Omar Sívori

Argentine-Italian forward, Ballon d'Or winner, and Juventus legend.

Enrique Omar Sívori (2 October 1935 – 17 February 2005) was an Argentine-Italian football player and manager who played as a forward. At club level, he is known for his successful time with Italian side Juventus during the late 1950s and early 1960s, where he won three Serie A titles among other trophies; he also played for River Plate in Argentina and Napoli in Italy. He made his international debut for Argentina, winning the South American Championship in 1957.

Later in his career, he represented Italy and took part in the 1962 World Cup. After his retirement as player, he coached several teams in Argentina. Sívori is considered as one of the best players of his generation and also one of the greatest players of all time, he was known for his skill, speed, goalscoring, technique, creativity, and his footballing talent was widely acclaimed. He won the South American Championship Best Player award in 1957, and the coveted Ballon d'Or award in 1961. He scored 432 goals in his career, including friendlies.

Quick Facts

Full name: Enrique Omar Sívori
Born: 2 October 1935
Birthplace: San Nicolás, Argentina
Died: 17 February 2005
Height: 1.63 m / 5 ft 4 in
Position: Forward
Total caps: 341
Total goals: 176

Lore & Background

Sívori was born in San Nicolás de los Arroyos, Buenos Aires Province, into a family of Italian descent. As a youngster he became heavily interested in football and by his teens was signed to River Plate. He earned the nickname El Cabezón (bighead) from the fans, due to his hair, outspokenness, confidence, arrogance, and playing style. River Plate won the Argentine Primera División in 1955 and again in 1956.

In 1957, Sívori was signed by Juventus for a world-record transfer fee. At Juventus, he formed a formidable attacking trio with John Charles and Giampiero Boniperti, winning Serie A in 1957–58, 1959–60, and 1960–61, as well as two Coppa Italia titles (1958–59 and 1959–60) and the Coppa delle Alpi (1963). He was named European Footballer of the Year (Ballon d'Or) in 1961. He holds the record for most Serie A goals in a single league match; during the 9–1 victory against Inter Milan on 10 June 1961 he scored six goals; this record is jointly shared with Silvio Piola of Pro Vercelli.

He later played for Napoli, helping them to a third-place finish and the Coppa delle Alpi in his first season. After a knee injury and clashes with the manager, he returned to Argentina during the 1968–69 season. At international level, Sívori played for Argentina 18 times, scoring 9 goals, and won the 1957 South American Championship. He later earned 9 caps and scored 8 goals for Italy, playing at the 1962 FIFA World Cup.

Reader's Guide

Sívori was a quick, diminutive, highly creative, and technically gifted forward, known for his pace on the ball, outstanding dribbling skills, flair, and feints. He was primarily left-footed, an excellent finisher and prolific goalscorer, with a powerful and accurate shot from both inside and outside the area, and could score with his right foot and head despite his short stature. His trademark move was the nutmeg (tunnel). He wore the number 10 shirt at Juventus and was appointed captain in 1963.