loose balls as a last man, while he was not particularly good in the air, due to his small stature; despite his more traditional, defensive-minded interpretation of the role, he was, however, also occasionally capable of getting forward, and of carrying the ball out into midfield, or starting plays from the back-line, due to his good technique and ability to read the game. Regarded as one of Italy's greatest defenders, and as one of the best sweepers of his generation, he was highly regarded for his tactical intelligence as well as vocal leadership on the pitch, and was known for his ability to organise the back-line and motivate his teammates. Coaching career and death After his playing career was over, Picchi pursued a coaching career in 1969; he went on to coach Varese, Livorno, and then Juventus, until 16 February 1971, when he was hospitalised because of cancer, which ended his coaching career prematurely. He died three months later, at the age of 35, due a tumour in his sixth left rib. Legacy After his death in 1971, a memorial tournament, Memorial Armando Picchi, was played in his honour. On 21 October of the same year, the football club Armando Picchi Calcio was founded in his memory. As of 1990, the football stadium of Livorno, his hometown club, is named after him. Honours Inter Milan Serie A: 1962–63, 1964–65, 1965–66 European Cup: 1963–64, 1964–65 Intercontinental Cup: 1964, 1965 Individual Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2021 References External links Inter Profile FIGC Profile 1935 births 1971 deaths Sportspeople from Livorno Italian footballers Italy international footballers Association football sweepers S.P.A.L. players Inter Milan players Serie A players Juventus F.C. managers Serie A managers S.S.D. Varese Calcio players Italian football managers U.S. Livorno 1915 players U.S. Livorno 1915 managers UEFA Champions League winning players Deaths from cancer in Liguria Footballers from Tuscany