Ruggieru Friggieri

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Ruggieru Friggieri (born April 11, 1886 in Floriana , † 1925 ) in his homeland because of his speed also known under the nickname iz-Zibga , was a Maltese football player in the position of a defender . He is considered the best Maltese full-back of all time and was the first "superstar" of Maltese football .

career

Friggieri began his career in the 1902/03 season at the age of 16 with his hometown club FC Floriana . When his family moved to neighboring Valletta in 1904 , he joined the capital city club Valletta United . In 1908 he returned to FC Floriana and led the club as team captain to the first three championship titles of the newly introduced Maltese league . In the first championship season, FC Floriana even remained without conceding a goal, which was primarily thanks to Friggieri.

Between 1913 and 1916 he played for the Italian clubs Messina FC and SSC Napoli , where he was nicknamed Piccolo Diavolo Maltese (German Little Maltese Devil ).

In 1916 he returned to Malta, where he initially joined his former club Floriana’s greatest rival, FC St. George’s , with whom he promptly won another championship title. In 1922 he moved to Sliema Wanderers FC , which from then on became FC Floriana's greatest rival. He won two championship titles with the Wanderers. His return to FC Floriana was planned for the 1925-26 season, but his unexpectedly early death at the age of 39 thwarted this plan.

successes

  • Maltese football champions : 1910, 1912 and 1913 (with Floriana), 1917 (with St. George's), 1923 and 1924 (with Sliema Wanderers)
  • Maltese Cup Winner : 1911 and 1913 (with Floriana), 1917 (with St. George's), 1922 and 1924 (with Sliema Wanderers)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b Carmel Baldacchino (Times of Malta): The best Maltese full-back ever (English; article from February 1, 2007)
  2. ^ A b Carmel Baldacchino: Goals, Cups and Tears - A History of Maltese Football, Vol. 1: 1886–1919 The Golden Age of Maltese Football , Bugelli Publications, Malta 1989, p. 74
  3. ↑ Carmel Baldacchino (Times of Malta): National XI pit themselves against British Services (English; article from April 7, 2005)

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Friggieri, Ruggieru
ALTERNATIVE NAMES iz-Zibga (nickname)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Maltese soccer player
DATE OF BIRTH April 11, 1886
PLACE OF BIRTH Floriana , Malta
DATE OF DEATH 1925