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Enzo Scifo

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Enzo Scifo
Personal information
Full name Vincenzo Daniele Scifo
Date of birth (1966-02-19) 19 February 1966 (age 58)
Place of birth La Louvière, Belgium
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1983–1987 Anderlecht 119 (32)
1987–1988 Internazionale 28 (4)
1988–1989 Bordeaux 24 (7)
1989–1991 Auxerre 67 (25)
1991–1993 Torino 62 (16)
1993–1997 AS Monaco 91 (20)
1997–2000 Anderlecht 75 (14)
2000–2001 Charleroi 12 (3)
Total 478 (121)
International career
1984–1998 Belgium 84 (18)
Managerial career
2001–2002 Charleroi
2004–2006 Tubize
2007–2009 Mouscron
2012–2013 Mons
2015–2016 Belgium U21
2021 Royal Excel Mouscron
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Vincenzo "Enzo" Daniele Scifo (Italian pronunciation: [ˈɛntso ʃˈʃiːfo]; born 19 February 1966)[1] is a retired Belgian football midfielder. He has also managed the Belgium national under-21 football team and several Belgian club sides. He played for clubs in Belgium, France and Italy, where he won several domestic titles. At international level, he was a member of the Belgium national team, for which he appeared in four FIFA World Cups, being one of three Belgian players ever to do so.

Early life

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Scifo was born in La Louvière, Wallonia, to Italian parents from Sicily.[2][3][4] He proved himself a highly promising talent in youth football and was nicknamed "Little Pelé" at his local team, where he scored 432 goals in only four seasons as a junior.[3][5] Scifo joined his local club R.A.A. Louviéroise as a seven-year-old in 1973.[3] He transferred to what used to be Belgium's most successful club, R.S.C. Anderlecht, in 1982.[3]

Club career

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Scifo made his first team debut with R.S.C. Anderlecht in 1983, at the age of 17.[5] After winning three Belgian First Division championships with the club, and helping the team to the 1984 UEFA Cup Final, only to lose out to Tottenham on penalties, Scifo earned a reputation as one of the most promising young stars of his generation,[3] and moved to his ancestral country for Internazionale in 1987 for a fee of 7.5 billion Lire.[6] After an unsuccessful spell in Inter Milan, which saw him manage only four league goals in 28 appearances, he moved to French club Bordeaux in 1988 where he again disappointed, and faced injuries and conflict with senior squad members.[3][7] His career was revived by a successful move to Auxerre in 1989, at the age of 23, under manager Guy Roux, which led to a return to Italy with Torino in 1991;[8] his second spell in Serie A was more successful, as he reached the 1992 UEFA Cup Final in his first season with Torino, and won the Coppa Italia the following season.[5] Scifo then moved to AS Monaco in 1993, where he enjoyed a similar level of success and won the French championship in 1997.[5] He returned to Anderlecht later that year and won his fourth Belgian league title in the 1999–2000 season.[9] He joined Charleroi in 2000, but retired later in the same season, at the age of 36, after being diagnosed with chronic arthritis.[3][10] In total, Scifo scored 121 league goals in 478 official matches.[3]

International career

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Scifo made his senior international debut on 6 June 1984 for Belgium, in a 2–2 friendly draw against Hungary.[11] In Belgium's opening group match of UEFA Euro 1984, on 13 June, he attracted much publicity when he helped his team to a 2–0 victory over Yugoslavia; at the age of 18 years and 115 days, he was the youngest player ever to appear in the finals at the time.[5][12] Scifo featured in all three of Belgium's group matches in the tournament, as they placed third in their group and suffered a first round elimination.[13]

He appeared for Belgium in the 1986, 1990, 1994, and 1998 World Cups, playing sixteen games in total;[14] he is one of only 14 players to have participated in four World Cups, and one of only three Belgian players ever to do so.[5] Scifo helped his nation to the semi-finals of the 1986 edition of the tournament in Mexico, playing in all seven of his team's matches and scoring two goals as Belgium finished the tournament in fourth place; he was named the best young player of the tournament for his performances throughout the competition.[4][5] In the 1990 edition of the tournament, held in Italy, Scifo scored a notable goal from long range in Belgium's 3-1 first round victory over Uruguay, on 17 June, held in Verona;[5] the goal was later elected as the tenth greatest FIFA World Cup goal of the Century in a 2002 poll, with 2,935 votes.[15] Belgium were eventually eliminated in the second round against England; four years later, at U.S.A. '94, the Belgian side were once again eliminated in the second round.[5] Scifo retired from international football after Belgium's first round elimination in the 1998 World Cup held in France;[5] in total he gained eighty-four international caps and scored eighteen goals.[16]

