Gigi Meroni

Luigi "Gigi" Meroni (; 24 February 1943 – 15 October 1967) was an Italian professional footballer who played as a winger. Throughout his career, he drew comparisons to George Best due to his playing style, appearance, and lifestyle. At international level, he represented the Italy national team on six occasions between 1966 and 1967, scoring two goals, and took part in the 1966 FIFA World Cup.

Club career Meroni, of Romani heritage, began playing football at the Oratorio di San Bartolomeo in Como. His father died when Meroni was two years old. His mother Rosa, a professional weaver, raised him and his two siblings, Celestino and Maria. Before his professional football career, Meroni worked as a designer of silk neckties and devoted time to painting.

His football career began in the Como youth sector, where he eventually made his first-team debut in the second division. He was subsequently transferred to Genoa. During the final match of the 1963–64 Serie A season, Meroni failed to undergo a doping control examination, stating he had forgotten the test in his hotel. Following positive tests for amphetamines among three other players, Meroni was suspended for the first five games of the following season.

Meroni was included in manager Edmondo Fabbri's squad for the 1966 World Cup in England, a tournament that ended with Italy's elimination in the first round following a 1–0 defeat to North Korea. Due to disagreements with Fabbri, Meroni made only one appearance in the tournament, playing in the second group-stage match against the Soviet Union. Because of his playing position, style, physical appearance, and off-pitch lifestyle, Meroni was frequently compared to George Best by the Italian media. He was considered to be a promising player in the media, and is retroactively thought to have had the potential to develop into one of Italy's greatest wingers ever, alongside the likes of Bruno Conti, Franco Causio, Claudio Sala, and Roberto Donadoni, which whom he has often been compared.

Death

On 15 October 1967, Meroni died at the age of 24. Shortly after playing in a 4–2 victory over Sampdoria (during which he had been sent off), Meroni was struck by a car while crossing Corso Re Umberto in Turin with his friend and Torino teammate Fabrizio Poletti. The driver of the vehicle was Attilio Romero, a 19-year-old Torino fan who would later become the club's president in 2000.

Honours Genoa Coppa delle Alpi: 1964