Bruno Bolchi

Bruno Bolchi (21 February 1940 – 27 September 2022) was an Italian football manager and player, who played as a midfielder. Throughout his playing career, he played for Inter, Verona, Atalanta, and Torino, as well as the Italy national team. Bolchi was depicted in the first ever Panini sticker to be printed in 1961.
Club career
Born in Milan, Bolchi made his debut at the age of 18 with F.C. Internazionale Milano in a Serie A away match lost 1–0 to S.S.C. Napoli on 18 May 1958. He played six seasons with the nerazzurri, with 109 caps and ten goals, gaining the nickname Maciste, due to his imposing physique, strength, and hard-tackling style of play. He captained the side between 1961 and 1962 and obtained notable success during his spell with the club, winning the Serie A title in 1963, and the European Cup in 1964. He then played for Serie B side Verona, and returned to play in the top division for Atalanta and Torino, where he ended his playing career in 1970, also winning the Coppa Italia with the latter club in 1968.
International career
Bolchi appeared for the Italy national team on four occasions, all in 1961.
Managerial career
Bolchi started his coaching career in 1971 with Pro Patria, then a Seconda Categoria club (at the time, Seconda Categoria was the sixth level of Italian football). In 1974, he had his first professional coaching job at Sorrento. He also coached Pistoiese, winning the 1976–77 Serie C title, earning promotion into Serie B. He first coached a Serie A team, Cesena, in 1982, but did not manage to save it from relegation. Since then, Bolchi made just two appearances as Serie A coach, despite his long career all over the country: in 1985–86, his third season as Bari's boss which followed two consecutive promotions from Serie C1 (winning the 1983–84 Serie C1 title) to the top tier of Italian football; however, Bolchi was not able to save the biancorossi. In 1988–89, he had his last Serie A job before 2007, as Pisa head coach, but he was sacked after the 22nd matchday.
On 23 April 2007, with just five matches remaining before the end of the league, Bolchi was appointed head coach of Messina, a team he already coached in their 1975–76 Serie C campaign and, for six matches, at the end of the 2002–03 season, in Serie B. He did not manage to avoid relegation, also due to Messina's poor league table well before his appointment, and finally retired from football after the end of the season.
Death
Bolchi died in Florence on 27 September 2022, at the age of 82.
Honours
Player
Inter
Serie A: 1962–63
European Cup: 1963–64
Torino
Coppa Italia: 1967–68
Manager
Pistoiese
Serie C2, Girone B: 1976–77
Bari
Serie C1: 1983–84
References
External links
MessinaStory
1940 births
2022 deaths
Footballers from Milan
Men's association football midfielders
Italian men's footballers
Italian football managers
Italy men's international footballers
Serie A players
Serie B players
Inter Milan players
Hellas Verona FC players
Atalanta BC players
Torino FC players
US Pistoiese 1921 managers
ACR Messina managers
Atalanta BC managers
AC Cesena managers
SSC Bari managers
SS Arezzo managers
Pisa SC managers
LFA Reggio Calabria managers
Brescia Calcio managers
US Avellino 1912 managers
US Lecce managers
Genoa CFC managers
Ternana Calcio managers
ASD Sorrento managers
US Catanzaro 1929 managers
AC Monza managers