Style of play

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A highly creative midfielder with an eye for goal, Scifo was a classic number 10 playmaker who usually played as an attacking midfielder behind the strikers; he was also capable of playing as a central midfielder, where he functioned as a deep-lying playmaker, or as a wide midfielder along the right flank. Considered one of Belgium's greatest ever players,[17] his primary traits as a footballer were his excellent vision, tactical intelligence, and technical skills, which allowed him to orchestrate his team's attacking moves from midfield; he was also highly regarded for his balance on the ball, and his ability to dribble with his head up, as well as his accurate shooting and passing ability with his right foot, which enabled him both to score goals or create chances for his teammates. However, despite his talent, he was also criticised by his managers at times for his poor defensive work-rate off the ball, his introverted character, and for being selfish and inefficient at times, in particular in his youth, as he attempted too many individual dribbling runs, rather than looking to provide a simpler pass to an open teammate. Throughout his career, his unique playing style drew comparisons with Gianni Rivera, Giancarlo Antognoni, and his idol Michel Platini.[3][6]

After retirement

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Scifo tried his hand at coaching with R. Charleroi S.C., joining them for the 2000–01 season. Indifferent results led to his resignation in June 2002. He later coached Tubize between 2004 and 2006, and later became head trainer of R.E. Mouscron, another Belgian League team, in 2007. On 6 June 2009, Scifo quit Mouscron due to the club's difficult financial situation.[18]

In May 2006, he was part of the historic first European Selection, led by former England manager Terry Venables and Josep Mª Fusté which had its début in Eindhoven in the first EFPA Match.

Scifo returned to club football with Mons between 2012 and 2013. Between 2015 and 2016, he served as the manager of the Belgium U21 national team.

Career statistics

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Club

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Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Anderlecht 1983–84 Belgian League 25 5 – 8 1
1984–85 30 14 – 4 1
1985–86 31 5 5 2
1986–87 33 8 – 5 1
Total 119 32 22 5
Inter Milan[19] 1987–88 Serie A 28 4 10 0 – 6 1 44 5
Girondins Bordeaux 1988–89 Division 1 24 7 6 1
Auxerre 1989–90 Division 1 33 11 9 5
1990–91 34 14 –
Total 67 25 9 5
Torino[20] 1991–92 Serie A 30 9 5 0 – 11 2 46 11
1992–93 32 7 6 2 – 4 0 42 9
Total 62 16 11 2 – 15 2 88 20
Monaco 1993–94 Division 1 31 6 11 2
1994–95 11 2 –
1995–96 34 7 2 0
1996–97 15 5 2 0
Total 91 20 15 2
Anderlecht 1997–98 Belgian League 30 4 5 1
1998–99 27 8 3 0
1999–2000 17 2
Total 74 14 8 1
Charleroi 2000–01 Belgian League 12 3 1 0 – – 13 3
Career total 477 121 81 17

International

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Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Belgium[21] 1984 8 1
1985 3 1
1986 12 3
1987 4 0
1988 4 0
1989 5 0
1990 9 2
1991 6 3
1992 6 1
1993 5 4
1994 6 0
1995 3 2
1996 4 0
1997 4 0
1998 5 1
Total 84 18
Scores and results list Belgium's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Scifo goal.[21]
List of international goals scored by Enzo Scifo
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 17 October 1984 Heysel Stadium, Brussels  Albania 2–1 3–1 1986 World Cup qualifier
2 27 March 1985 Heysel Stadium, Brussels  Greece 2–0 2–0 1986 World Cup qualifier
3 8 June 1986 Estadio Nemesio Díez, Toluca  Iraq 1–0 2–1 1986 World Cup
4 15 June 1986 Estadio Nou Camp, León  Soviet Union 1–1 4–3 1986 World Cup
5 10 September 1986 Heysel Stadium, Brussels  Republic of Ireland 2–1 2–2 Euro 1988 qualifier
6 26 May 1990 Heysel Stadium, Brussels  Romania 1–0 2–2 Friendly
7 17 June 1990 Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi, Verona  Uruguay 2–0 3–1 1990 World Cup
8 27 February 1991 Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, Brussels  Luxembourg 3–0 3–0 Euro 1992 qualifier
9 11 September 1991 Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg  Luxembourg 1–0 2–0 Euro 1992 qualifier
10 9 October 1991 Sóstói Stadion, Székesfehérvár  Hungary 2–0 2–0 Friendly
11 25 March 1992 Parc des Princes, Paris  France 2–1 3–3 Friendly
12. 13 February 1993 Makario Stadium, Nicosia  Cyprus 1–0 3–0 1994 World Cup qualifier
13 2–0
14 22 May 1993 Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, Brussels  Faroe Islands 2–0 3–0 1994 World Cup qualifier
15 13 October 1993 Stadionul Steaua, Bucharest  Romania 1–2 1–2 1994 World Cup qualifier
16. 7 June 1995 Philip II Arena, Skopje  North Macedonia 2–0 5–0 Euro 1996 qualifier
17 5–0
18 6 June 1998 King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels  Paraguay 1–0 1–0 Friendly

