Miguel Montuori

Miguel Ángel Montuori (Spanish: [miˈɣel ˈaŋxel monˈtwoɾi], Italian: [monˈtwɔːri]; 24 September 1932 – 4 June 1998) was an Argentine-Italian football player, who played as a forward and as an attacking midfielder.[1] He is regarded as one of Fiorentina's greatest players of all time, due to his technique, creativity, eye for goal, and playmaking ability.[2] Despite his talent and success, he was also regarded as an "unfortunate" player, due to his many runner-up medals, and his injuries, which forced him to retire during the prime of his career.[3]

Miguel Montuori
Personal information
Full name Miguel Angel Montuori
Date of birth (1932-09-24)24 September 1932
Place of birth Rosario, Argentina
Date of death 4 June 1998(1998-06-04) (aged 65)
Place of death Florence, Italy
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1953–1955 Universidad Católica ? (?)
1956–1961 ACF Fiorentina 162 (72)
National team
1956–1960 Italy 12 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of August 2007

Biography

Montuori was born in Rosario, Argentina. His mother was of Afro-Argentinian descent, while his father was an Italian of Neapolitan origin.[4] He died in Florence in 1998, from an incurable illness.[3]

Club career

Despite his Argentine origins, Montuori began his career with Universidad Católica in Santiago, Chile, in 1953, winning the Chilean Primera División in 1954, scoring 24 goals in 26 league appearances for the club. He subsequently moved to play with ACF Fiorentina in Italy in the summer of 1955, at the request of club president Enrico Befani, and was handed the number 10 shirt. He played at the club from 1955 to 1961, making 162 Serie A appearances, and scoring 72 goals. In the Coppa Italia he played 13 matches scoring 6 goals, and in the 1956–57 European Cup he played 7 games and scored 1 goal, helping the team to the final. He also played 2 matches in the Mitropa Cup with Fiorentina.[2]

With Fiorentina, Montuori was able to achieve great domestic and international success, as well as international recognition; upon his arrival at the club, he won the only Italian title of his career, during the 1955–56 season, and he followed this triumph with four consecutive second places. He was also able to win the 1960–61 European Cup Winners' Cup, and the 1960–61 Coppa Italia, also reaching the final of the Italian Cup three consecutive times between 1958 and 1960. He also won several minor international trophies with Fiorentina, such as the Grasshoppers Cup in 1957, the Coppa dell'Amicizia twice, in 1959 and 1960, as well as the Coppa delle Alpi in 1960. Montuori's playing career ended prematurely, at the age of 28, in the spring of 1961. During an away friendly match against Perugia, he was hit strongly in the face by the ball, which caused his retina to detach, and his vision to blur, leading him to retire from professional football.[2][3]

International career

Despite being born in Argentina, Montuori represented the Italy national football team, making his debut against France in 1956, and making his final appearance against Switzerland in 1960.[3] He also became the first non-Italian born player to captain Italy, wearing the captain's armband in a friendly match against Spain, in Rome, on 28 February 1959. With Italy, he received 12 international caps and scored 2 goals.[2][5]

Honours

Club
Universidad Católica[2]
Fiorentina[2]

Individual
  • Fiorentina Hall of Fame: 2016[6]

See also

References
  1. "Addio a Montuori, il Batistuta degli anni ' 50" (in Italian). Il Corriere della Sera. 5 June 1998. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  2. "Miguel Angel Montuori" (in Italian). Storie di Calcio. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  3. "lutto a Firenze: si e' spento Montuori" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 5 June 1998. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  4. "Montuori non gioca Più". Archived from the original on 24 October 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2015.
  5. "Nazionale in cifre: Montuori, Miguel". www.figc.it (in Italian). FIGC. Retrieved 24 April 2015.
  6. David Fabbri (10 January 2017). "Hall of Fame Viola 2016 V Edizione" (in Italian). Museo Fiorentina. Retrieved 1 December 2017.

Argentine people of African descent Afro-Argentine

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