Sergio Cervato
![]() Cervato as Fiorentina captain in the late 1950s | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Sergio Cervato | ||
Date of birth | (1929-10-22)22 October 1929 | ||
Place of birth | Carmignano di Brenta, Italy | ||
Date of death | 9 October 2005(2005-10-09) (aged 76) | ||
Place of death | Florence, Italy | ||
Position(s) | Left back | ||
Youth career | |||
1946–1947 | Tombolo | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1947–1948 | Bolzano | 17 | (0) |
1948–1959 | Fiorentina | 316 | (31) |
1959–1961 | Juventus | 62 | (7) |
1961–1965 | SPAL | 91 | (7) |
Total | 486 | (45) | |
International career | |||
1951–1960 | Italy | 28 | (4) |
Managerial career | |||
1966–1967 | Pescara | ||
1967–1968 | Trani | ||
1968–1970 | Empoli | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Sergio Cervato (Italian pronunciation: [ˈsɛrdʒo tʃerˈvaːto]; 22 March 1929 – 9 October 2005) was an Italian footballer who played as a defender.
Club career
Cervato was born in Carmignano di Brenta, province of Padua. Playing for Fiorentina, he formed a formidable defensive partnership with Ardico Magnini; despite being a left-back, however, Cervato often contributed to the Viola's attacks, scoring 31 goals during his 10 years in Florence.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/66/Juventus_1960-61.jpg/220px-Juventus_1960-61.jpg)
During the 1955–56 Serie A season, Cervato won the Serie A title ("Scudetto") with Fiorentina as the club's captain, his only title with the club; the 1955–56 title-winning side under Fulvio Bernardini lost just one game – the last one at Genoa – and is regarded as one of the best Serie A teams of all time. Following the team's Serie A triumph, the squad narrowly missed out on several more league titles, finishing as runners-up for the next four consecutive years in 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960. During his time with Fiorentina, Cervato also helped the club to reach the 1957 European Cup Final; despite a strong performance, Fiorentina were defeated 2–0 by Real Madrid.
After leaving the Florence side in 1959, Cervato won 2 more league titles with Fiorentina's rivals Juventus. He ended his career in 1965 with Spal Ferrara in Serie B. In Serie A he played a total of 466 matches and scored 45 goals.
International career
With the Italy national team, Cervato obtained 28 international caps, scored 4 goals, and participated at the 1954 FIFA World Cup.
Style of play
One of the finest defenders of Serie A, Cervato was a quick and tireless competitor. As a left-back, he often contributed to his team's attacks; he also boasted a fierce shot and took both penalties and free-kicks.[1]
Managing career
After he retired, Cervato managed the Pescara, Empoli, and Fiorentina youth teams.
Death
Cervato died at 76 years old in Florence.
Honours
- Serie A Winners: 1955–56; Runner-up: 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59
- European Cup Runner-up: 1956–57
- Coppa Italia Runner-up: 1958–59, 1959–60
- Serie A Winners: 1959–60, 1960–61
- Coppa Italia Winners: 1959–60
References
- ^ Giusto, Antonio (15 March 2010). "C'era una volta il Football – Parola e quella rovesciata IMMORTALE" (in Italian). Goal. Retrieved 17 May 2020.
External links
- [1] Scudetto 1955–56 Team
- [2] Fiorentina All Time Eleven
- [3] All Time Domestic Appearances
- [4] International Appearances