Pietro Rava

Pietro Rava (Italian pronunciation: [ˈpjɛːtro ˈraːva]; 21 January 1916 – 5 November 2006)[1] was an Italian football defender and coach, who played as a full-back. He won the 1936 Summer Olympics and the 1938 FIFA World Cup with the Italian national team.

Pietro Rava
Personal information
Full name Pietro Rava
Date of birth (1916-01-21)21 January 1916
Place of birth Cassine, Alessandria, Kingdom of Italy
Date of death 5 November 2006(2006-11-05) (aged 90)
Place of death Turin, Italy
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position(s) Left-back
Youth career
Juventus
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1935–1943 Juventus 180 (3)
1944 Juventus 14 (1)
1944–1946 U.S. Alessandria 50 (8)
1946–1947 Juventus 38 (5)
1947–1950 Novara 73 (3)
Total 355 (21)
National team
1935–1946 Italy 30 (0)
Teams managed
1952–1954 Padova
1956 Sampdoria
1957 Palermo
1961–1963 Alessandria
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Club career

Rava, born in Cassine, Province of Alessandria, played for the clubs U.S. Alessandria (1928–35, 1946–47), Juventus F.C. (1935–46 and 1947–50) and Novara Calcio (1950–51). He won two Italian Cups in the 1937–38 and 1941–42 seasons, and two scudetti in the 1934–35 and 1949–50 seasons. He was Juventus's captain from 1947 to 1950. In total, he played in 352 Serie A matches (including 303 for Juventus), scoring 15 goals.[2]

International career

Rava appeared in 30 international matches with the Italian national team between 1936 and 1946, losing only one game, and becoming the Italy captain in 1940. He won the gold medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics, and won the 1938 FIFA World Cup. Rumour has it, before the 1938 finals fascist Italian Prime Minister Benito Mussolini was to have sent a telegram to the team, saying "Vincere o morire!" (literally translated as "Win or die!"). However, no record remains of such a telegram, and Rava said, when interviewed, "No, no, no, that's not true. He sent a telegram wishing us well, but no never 'win or die'."[3] He was selected to the "Best XI" of the 1938 World Cup. Along with Alfredo Foni, Sergio Bertoni, and Ugo Locatelli, Rava is one of only four Italian players ever to win both the Olympic tournament and the World Cup.[4][5]

After retirement

As a coach, he managed the clubs Sampdoria, Palermo, Padova, Monza, Alessandria, Novara, Carrarese, and A.C. Cuneo.[6]

On 5 November 2006, Rava, the last surviving member of the 1938 World Cup champion squad, died in Turin after having had surgery on his right femur due to a fracture days before. He had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease for several years.[2] Juventus announced that the following day, for a Serie B match against Napoli, the players would wear mourning armbands in his memory.[7]

He was the last surviving member of the 1938 FIFA World Cup Italy squad.

Honours

Club
Juventus

International
Italy

Individual
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References
  1. Brian Glanville (6 December 2006). "Pietro Rava". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  2. (in Italian) "Addio Rava, Mondiale nel 1938" - www.gazzetta.it - La Gazzetta dello Sport - retrieved 5 Nov 2006.
  3. Martin, Simon (1 April 2014): "World Cup: 25 stunning moments … No8: Mussolini's blackshirts' 1938 win". theguardian.com. Läst 22 April 2016.
  4. "Capitolo VIII: Ritratti dei Campioni del Mondo: 1938 Italia" (in Italian). Storie di Calcio. Archived from the original on 8 September 2014. Retrieved 26 August 2015.
  5. "Nazionale in cifre: Pietro Rava". figc.it (in Italian). FIGC. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  6. "Pietro Rava". enciclopediadelcalcio.it (in Italian). Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  7. (in Italian) "La Juventus in lutto per Rava" - www.juventus.com - Juventus FC official web site - retrieved 5 Nov 2006.
  8. "FIFA World Cup Awards: All-Star Team". football.sporting99.com. Archived from the original on 30 June 2016. Retrieved 15 April 2015.

Further reading

is stated as fact:
website FIFA in November 2009 introduced some changes in date of birth the player's instead 21 January 1916 (originally written) wrote 12 January 1916

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Mario Varglien Iº		 Juventus F.C. captains
1942–1949		 Succeeded by
Carlo Parola
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