Antonello Cuccureddu

Antonello Cuccureddu (Italian pronunciation: [antoˈnɛllo kukkuˈrɛddu], Sardinian: [kukuˈɾeɖːu]; 4 October 1949) is an Italian association football coach and former player who played as a defender. He last managed Lega Pro Prima Divisione club Grosseto in 2014.

Antonello Cuccureddu
Cuccureddu with Juventus in 1970
Personal information
Date of birth (1949-10-04) 4 October 1949
Place of birth Alghero, Italy
Playing position(s) Defender, midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Grosseto (manager)
Youth career
Alghero
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1966–1967 Torres 34 (0)
1967–1969 Brescia 22 (0)
1969–1981 Juventus 303 (26)
1981–1984 Fiorentina 34 (0)
1984–1985 Novara 22 (0)
Total 415 (26)
National team
1975–1978 Italy 13 (0)
Teams managed
1989–1995 Juventus (youth team)
1997–1998 Acireale
1998 Ternana
1999–2001 Crotone
2002–2003 Al-Ittihad
2004–2005 Avellino
2005–2006 Torres
2006–2007 Grosseto
2007–2008 Perugia
2009–2010 Pescara
2013–2014 Grosseto
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 27 January 2014

Club career

A central defender, Cuccureddu spent his club playing career with Brescia (1968–69), Juventus (1969–81, winning six Serie A titles), and Fiorentina (1981–83).[1]

Rather prolific for being a defender (he had a very strong long distance shot), in one league season he managed to score 12 goals (during the 1973–74 Italian Serie A season), although in that season he played as a midfielder. His most famous goal in the league was scored at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, facing A.S. Roma in the last match of the 1972–73 Serie A season: with that goal Juventus beat Roma 2–1 and won their 15th domestic title by 1 point over A.C. Milan, who were leading the league until the final match of the season, and finished 2 points over S.S. Lazio.[1]

International career
Cuccureddu (standing, first from the left) with the Italian national team in 1978

At international level, Cuccureddu earned 13 caps for the Italy national football team, and played in the 1978 FIFA World Cup (where he featured in 5 fixtures, including the match against Argentina, which Italy won 1–0, and the 3rd place final against Brazil, which Italy lost 1–2).[2]

Style of play

Cuccureddu was a hard-working and tactically versatile footballer, who was capable of aiding his team both offensively and defensively, and of playing anywhere in defence or midfield. Throughout his career, he was primarily deployed as a defender, and was capable of playing as an offensive wing-back, as a full-back, or as a centre-back, which was his usual position. He also played in midfield on occasion, which was his initial position at the beginning of his career, and was deployed as a mezzala, as a central, box-to-box, defensive midfielder, or attacking midfielder on occasion.[1][3][4][5]

As a footballer, he was known in particular for his dynamism, stamina, his ability to read the game, vision, and tactical intelligence. Although he was primarily a defensive-minded player, he was quite prolific in front of goal throughout his career, as he possessed an accurate and powerful shot with his right foot from outside the area, which also made him a dangerous goal threat; due to his striking ability, he was an accurate set-piece and penalty-kick taker.[1][3][4]

Managerial career

As a coach, he won both the Torneo di Viareggio and the Campionato Nazionale Primavera in 1994 with the Juventus Primavera side.[6] During the 1999–2000 Serie C1 season, he led Crotone to the Girone B title, helping the club to Serie B promotion.[7]

In the 2006–07 season he led Grosseto to become Serie C1/A winners and gain a historical first-ever promotion to Serie B.[8] Cuccureddu left Grosseto soon after the end of the season to join Serie C1 club Perugia, where he did not manage to repeat his successes at Grosseto. From March 2009 he was the new head coach of Lega Pro Prima Divisione side Pescara;[9][10] this adventure ended in January 2010, when he was replaced by Eusebio Di Francesco, former coach of Lanciano. In 2013, he returned to Grosseto in Lega Pro Prima Divisione, where he remained until January 2014, after being sacked, due to the club's negative results.[11]

Coaching tactics
Cuccureddu in 2009

As a coach, Cuccureddu built his teams on tactically traditional formations, based on defensive stability, favouring a four-man defensive line in either a 4–4–2,[12] or a 4–3–1–2 formation.[13][14]

Honours

Player
Juventus[15]

Manager
Juventus Primavera[6]
Crotone[7]
  • Serie C1 (Girone B): 1999–2000
Grosseto[8]
gollark: And cost lots.
gollark: Apparently the Firefox app says "∞" on the tab counter if you have 100 or more.
gollark: On this I can maybe do it with some weird screwdrivers I ~~can't~~ don't have. On some you need to unglue the screen or something.
gollark: Well, possibly, though it seems like a lot of trouble especially on some new ones.
gollark: No notch: don't like it aesthetically.Removable battery: current phone is suffering from battery issues, don't want that again.

References
  1. Stefano Bedeschi (4 October 2013). "Gli eroi in bianconero: Antonello CUCCUREDDU" (in Italian). Tutto Juve. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  2. "CUCCUREDDU ANTONELLO" (in Italian). FIGC. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  3. Alberto Polverosi. "CUCCUREDDU, Antonello" (in Italian). Treccani: Enciclopedia dello Sport (2002). Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  4. Paolo Bertoldi (27 January 1970). "Un Cuccureddu da maglia azzurra" [A Cuccureddu worthy of an azzurri shirt] (in Italian). La Stampa. p. 14. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  5. Balaudo, Fabio (8 February 2018). "Dalla Fiorentina alla Juve (e viceversa)" [From Fiorentina to Juve (and vice versa)] (in Italian). UEFA.com. Retrieved 26 February 2020.
  6. "Cuccureddu a "Come Eravamo", su Juventus Channel" (in Italian). Tutto Juve. 31 March 2010. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  7. "Amaro esordio del Crotone Cuccureddu: dimenticare la C" (in Italian). Il Crotonese. 4 September 2000. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  8. "Antonello Cuccureddu torna in pista, l'ex dt dell'Alghero è il nuovo tecnico del Grosseto in Prima Divisione" (in Italian). Sardegna - Diario Sportivo. 27 November 2013. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  9. "REVOCATO L'INCARICO A GALDERISI" (in Italian). Pescara Calcio. 2009-03-23. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
  10. "CAMBIO IN PANCHINA: ARRIVA CUCCUREDDU" (in Italian). Pescara Calcio. 2009-03-23. Retrieved 2009-03-23.
  11. "Grosseto, Cuccureddu esonerato. La panchina affidata a Leonardo Acori" (in Italian). La Nazione. 27 January 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  12. "Il personaggio/ Cuccureddu, bandiera della Juve, porta il Grosseto nella storia: promozione in B dopo 95 anni" [The person/ Cuccureddu, symbol of June, makes Grosseto history: Serie B promotion after 95 years] (in Italian). Affari Italiani. 14 May 2007. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  13. Luigi Di Marzio (26 March 2009). "Pescara, nuovo corso con tante novità tattiche" [Pescara, new course with many tactical novelties] (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  14. Luigi Di Marzio (26 November 2009). "Pescara, rivoluzione tattica" [Pescara, tactical revolution] (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
  15. "Antonello Cuccureddu: Palmarés" (in Italian). My Juve. Retrieved 19 October 2015.
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