Overview
- Italian outlets confirmed he died in Udine’s Santa Maria della Misericordia hospital after a prolonged illness.
- Tributes were issued across Italian football, with protégés Massimiliano Allegri and Gian Piero Gasperini among those honoring him.
- Reports indicated a minute of silence was planned before the Serie A fixtures Parma–Bologna and Milan–Roma.
- Across a career that began in 1974, he earned four promotions: Pescara (1986–87, 1991–92), Udinese (1994–95), and Perugia (1995–96).
- He was renowned for an attacking 4-3-3 and the quip “the goalkeeper is optional,” a remark he explained after a 5-4 Pescara–Milan match.