Sergio Cervato
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Sergio Cervato | ||
| Date of birth | 22 October 1929 | ||
| Place of birth | Carmignano di Brenta, Padua, Italy | ||
| Date of death | 9 October 2005 (aged 75) | ||
| Place of death | Italy | ||
| Playing position | Left Back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1946–1947 | Tombolo | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1947–1948 | Bolzano | 17 | (0) |
| 1948–1959 | Fiorentina | 316 | (31) |
| 1959–1961 | Juventus | 62 | (7) |
| 1961–1965 | SPAL | 91 | (7) |
| National team | |||
| 1951–1960 | Italy | 28 | (4) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 1952–1954 | Pescara | ||
| 1956 | Trani | ||
| 1957 | Empoli | ||
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. | |||
Sergio Cervato (22 March 1929 – 9 October 2005) was an Italian footballer who played as a defender.
Club career
Cervato was born in Carmignano di Brenta, province of Padua. Playing for Fiorentina, he formed a formidable defensive partnership with Ardico Magnini; despite being a left-back, however, Cervato often contributed to the Viola's attacks, scoring 31 goals during his 10 years in Florence.
During the 1955–56 Serie A season, Cervato won the Serie A title ("Scudetto") with Fiorentina as the club's captain, his only title with the club; the 1955–56 title-winning side under Fulvio Bernardini lost just one game – the very last one at Genoa – and is regarded as one of the best Serie A teams of all time. Following the team's Serie A triumph, the squad narrowly missed out on several more league titles, finishing as runners-up for the next four consecutive years in 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960. During his time with Fiorentina, Cervato also helped the club to reach the 1957 European Cup Final; despite a strong performance, Fiorentina were defeated 2–0 by Real Madrid.
After leaving the Florence side in 1959, Cervato won 2 more league titles with Fiorentina's rivals Juventus. He ended his career in 1965 with Spal Ferrara in Serie B. In Serie A he played a total of 466 matches and scored 45 goals.
International career
With the Italian national team, Cervato obtained 28 international caps, scored 4 goals, and participated at the 1954 FIFA World Cup.
Style of play
One of the finest defenders of Serie A, Cervato was a quick and tireless competitor. As a left-back, he often contributed to the his team's attacks; he also boasted a fierce shot and took both penalties and free-kicks.
Managing career
After he retired, Cervato managed the Pescara, Empoli, and Fiorentina youth teams.
Death
Cervato died at 76 years old in Florence.
Honours
- Serie A Winners: 1955–56; Runner-up: 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59
- European Cup Runner-up: 1956–57
- Coppa Italia Runner-up: 1958–59, 1959–60
- Serie A Winners: 1959–60, 1960–61
- Coppa Italia Winners: 1959–60
References
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