Summary
Gian Piero Ventrone (14 April 1960 – 6 October 2022) was an Italian athletic trainer.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 14 April 1960 | ||
| Place of birth | Naples, Italy | ||
| Date of death | 6 October 2022 (aged 62) | ||
| Place of death | Naples, Italy | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| Years | Team | ||
| 1994–1999 | Juventus (athletic trainer) | ||
| 2001–2004 | Juventus (athletic trainer) | ||
| 2004–2006 | Italy (athletic trainer) | ||
| 2007–2009 | Bari (athletic trainer) | ||
| 2009–2010 | Atalanta (athletic trainer) | ||
| 2010–2011 | Siena (athletic trainer) | ||
| 2012–2014 | Ajaccio (assistant coach) | ||
| 2014–2015 | Catania (athletic trainer) | ||
| 2016–2017 | Jiangsu (athletic trainer) | ||
| 2019–2021 | Guangzhou (athletic trainer) | ||
| 2021–2022 | Tottenham Hotspur (athletic trainer) | ||
An ISEF-qualified teacher,[1] he started his career in 1994, as athletic trainer for Marcello Lippi's Juventus until 1999 and from 2001 and 2004.[2] Once his Juventus experience ended, he collaborated with Lippi in the preparation for the 2006 FIFA World Cup, won by Italy.[3][4] He continued at Atalanta from September 2009 to January 2010.[5] He worked with Antonio Conte at Bari and Siena[6] and with Fabrizio Ravanelli, a player he trained at Juventus, as an assistant coach at Ajaccio.[6] He had been athletic trainer at Catania, Jiangsu and at Fabio Cannavaro's Guangzhou in the 2017–18 season, before joining his friend Conte at Tottenham Hotspur in November 2021.[7][4]
Profile edit
Style of work edit
When Ventrone joined Juventus, he brought 43 computers for the pursuit of perfection in every exercise and tools no one had ever used.[8] He made the players train by making them listen to the music of Queen and of Nirvana.[8] He gave the players a bell called the "bell of shame"; those who were exhausted would ring it.[8] He explained its use with, "in this sport there is no limit".[8]
Reception edit
Ventrone was nicknamed "marine" for his very hard and tiring training sessions.[9] His rhythms and workloads knocked out a number of professional athletes.[7][10] Images of Harry Kane collapsing and vomiting and Son Heung-min almost fainting and lying agonising on the ground in a summer preparation in Seoul went viral.[7] Alessio Tacchinardi, who was coached by Ventrone, considered Ventrone "a good sergeant, a reference point for everyone and a jackhammer".[8]
Personal life and death edit
Ventrone was born in Naples on 14 April 1960.[7] He took part in the 1st San Marco Regiment.[8] During his military service, he took a refresher course in America with the United States Army Special Forces.[1] When Lippi left Juventus in 1999, he remained in Turin.[8]
On the evening of 4 October 2022, Ventrone was taken to the Fatebenefratelli hospital in Naples and put into a coma for mechanical ventilation.[7] A few days earlier, he learned he had acute myeloid leukemia.[7] His death occurred at 6:45 on 6 October due to a brain haemorrhage.[7] He was 62,[2] though reported to be 61 in some English sources.[4][11][12][13][14] His funeral was held three days later in the San Luigi Gonzaga church in Naples.[15] Conte, out of respect for him, did not hold a press conference for the game against Brighton on the day he died.[7][11] Before the match, the Tottenham players warmed up wearing a shirt that read "Forever in our hearts".[16] During the minute's silence dedicated to him before the match, Conte cried.[17] Harry Kane dedicated his winning goal to him.[15]
References edit
- ^ a b Juventus.com. "Black & White Stories: come conoscemmo Ventrone – Juventus". Juventus.com (in Italian). Retrieved 9 October 2022.
- ^ a b "Lutto nel calcio. È morto a 62 anni Gian Piero Ventrone, ex preparatore della Juve | DAZN News Italia". DAZN. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
- ^ "Morto Ventrone, l'ex preparatore atletico della Juventus – Calcio". Agenzia ANSA (in Italian). 6 October 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
- ^ a b c "Tottenham fitness coach Ventrone dies at 61". BBC Sport. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ^ "Morto Gian Piero Ventrone, preparatore della Nazionale e della Juve di Lippi e del Tottenham". RaiNews (in Italian). Retrieved 6 October 2022.
- ^ a b "Stampa: Ventrone.. per andare di corsA | MondoCatania.com – Portale di informazione sul Calcio Catania" (in Italian). Retrieved 6 October 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Gian Piero Ventrone, morto l'ex preparatore atletico della Juventus". Calcio – La Repubblica (in Italian). 6 October 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g Bonsignore, Filippo (10 June 2022). "Morto l'ex preparatore atletico della Juventus Gian Piero Ventrone". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Retrieved 9 October 2022.
- ^ web-sr (6 October 2022). "Morto Giampiero Ventrone, ex preparatore atletico di Juventus e Catania". QdS (in Italian). Retrieved 6 October 2022.
- ^ Smyth, Rob (15 July 2022). "The Fiver | Antonio Conte's single purpose with his brutal Spurs pre-season". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ^ a b Hytner, David (6 October 2022). "'We are devastated': Tottenham fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone dies aged 61". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ^ "Gian Piero Ventrone, Tottenham's fitness coach, dies at 61". AP NEWS. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ^ Olley, James (6 October 2022). "Tottenham fitness coach Ventrone dies aged 61". ESPN.com. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ^ Chiu, Nigel (6 October 2022). "Gian Piero Ventrone dies: Tottenham fitness coach passes away due to leukaemia at the age of 61". Eurosport. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ^ a b Marzio, Gianluca Di. "Ventrone, l'ultimo saluto: Conte e Paratici al funerale dell'ex Spurs". Gianluca Di Marzio (in Italian). Retrieved 9 October 2022.
- ^ "Il Tottenham ricorda Ventrone con una maglia: Per sempre nei nostri cuori- Video Gazzetta.it". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 9 October 2022.
- ^ "Antonio Conte piange durante il minuto di raccoglimento per Gian Piero Ventrone". www.quotidianodipuglia.it (in Italian). 8 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.