Juan Alberto Schiaffino
Juan Alberto Schiaffino Villano ( born July 28, 1925 in Montevideo, Uruguay; † 13 November 2002) was a Uruguayan - Italian footballer. He is still considered one of the most famous Uruguayan, not least because of the World Championship 1950.
Career
The son of Italian immigrants began very early with football and played with 18 years ( from 1943 ) for series champions Peñarol Montevideo. There, the dribbler quickly became a regular player and debuted on January 9, 1946 Uruguay during 78 minutes at 1-1 abandoned match in the Copa Rio Branco against Brazil. With his club he won in 1949, 1951, 1953 and 1954 the Uruguayan Football Championship and dominated with the great local rivals Nacional Montevideo the National League at will.
The highlight of his international career, made no doubt the Football World Cup 1950 in Brazil. Schiaffino was next to his teammates Penarol Alcides Ghiggia and Míguez the best player at this World Cup in Uruguay. The trio led the team to a decisive match against Brazil. The Brazilians took the lead, but Schiaffino scored in the 66th minute equalizer and Ghiggia succeeded in the 79th minute of the 2-1 victory. This historic victory of Uruguay in the famous Maracana stadium Uruguay was the second time Football World champions.
Four years later, at the soccer World Cup in 1954 in Switzerland, Schiaffino came with Uruguay to the semifinals against Hungary. His team won by a 0-2 deficit to a 2-2 draw, the game had then but still be lost with 2:4. In the match for third place Uruguay lost on July 3, 1954 against Austria with 1:3. This was also the last of his 21 international appearances in Celeste, in which he scored a total of ten goals. In addition, two other national missions against Argentina (December 29, 1945 and December 5, 1948 ), but these are not counted as full internationals.
After this World Cup Schiaffino changed for the then world record transfer of 72,000 pounds sterling to Europe and joined the Italian giants AC Milan. There he played together with Cesare Maldini, Nils Liedholm and Gunnar Nordahl scorer. He debuted in September 1954 at the Serie A match against U.S. Triestina and promptly shot two goals. Schiaffino acted in Italy in the midfield as a playmaker and ball distribution, but remained a goal threat. He was more successful in Europe and won with the Rossoneri in 1955, 1957 and 1959 the Scudetto and Coppa Italia in 1956. In 1958 the AC Milan is the only European team that brought Real Madrid in the final of the European Cup of Champions to the brink of defeat. Milan lost the final in Brussels with 2:3 after extra time.
From 1954 to 1958 he played for the Italian national football team, but came just four inserts for the homeland of his parents.
At 35, he left Milan in 1960 and joined the AS Roma, where he still played until 1962 as a sweeper. Here he met with his old club mates Alcides Ghiggia and both won in 1961 with the Roma in the UEFA Cup.
1974/75 he was responsible for the national team of Uruguay for a short time as a coach.