Luciano Spinosi
Luciano Spinosi (born 9 May 1950 in Rome) is a former Italian football defender and coach. He played for several big clubs, including Roma, Juventus, Verona, Milan and Cesena, totaling 324 league appearances and 6 goals.
Spinosi earned 19 senior caps for Italy between 1971 and 1974, scoring one goal. He also played for the Italy under-21 team and was part of the national squad at the 1974 FIFA World Cup. His only international goal came in a 3–3 draw with Romania in 1972. He made his senior debut for Italy in 1971 in a 0–0 match against Sweden.
As a player, Spinosi was a tenacious and reliable defender. He started mainly as a right-back but later often played as a man-marking centre-back or stopper. He was known for his tight marking, concentration, and professionalism, and he could play in both zonal and man-marking systems. He also had solid technique and could contribute to attacking plays with runs down the flank; he was sometimes used as a wide midfielder for Roma. Due to his height, he was strong in the air.
His older brother Enrico Spinosi also played football professionally, and Luciano was sometimes referred to as Spinosi II.
After retiring as a player, Spinosi moved into coaching. He worked with Roma’s youth team and later served as an assistant or coach at several clubs, including Roma, Lecce, Ternana, Sampdoria, Lazio and Livorno.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:31 (CET).