He had all the characteristics of the greatest according to Marcello Lippi. Gianluca Vialli said he was the best player he had ever seen. While coach Renzo Ulivieri, who also worked with Roberto Baggio and Roberto Mancini, thought Chiorri had the most out of all three.
But who was Alviero Chiorri? And why did they call him Il Marziano?
In a game away at Atalanta in February 1992, Cremonese’s Michelangelo Rampulla stooped to head in a whipped free-kick from the right. In equalising for his team, Rampulla also made history as the first goalkeeper in Serie A to score a goal from open play.
Providing Rampulla with the assist that day was thirty-two-year-old, Alviero Chiorri. The winger Chiorri was in the final season of a sixteen-year career as a professional.