Roma loses a piece of history: the yellow and red team doctor Ernesto Alicicco has passed away at the age of 90
Another symbol of Rome is gone. Ernesto Aliciccohistoric social doctor of the Giallorossi club between the 80s and 2001, passed away on the night of September 17 at the age of 90. An iconic figure for the world of football and for the eternal city.
The news of his passing was given by the David Calabria Goalkeeping School, with which Alicicco had collaborated in recent years:
He had made himself available to the School since day one, giving advice on the subject to all of us, and also participating in training courses. A piece of the School is gone, a piece of sports history is gone,”
Ernesto Alicicco was born in the Prati district, in the heart of the Capital. His connection with the world of football began in an unexpected way: as a young man, in fact, he was doorman of Lazio. In a long interview given to The Romanist a few years ago, he recalled:
“The fact is that I was a goalkeeper. I was also the assistant at Lazio. And when I stopped, my teacher Renato Ziaco, the Biancocelesti doctor, offered me to go and work with him”.
So, as an ex doormanAlicicco entered the world of sports medicine, working alongside Ziaco in the medical staff of Lazio. But destiny was calling him towards an even greater story. Di Bartolomei, the charismatic captain of Roma, was the one who finally convinced him to make the big leap. So, in 1977, after challenging his mentor Ziaco, he joined the Giallorossi medical staff, called by Gaetano Anzalone. That signature began a 24-year journey.
THE’#ASRoma mourns the passing of Ernesto Alicicco.
Between 1978 and 2001 he took care of our champions, he will remain in our hearts forever. pic.twitter.com/YN4qsjgRVa
— AS Roma (@OfficialASRoma) September 17, 2024
Alicicco was a central figure in two of Roma’s greatest triumphs: the scudetti of 1983 and 2001. He lived through some of the most intense eras in the club’s history, working alongside football legends and coaches such as Liedholm, Eriksson, Zeman and Capello. His history in yellow and red was stained by the ink of a dismissal fax signed by Capello in 2001.
Alicicco was a beloved figure not only for his professional skills, but also for his humanity. He was a friend of many footballers, with special ties to Bruno Conti, Agostino Di Bartolomei and Francesco Totti. It was he who intervened promptly to save the life of Lionello Manfredoniastruck by a heart attack during a match against Bologna on 30 December 1989. An episode that confirmed the value of his work and his dedication in every circumstance.
He never stopped transmitting his passion and knowledge, putting himself at the service of the David Calabria Goalkeeper School, where until his last days he gave advice and participated in training courses. Like few others, Ernesto Alicicco was able to intertwine his destiny with that of a team and an entire city.
#Ernesto #Alicicco #died
