to be a modern and well-rounded player during his time, as he used his physical attributes, intelligence, and control to play with his back to goal, and lay off the ball for teammates in order to provide them with assists. Piola's vision, work-rate, and technical ability, as well as his passing ability, made him a tactically versatile player, who was capable of playing in several positions, and he was deployed on the wing, in midfield, or as a creative advanced playmaker or second striker on occasion. Piola particularly excelled as a centre-forward, however; his speed, positional sense, offensive movement, and opportunism enabled him to lose his markers with his attacking runs and receive his team-mates' deliveries or pounce on loose balls in the area. Piola was also known for his powerful and accurate finishing ability with his head and both feet, from any position on the pitch, which made him a prolific goalscorer throughout his career. Due to his agility and athletic ability, Piola also excelled in the air, and he was capable of scoring spectacular acrobatic goals from volleys and bicycle kicks. Despite his talent and his reputation, he was occasionally accused of diving throughout his career. Unlike his legendary international team-mate, club rival, and friend Giuseppe Meazza, however, with whom he was often compared, Piola was much more reserved both on and off the pitch, and he preferred to score through efficiency and pragmatism rather than flamboyance. On top of his playing ability and prolific goalscoring, Piola also stood out for his longevity throughout his career. Career statistics Club International Honours Lazio Serie A: runner-up 1936–37 Mitropa Cup: runner-up 1937 Juventus Serie A: runner-up 1945–46, 1946–47 Novara Serie B: 1947–48 Italy FIFA World Cup: 1938 Central European International Cup: 1933–35 Individual Serie A top goalscorer: 1936–37, 1942–43 Inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2011 (posthumously) Inducted into the Walk of Fame of Italian sport: 2015 References External links 1913 births 1996 deaths People from Robbio Italian footballers Association football forwards F.C. Pro Vercelli 1892 players S.S. Lazio players Torino F.C. players Juventus F.C. players Novara F.C. players Serie A players Serie B players Italy international footballers 1938 FIFA World Cup players FIFA World Cup-winning players Italian football managers Cagliari Calcio managers Serie B managers Footballers from Lombardy Sportspeople from the Province of Pavia