Pierangelo Belli has died: he won scudetto and cups with Milan

Pierangelo Belli has died at the age of 81, and the soccer world is tightening its grip in mourning for one of its leading players in the ’60s and ’70s. Born in Limbiate on July 29, 1944, Belli was a longtime goalkeeper for AC Milan, which won so much under the management of Nereo Rocco. Enclosed in the role by first Mario Barluzzi, then Fabio Cudicini and finally William Vecchi, the Brianza-born extreme defender ended his Serie A spell at Verona. He had previously worn the jerseys of Chieti (in C) and Lecco (Serie B, in the year of promotion to the top division). He later closed his career after playing for Pro Sesto and Legnano.

Marco Enzo Venturini

“He was one of the starters of a beautiful and romantic Milan. Pierangelo Belli has been missed. A true Rossonero, a good man and a classy goalkeeper. In his youth years and from 1966 to 1973 in the First Team, our colors were his home. Milan participates in the family’s mourning with sincere emotion” are the words with which the club honored a goalkeeper who brought the 1967-1968 Scudetto and the following season’s Champions Cup to the trophy cabinet. He also won the Coppa Italia three times and the Cup Winners’ Cup twice.

Belli, a product of Milan’s youth ranks, also won the Viareggio Tournament with the Rossoneri in 1960. Sold on loan to Chieti in 1964 and to Lecco a year later, in bluceleste he took part in the cavalcade that led to promotion to Serie A in 1966. However, he never got to play on the lakeshore in the top division, immediately recalled to the Rossoneri for 1966 and where he remained continuously until 1973. At the center of numerous dualisms (starting with the one with Cudicini, who initially served as his reserve), a fracture in his hand caused by a Giorgio Chinaglia free-kick in the away match against Lazio on April 21, 1973 effectively ended his experience with the Diavolo.

In the summer of 1973 he then moved on to Verona, while Pier Luigi Pizzaballa took the opposite route and replaced him at AC Milan. The Scaligera team relegated to Serie B at the end of the season, while Belli gave way to Giuseppe Porrino after playing only 9 matches in the league. The last of his Serie A career.

In all, Belli played 138 professional games, including eight in the Cup Winners’ Cup thanks to his militancy with AC Milan (the last five in 1972-1973, the year the Rossoneri won the trophy). By contrast, he never got to make his debut in the Champions Cup, which he did win thanks to the Diavolo&#8217s 4-1 victory over Ajax in the Madrid final on May 28, 1969. On the field at the Santiago Bernabeu, however, was Cudicini.