991, and later coached his hometown team Cesena and Udinese before retiring in 1994.
