Farewell to Rino Marchesi: former Napoli and Juventus coach, coached Maradona and Platini

The football world is in mourning for the death of Rino Marchesi, former Serie A coach at the helm of clubs such as Napoli and Juventus. It was the Azzurri club themselves who announced Marchesi's passing at the age of 88 with a message of condolence on their website. "President Aurelio De Laurentiis and the entire SSC Napoli join in the condolences for the passing of Rino Marchesi, football icon and exemplary professional at the Azzurri's technical helm from 1980 to 1982 and from 1984 to 1985," the note reads.

A native of San Giuliano Milanese, as a footballer Marchesi wore the jerseys of Atalanta, Fiorentina and Lazio, ending his career with Prato. In the 1960-1961 season he took part in the double formed by the Coppa Italia and the Cup Winners' Cup in Florence. He boasts 2 appearances with the Azzurri jersey of the Italian national team, with which he made his debut in Florence on 15 June 1961, in the friendly match won 4-1 against Argentina. As a coach, he made his debut in 1973 at the helm of Montevarchi, and then sat on the benches of provincial clubs such as Mantova, Ternana, Avellino, Como, Udinese, Venezia, SPAL and Lecce, as well as of emblazoned clubs such as Napoli, Inter and Juventus. He achieved his greatest professional satisfaction when in 1981 he led Napoli to the brink of winning its first Scudetto, finishing third in the league table at the end of the championship. Also at the helm of the Neapolitan team, he was the first Italian coach of Diego Armando Maradona.

A shy and never controversial character, he failed to achieve noteworthy results at the helm of Juventus, also because the formation he was given was by then at the end of the cycle linked to Michel Platini. His relegation to Serie B with Lecce in 1994 effectively ended his coaching career.