Giancarlo Galdiolo


Giancarlo Galdiolo was an Italian professional football manager and player who played as a right back.

Playing career

Galdiolo played for Fiorentina between 1970 and 1980, winning the Coppa Italia title and an Anglo-Italian League Cup in 1975, collecting 229 league appearances and scoring 3 goals. He subsequently also spent two seasons with Sampdoria between 1980 and 1982. In total, he collected 223 Serie A appearances throughout his club career, and he retired from professional football in 1984, after two seasons with Forlì.
At international level, he represented the [Italy national under-21 association football|football team|Italy under-23 side] on two occasions in 1971.

Coaching career

After retiring, Galdiolo served as a coach with Forlì and Rimini.

Style of play

Galdiolo was a large, physically strong, tough, and hard-tackling yet fair man-marking right-back or centre-back, with excellent stamina. Due to his correct behaviour, he was nicknamed "The Gentle Giant" throughout his career, as well as "Badile" – due to his physique –, and "Pappa", due to his resemblance to the Italian television star Peppino "Pappagone" De Filippo.

Personal life

Galdiolo was married to Maria Rosa; together, they had three children: Alessandro, Alberto e Eleonora.

Death

Galdiolo died on 8 September 2018 in his home in Castrocaro Terme e Terra del Sole, after a long illness. He had been suffering from a serious injury since 2010, a frontal temporal lobe dementia.

Honours

Club

;Fiorentina

Individual

  • Fiorentina Hall of Fame: 2018