Honours

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Anderlecht[3]

Monaco[3]

Torino[3]

Belgium

Individual

References

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  1. ^ "World Cup History > Best Players of All Times > Belgium > Enzo Scifo". us.terra.com. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  2. ^ Emanuela Audisio (23 April 1987). repubblica.it (ed.). "Italiano per forza". Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Scifo, a Red Devil with divine gifts". FIFA. Archived from the original on 9 October 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Enzo SCIFO". FIFA. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Planet World Cup – Legends – Enzo Scifo". Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  6. ^ a b EMANUELA AUDISIO (23 April 1987). "ITALIANO PER FORZA". La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  7. ^ "EXKLUSIV Interview mit Enzo Scifo" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 7 June 2009.
  8. ^ MyDict Team. "Enzo – hat folgende Bedeutung". Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  9. ^ "International Football Betting Tips – Bet £10 Get £30 with Betfair". Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  10. ^ "WM-Rekordspieler, Platz 19: Enzo Scifo: Der "rote Teufel" tanzte viermal auf der WM-Bühne". Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  11. ^ "SCIFO, Vincenzo (Enzo)". Treccani: Enciclopedia dello Sport (in Italian). 2002. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  12. ^ "Scifo helps Belgium to overcome Yugoslavia". UEFA. 4 October 2003. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  13. ^ "Teenager Willems breaks Scifo's record". UEFA. 9 June 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  14. ^ World Football Legends | Players | Enzo Scifo Archived 25 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ "Diego Maradona goal voted the FIFA World Cup Goal of the Century". FIFA. 30 May 2002. Archived from the original on 12 September 2015. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  16. ^ SPIEGEL ONLINE, Hamburg, Germany (16 August 1999). "Ausland: Fußball-Star Enzo Scifo außer Lebensgefahr". SPIEGEL ONLINE. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  17. ^ "10 Best Belgian Soccer Players of All Time". Soccer Mavericks.
  18. ^ Enzo Scifo décide de jeter l'éponge Archived 11 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ "Archivio.inter.it". Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
  20. ^ Archiviotoro.it Archived 2 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ a b Karel Stokkermans (16 May 2013). "Vincenzo "Enzo" Scifo – International Appearances". RSSSF. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  22. ^ "Anderlecht wint de Ligabeker".
  23. ^ "Tijdperk-Vanden Stock: 20 landstitels, 8 bekers en 3 Europabekers". 20 December 2017.
  24. ^ "Jules Pappaert Cup".
  25. ^ "Winnaars Brugse Metten". Archived from the original on 3 June 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  26. ^ "Rode Duivels Ploeg van het Jaar".
  27. ^ "FIFA 1986 World Cup". Archived from the original on 5 June 2016.
  28. ^ "Winnaars Gouden Schoen".
  29. ^ "Ballon d'Or 1984".
  30. ^ "Ballon d'Or 1990".
  31. ^ "Ballon d'Or 1992". Archived from the original on 27 March 2016. Retrieved 15 October 2020.
  32. ^ "Ballon d'Or 1993".
  33. ^ "Planet World Cup - Legends - Enzo Scifo". www.planetworldcup.com. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  34. ^ "Enzo SCIFO". FIFA. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  35. ^ a b "BigSoccer - All star teams of 1986 World Cup".
  36. ^ "France - Footballer of the Year". Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
  37. ^ "Profvoetballer van het Jaar". 28 November 2011.
  38. ^ UEFA.com (15 January 2004). "Aruna voted Belgium's finest | Inside UEFA". UEFA.com. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  39. ^ "Het beste Gouden Schoen-elftal ooit".
  40. ^ "RBFA - Discover our 125 Years Icons Team".
  41. ^ "IFFHS All Time Belgium Dream Team". www.iffhs.com. Retrieved 16 January 2022.
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