Miguel Montuori

Miguel Montuori

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Personal information
Full name	Miguel Angel Montuori
Date of birth	(1932-09-24)September 24, 1932
Place of birth	Rosario, Argentina
Date of death
Place of death	Florence, Italy
Position(s)	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1953–1955	Universidad Católica	?	(?)
1956–1961	ACF Fiorentina	162	(72)
International career
1956–1960	Italy	12	(2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of August 2007

Miguel Ángel Montuori (24 September 1932 – 4 June 1998) was an Italo-Argentine football player, who played as a forward and as an attacking midfielder. He is regarded as one of Fiorentina's greatest players of all time, due to his technique, creativity, and playmaking ability. Despite his talent and success, he was also regarded as an "unfortunate" player, due to his many runner-up medals, and his injuries, which forced him to retire during the prime of his career.

Biography

Montuori was born in Rosario, Argentina, although his father was of Neapolitan origin. He died in Florence in 1998, from an incurable illness.

Career

Club

Despite his Argentinian origins, Montuori began his career with Universidad Católica in Santiago, Chile, in 1953, winning the Chilean Primera División in 1954, scoring 24 goals in 26 league appearances for the club. He subsequently moved to play with AC Fiorentina in Italy in the summer of 1955, at the request of club president Enrico Befani, and was handed the number 10 shirt. He played at the club from 1955 to 1961, making 162 Serie A appearances, and scoring 72 goals. In the Coppa Italia he played 13 matches scoring 6 goals, and in the 1956–57 European Cup he played 7 games and scored 1 goal, helping the team to the final. He also played 2 matches in the Mitropa Cup with Fiorentina.

With Fiorentina, Montuori was able to achieve great domestic and international success, as well as international recognition; upon his arrival at the club, he won the only Italian title of his career, during the 1955–56 season, and he followed this triumph with four consecutive second places. He was also able to win the 1960–61 European Cup Winners' Cup, and the 1960–61 Coppa Italia, also reaching the final of the Italian Cup three consecutive times between 1958 and 1960. He also won several minor international trophies with Fiorentina, such as the Grasshoppers Cup in 1957, the Coppa dell'Amicizia twice, in 1959 and 1960, as well as the Coppa delle Alpi in 1960. Montuori's playing career ended prematurely, at the age of 28, in the spring of 1961. During an away friendly match against Perugia, he was hit strongly in the face by the ball, which caused his retina to detach, and his vision to blur, leading him to retire from professional football.

International

Despite being born in Argentina, Montuori represented the Italy national football team, making his debut against France in 1956, and making his final appearance against Switzerland in 1960. He also became the first non-Italian born player to captain Italy, wearing the captain's armband in a friendly match against Spain, in Rome, on the 28th February, 1959. With Italy, he received 12 international caps and scored 2 goals.

Honours

Universidad Católica

• Chilean Primera División: 1954

Fiorentina

• Serie A: 1955–56
• Coppa Italia: 1960–61
• European Cup Winners' Cup: 1960–61
• Coppa dell'Amicizia: 1958–59, 1959–60
• Coppa delle Alpi: 1959–60

See also

• Oriundo
• List of Argentine born footballers to play for other national teams

External links

• Fiorentina profile (Italian)