Mauro Cichero
Luigi Mauro Cichero (16 October 1951 – 21 January 2019) was a Venezuelan footballer who played as a central defender. He competed in the men's tournament at the 1980 Summer Olympics.[2][3]
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Luigi Mauro Cichero | ||
Date of birth | 16 October 1951 | ||
Place of birth | Genoa, Italy | ||
Date of death | 21 January 2019 67)[1] | (aged||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
– | Deportivo Italia | ||
– | Unión Deportiva Canarias | ||
– | ULA Mérida | ||
– | Grosseto | ||
National team | |||
1980 | Venezuela | 9 | (0) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only |
Early life
Cichero was born in Genoa, Italy and spent his early life there until he was 14, when his family moved to Venezuela.[4]
Playing career
He played professionally in Venezuela for Deportivo Italia, Unión Deportiva Canarias, and ULA Mérida. He made a name for himself in Venezuela thanks to his skill, resulting in the opportunity to go to Italy and went on trial with AC Milan. While he did not make the team, he ended up moving to Serie B club Grosseto.[4]
He also represented the Venezuelan national team. His first appearances came at the seven team 1980 Olympic qualifying tournament. They came in 4th did not originally qualify for the 1980 Summer Olympics, however, Argentina was part of the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott, thereby vacating their spot, allowing Venezuela to compete in the Olympic football tournament, where he played three games[4] and served as team captain.[5]
Post-playing career
After retiring from professional football, he began his coaching career. He began working at the football school of the Colegio Campo Alegre de las Mercedes in Caracas, Venezuela and became a professor of Sport Sciences at a school and established a football program there.[4] In 1999, he moved to Norman, Oklahoma to become the Director of Coaching for the Norman Youth Soccer Association.[6] In 2003, he was named as the head coach of the St. Gregory's University men's soccer team in Oklahoma.[5]
Personal
He is the father of professional football players Alejandro Cichero, Gabriel Cichero, and Mauro Cichero.[7]
References
- De Simone, Fioravante (21 January 2019). "Mondo del calcio in lutto: è morto Mauro Cichero" [Mourning football world: Mauro Cichero died]. La Voce d'Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 22 January 2019.
- Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Mauro Cichero Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2018.
- "Luigi Mauro Cichero". Olympic Games.
- De Simone, Fioravante (15 March 2018). "Mauro Cichero, uno dei pilastri della vinotinto olimpionica" [Mauro Cichero, one of the pillars of the olympic vinotinto]. La Voce d'Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 16 June 2020.
- Howell, Melissa (7 April 2003). "Ex-Olympian to coach St. Gregory's soccer team". The Oklahoman.
- Anderson, Bobby (29 October 1999). "Tournament first test for Cichero". The Oklahoman.
- "Mauro Cichero". Southern Methodist University.