Gino Pivatelli
Gino Pivatelli (March 27, 1933 – October 17, 2025) was an Italian football forward and later a manager. He began his career with Verona after leaving Inter Milan’s youth team, making his Serie B debut at 17 and scoring his first professional goal in his second appearance. He helped Verona stay in the division, making 68 appearances and scoring 25 goals over three seasons.
In 1953 he joined Bologna, where he made his Serie A debut and soon became a top scorer. In the 1955-56 season he netted 29 league goals in 30 games and won the Capocannoniere, becoming the only Italian to win the award in the 1950s. He scored 105 goals for Bologna across seven seasons.
After a season with Napoli (1960-61), Pivatelli moved to AC Milan (1961-1963). With Milan he won the Serie A title in 1962 and the European Cup in 1963 under coach Nereo Rocco, before retiring from playing.
Internationally, Pivatelli was part of Italy’s 1954 World Cup squad but did not play in the tournament. He made his senior Italy debut on March 30, 1955, at age 22, scoring the winning goal in a 2-1 friendly victory over West Germany. He earned seven caps and scored two goals for Italy between 1954 and 1958, and he was the last surviving member of the 1954 World Cup squad.
After retiring, he worked as a football manager for several clubs, including Rimini, Ravenna, Monza, Pro Vasto, and Padova, during the 1970s.
He died on October 17, 2025, aged 92.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 15:17 (CET).