SENTINELCELTS

Armando Picchi – 1935 – 1971. Aged just 35 years.
 
Fickle – Erratic changeability.
Finger – A pointer.
Footballing – Live it, breathe it and some even die because of it.
Fate – Pre- determined destiny, you either believe in it, or you don’t.
 
The Greater The Foe, The Sweeter The Victory.
 
Armando Picchi was the captain of FC Internationale Milano, on the 25th. May 1967.
Serie A: Winners in 1962 – 63, 1964 – 65, 1965 – 66.
European Cup winners: 1963 – beating Real Madrid in the final 3-1.
European Cup winners: 1964 – beating Benfica in the final 1-0.
Intercontinental Cup: winners 1964 beating Independiente of Argentina.
Intercontinental Cup: winners 1965 beating the same team.
Petrofac Cup: winners – Zero. 🤣
12 caps for Italia. (Azzurri).

Here is a brief resumé of Armando’s career, but we must bear in mind that this is also a human story and a tragedy for his widow Francesca and his two young sons, Leo and Gianmarco. You can just imagine his sons who never really knew him when growing up, questioning everyone that had come into contact with their father, gleaning snippets about his life and career. I watched an interview with one of his sons, it was obvious to me how much he loved and missed his father, somehow his age shocked me, it shouldn’t have.
 
Armando was considered to be one of Italy’s best ever defenders along with Fachetti, Inters world famous left back.
Armando came from a footballing family and began his football career at his home club…
A.S. Livorno Calcio, as a right back, before moving on to play for S.P.A.L. in 1959. When playing for that club his footballing prowess came to the attention of the head coach of FC Internationale, Helenio Herrera. Helenio like big Jock, made his own mind up about which position players should play and with his Catenaccio style of football converted Armando to the position of ‘Libero’ – Sweeper, his leadership qualities meant that he would also become team Captain. He led by example; his leadership helping to earn the club the title of…
“La Grande Inter” that’s how good FC Internationale Milano became with Armando leading the team.
 
It is not my intention, as much as I want to, to talk about “In The Heat Of Lisbon” everybody knows what happened on that most famous day in Celtic’s proud footballing history. This is Armando’s story, but losing any major final has some serious repercussions for the losing team and Inter was no different. Players become past their prime and leave to make way for fresh talent. Even though he was the President’s favourite player and after leading Inter, to win all the aforementioned major trophies and titles: European Cups – Intercontinental Cups, – Serie A titles Armando at 32 in 1967 was moved on to Serie A side – Varese. It was whilst playing for Varese, with his reputation as an intelligent reader of the game and with all his knowledge and experience of top-class football that Armando took his first steps into football coaching.
 
Similar to many Celtic players Armando Picchi’s International career was limited and he only won 12 International caps for the ‘Azzurri’. Apparently at the time the Italian head coach Feruccio Valcareggi thought that he was too defensively minded and his playing style did not suit the coach’s requirements, this meant Armando missed out playing in the World Cup in London in 1966. A change of Coach meant a change of fortune and he was called up to play in the qualifiers for Euro 68. It was his International career though that would have serious health repercussions for Armando’s future. When playing for the Azzurri against Bulgaria in 1968 he fractured his pelvis and that would have a telling affect on the rest of his playing career. It ultimately led to him having to give up playing, also having terrible repercussions for his health and that injury may even have been the cause of his premature demise. More on that below….
 
“Did You Hear The Call Armando”? because he came home to his bhoyhood club Livorno as first team coach. Such was his reputation not only as a captain and player but also as a much respected coach, so, in less than one year Armando moved on to; La Vecchia Signora (The Old Lady) – Juventus, Italy’s most successful football club. Clearly someone at Juve recognised the managerial talents of Armando Picchi, he was also talked about as a future Italian manager.
However here the “Fickle Finger Of Footballing Fate” intervenes and this promising high level manager of Italian football was in February 1971 sadly diagnosed with cancer, he passed away shortly after on May 26th. 1971, just short of his 36th birthday.
 
In modern times we talk about players being diagnosed with dementia, some of our most honoured and revered players have suffered from its terrible effects, it is considered that heading a football contributes to the bringing on of this terrible illness. One of Armando’s sons, a doctor, thinks that because of his pelvic injury and poor treatment afterwards, that it probably contributed to the tumour that caused Armando’s premature cancerous death.
 
There are very few players that have a stadium named after them, or who are held in such high esteem. We at Celtic pay homage to our greatest ever manager and players, we too, hold them in the highest esteem, they will always live-on in our hearts.
The picture of Armando running up the wing in Lisbon alongside our departed hero Bertie was the capture in time of another memorable Celtic moment, I treasure it dearly.

This picture shows both Armando and Bertie Auld running side by side, they swapped jersey’s after the game. Who could possibly know that Armando would pass away just four years and one day after this iconic picture was taken. What could you say about our losing Bertie last year the space in our hearts will take more than a few years to heal.
 
Armando Picchi, a hero of “La Grande Inter”, a very worthy opponent​. RIP.
“​In The Heat Of Lisbon”.​

What more can you say about the iconic “Lisbon Lions” they are the benchmark.
Always in our hearts. 💚

Yours forever in Celtic, Bawheid.