Beppe Savoldi, historic bomber of Bologna and Napoli, has died. Italian soccer in mourning

Italian soccer says goodbye to one of its greatest protagonists: Beppe Savoldi has died at the age of 79 after a long illness. Born in 1947 in Bergamo, he grew up footballing at Atalanta, where he made his professional debut in 1966.

A relentless bomber, he moved to Bologna in 1968, where he stayed for seven seasons, becoming one of the legends of the Rossoblù and winning two Italian Cups in 1970 and 1974. In 1975, the move to Napoli for two billion liras, under the Vesuvio created a deep bond also with the Neapolitan square: in Azzurro he stayed four years winning another Coppa Italia. Then the return to Bologna and the epilogue to Atalanta in Serie B in the 1982-1983 season.

Savoldi, who played four times for the national team scoring a goal in a friendly against Greece, scored a total of 168 goals in 405 Serie A matches. Considering cups, he has scored more than 230 goals in his career. After his playing career he was a technician in the late 1980s and early 2000s, coaching in Serie C Carrarese, Spezia, Lecco, Massese, Saronno, Siena and Leffe.

Giving the news of his passing was his son Gianluca, also a soccer player. “He left in another dimension our great Beppe. His places, his home and his affections accompanied him until the last moment, leaving us custodians of the values and love that have always constituted the figure of his earthly path. We are very proud of this, although overwhelmed by grief.”