Along with everyone in Italian football, the FIGC mourns the passing of Sergio Vatta, who passed away in the night at the age of 82. Vatta led the Torino youth teams across the ‘80s and ‘90s, then taking charge of the Granata First Team in 1989. A man who uncovered many great talents, he gave more than 60 young players their Serie A debuts, with Christian Vieri, Dino Baggio, Diego Fuser and Gianluigi Lentini just some of the great names he discovered.

He joined the National Team set-up as a coach in 1991, taking charge of the Under-16s and then Under-17s before taking on the role of Head Coach of the Women’s National Team in the 1997/98 season. Vatta led the Azzurre to the tournament phase of the United States World Cup, playing a key role in the growth of women’s football in Italy.

“Italian football has lost another extraordinary figure in its history,” said FIGC President Gabriele Gravina. “We will remember Vatta for his great passion for this game and all the work he put into the world of youth football. Without him, Italian football would have had far fewer champions.”