Fulvio Bernardini

The path

The popular “Fuffo” was one of the most learned and intelligent footballers (he was a graduate in Economics). He gave the best of himself in the role of midfielder, but it was also a unique case in Italian football history: during his long career he was deployed as a midfielder also as a goalkeeper. At only 13 years, in fact, he was already on the first team of Lazio as an extreme defender and this until 1921 when, following the match Napoli-Lazio 4-2 decided, humiliated for the 4 goals suffered, to change role and become midfielder.

In Latium, he began to appear until he was summoned to the national team on March 22, 1925 for the match Italy - France. He is the first Roman and Central American player to receive the honor. In the summer of 1926 he moved to Inter by Luigi Cevenini and was later purchased from Rome in 1928, which he led from 1928 to 1939, as a mid-towner. He was also a captain of the Giallorossi, apparently at the specific request of Attilio Ferraris IV.

He never got victories with Rome, while venting a shield, but he formed the irreplaceable soul of Roma testaccina and combattiva of the 1920s and 1930s. Together with Attilio Ferraris IV, also in the National Team, he formed a rousing and charismatic couple. He had a great tactical and technical sense and was recognized as a great player before and then coach. Equipped with a big left, he didn't disdain the right, he had a great touch of ball and a good blow of head. He did not love the physicality of football but the use of technique.

He has collected in all 286 games played in yellowish knit, scoring 45 goals. A few months after Bernardini's kick-off, Roma also moved from Testaccio. It was the end of an era. In 1950 Bernardini returned to Rome as a coach, but his adventure was interrupted by a sudden exoner. He then coached Vicenza in Serie B from 1951 to 1953. Bernardini won the championship as coach of Fiorentina and Bologna and the 1958 Italian Cup with Lazio.

Bernardini was a player of a certain football belief based on the "elastic WM" and free spaces, which he constituted not in passing the ball directly to his companion, but to launch it in that free space where the partner can arrive before the opponent. Thanks to this innovative tactic, he will be able to win the shield with purple. In 1965 Bernardini began a long career in Genoa as coach of the Sampdoria. Its side by side with "Pinella" Baldini, however, is not enough to avoid the retrocession (after a famous rigour not given against Lazio).

But the following year he led the ride in the Cadet Championship and then, from 1966 to 1971 he allowed his stay in Serie A at Sampdoria. In 1974 he was entrusted with the National Team for a short time as a traghettatore between the Valcareggi era and the Bearzot era. He will return to Genoa from 1977 to '79 as General Manager of Sampdoria.

Curiosity:
- Trigoria sports center, official headquarters of A.S. Rome is entitled to Fulvio Bernardini
He was called by fans Fuffo, Professor or Doctor for his education.
- As coach of Bologna in 1963, following a 7-1 victory against Modena, he exclaimed the famous phrase: So you only play in Paradise!