Former Lazio Captain Who Led Them To Their First Serie A Title Passes Away At The Age Of 76

Pino Wilson, the Lazio captain who led the club to their first Serie A title in 1974, has died aged 76. This was revealed by the Serie A club, Sunday (6/3).

"United we become champions. Goodbye Pino, our captain. History unites us forever," Lazio said in an official statement.

Born in Darlington, England, the man whose real name is Giuseppe Wilson moved to Naples as a baby and then played for Internapoli in the local league in the mid-1960s.

He then joined Lazio in 1969, leading the club from the Italian capital to promotion to Serie A in 1972 and two years later to the Scudetto, ahead of Juventus by two points.

At that time, Lazio was seen as a gang of bandits. Wilson's team-mate, Re Cecconi, was gunned down in a jewelry store in Rome in 1977 in what they described as an outrageous prank.

According to the police report, Cecconi entered the shop, which had been ambushed by thieves a few days earlier, pretending to be a criminal with team-mate Pietro Ghedin. He even died after being shot by the shop owner.

Wilson is also not free from controversy, In 1980, he was involved in the Totonero scandal which caused Lazio and AC Milan to be relegated from Serie A.

Wilson was suspended for three years along with team-mates Massimo Cacciatori, Bruno Giordano, and Lionello Manfredonia over the scandal.

Wilson had three caps for the Italian national team, including twice at the 1974 World Cup.