Gianfranco Zigoni

Gianfranco Zigoni

Personal information
Full name	Gianfranco Cesare Battista Zigoni
Height	1.76 m (5 ft 9+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Striker, Left winger

Gianfranco Zigoni (born November 25, 1944 in Oderzo) is an Italian former football striker. Nicknamed Zigogol by his fans, he played with several major Serie A throughout his career in the 1960s and the 1970s, including Juventus and AS Roma, being famous for his colourful style.

Career

Zigoni started his professional career at the age of 17 with Juventus, playing only four games in three seasons with the bianconeri (with a goal), and being successively loaned out to Genoa in 1964. With the rossoblu jersey, he spent a season in the Serie A, with the loan being renewed for another year following Genoa's relegation to Serie B. In 1966 he returned to Juventus, and stayed with the bianconeri until 1970, then leaving the club also because of his strained relationship with then Juve boss Heriberto Herrera. During this period, he also played his only game with the Italian team, a 1–0 win against Romania on June 25, 1967.

He successively signed for AS Roma, spending two seasons under the guidance of Helenio Herrera and scoring 12 goals with the giallorossi. In 1972 he moved to Verona, quickly becoming a team mainstay and a fan favourite, and playing six seasons with the scaligeri. In 1978, aged 34, he signed for Serie B's Brescia, playing two seasons with the rondinelle mostly as a backup player.

In 1980 he left professional football and returned to his native Oderzo, joining the local Serie D team, Opitergina. In 1983 he joined an offer from Terza Categoria club US Piavon, playing until the age of 43.

Family

Zigoni has four children; one of them, Gianmarco, an AC Milan player; has later become a footballer too and made his debut with Serie B's Treviso in January 2009, also scoring a goal in his first professional match.