Cagliari mourns Comunardo Niccolai
All of Cagliari Calcio mourns the passing of Comunardo Niccolai, unforgettable protagonist of the 1970 Scudetto.
He was born in Uzzano, a small town in the province of Pistoia, on 15 December 1946. He owes his curious first name to his father, Lorenzo, who called him Comunardo in homage to the Paris Commune.
After his beginnings in the Montecatini nursery, Niccolai arrived in Sardinia at a very young age, at Torres. It was 1963: he played 22 matches in Serie C, distinguishing himself among the best prospects in the category. It was an excellent season that earned him the attention of Cagliari, who bought him ahead of all the teams interested in his card.
Niccolai confirmed his talents in the red and blue, even if he initially had to act as a reserve for the more experienced Vescovi. With the latter’s departure in 1968, he finally took possession of the number 5 shirt. He remained at Cagliari until 1976, before moving to Perugia and ending his career at Prato. With Cagliari he made over 270 appearances with 6 goals to his credit.
He then embarked on a coaching career within the FIGC. He was an appreciated selector of the Azzurri youth teams, christening players who would write the history of the national team, such as Gianluigi Buffon and Francesco Totti. In 1993-94 he led the women’s senior national team.
His name is traditionally linked to own goals, some of which have remained famous. He himself spoke of them philosophically and self-mockingly: ‘At first it bothered me but then I got used to it. There are players who have had great careers but nobody remembers them; I at least left a mark in the history of Italian football’.
However, it would be unfair to limit his career to these unfortunate mishaps. In reality, Niccolai was an outstanding defender, grim, careful in marking, but also good at coming out of the area with his ball and head held high. His interchanges with the libero, Cera or Tomasini, were ahead of their time: as the years went by, the exchange of positions between the centre-backs became a practice in the way of defending required by modern football. The exceptional performance of the backline in the Scudetto year (only 11 goals against, a record still unbeaten in 16-team leagues) was also due to his formidable contribution. It was no coincidence that he was included in the list of the 22 Azzurri called up for the World Cup in Mexico. CT Ferruccio Valcareggi lined him up as a starter in the first match against Sweden. He made 3 appearances for the Azzurri.
Niccolai leaves behind the memory of a great sportsman, a polite, kind, respectful, friendly man who knew how to make people love him. A master of football and of life.
Thank you for everything, Communardo.
