Eddie Firmani

Edwing " Eddie" Firmani Roland ( born August 7, 1933, Cape Town ) is a former Italian - South African soccer player and coach.

Career as a player

The Italo - South Africans Firmani began his career as a professional footballer in London in 1950 at Charlton Athletic, a club that often committed football players from South Africa at that time. In 1955 he moved to the Serie A to UC Sampdoria. The Italians paid in return for £ 35,000, which at that time represented the highest ever transfer fee paid in the UK. During his time at Sampdoria Firmani, who had Italian roots ran, also three times for the Italian national team. After three seasons, he moved to Inter Milan after three seasons at Genoa. He then moved back to England where he played again at Charlton Athletic, but also at Southend United.

Until all its stations Firmani was successful as a scorer and to this day he is the only player to score over 100 league goals, both in England and in Italy.

Career as a coach

In his final season as a player at Charlton Athletic Firmani was player-manager of the Londoners. He managed the club then two more seasons. In 1975, he joined the North American Soccer League ( NASL ) for the Tampa Bay Rowdies, with whom he in his first year won the same title. In the same year he was also one last time as a player. In 1976 he was honored as " Coach of the Year", In 1977 he joined the New York Cosmos, where he won two league titles and supervised, among other things Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Carlos Alberto. After a confrontation with Giorgio Chinaglia Firmani left but New York and hired at Philadelphia Fury, a team that moved shortly thereafter to Canada and also played under the name Montreal Manic in the NASL. This was followed by a renewed, short term view at the New York Cosmos, before moving Firmani as manager in the Arab world.

Firmani hired as coach at Kazma SC in Kuwait, where he led the championship once and the Emir Cup won twice in five years. After Iraqi troops had invaded during the Second Gulf War in Kuwait, Firmani was held by the Iraqis three months as a hostage. He described this period as " traumatizing experience," he was nevertheless witnessed killings in the streets and explosions around the Dasman Palace.

In 1991, Firmani coach and manager in Montreal Supra before he coached the Club Sur in Oman. It was followed by two engagements as coach of the Montreal Impact and the New York / New Jersey MetroStars before Firmani began as a coach to rest.