Who was Celeste Pin, former soccer player for Perugia, Fiorentina and Verona
Celeste Pin was born April 25, 1961, in San Martino di Colle Umberto, in the province of Treviso. A rocky and charismatic defender known for his great discipline and intelligence on the field, he made his professional debut in 1979 with Perugia. He remained with the Umbri for three seasons, collecting 70 appearances between Serie A and Serie B.
In 1982 he moved to Florence, where he experienced the most significant period of his career. With the purple jersey he played nine seasons, totaling 200 appearances in Serie A. He was a pillar of the defense, participating in the 1989-1990 UEFA Cup final, lost to Juventus (3-1). He played with a champion like Roberto Baggio, and became a symbol for the fans, so much so that in 2022 he was inducted into the ACF Fiorentina Hall of Fame.
After Florence he played for four years at Verona, collecting 129 appearances between Serie A and Serie B, then ended his career in 1996 at Siena in C1, at the age of 35. With the Italian Under-21 Pin national team, he collected 12 appearances, winning a bronze medal at the 1984 European Championship in his category.
After his career as a footballer, Pin qualified as a sports director in 1997 and went on to work in soccer at the managerial level, mainly at Tuscan clubs such as Montemurlo, Affrico, Fortis Juventus and Club Sportivo Firenze, where he was general manager from 2014.
His tragic death on July 22, 2025 caused great emotion, with messages of condolence from Fiorentina, Verona, and personalities from around the world of football.
