Italian football mourns Vito Chimenti, who died suddenly at the age of 69 from an illness. The former striker from Palermo, Catanzaro and Pistoiese, currently employed in the technical staff of Pomarico, a team of Eccellenza Lucana, felt ill after warming up before the home match against Real Senise as he was about to take a shower. The rescue operations were useless, first those carried out by the Pomarico medical staff and then those of the 118 doctors, who also requested an air ambulance.
He invented the ‘bicycle’
Chimenti, Antonio’s uncle, a former Juventus and Roma goalkeeper, became popular nationwide in the 1970s for his “bicycle” dribbling, with which he was able to jump over opponents by passing the ball over his head. An unprecedented play for those years, today particularly loved by champions of the caliber of Neymar and Douglas Costa. Bari, born in 1953, made his debut in C with Matera in ’72, dragging him back to promotion 4 years later, in the 1975-1976 season, making him win their group in Serie D.
He scored for Juve in the 1979 Coppa Italia final
His technical prowess and agility, in spite of a squat build, attracted the attention of Palermo who bought him in ’77. With the rosanero in B Chimenti lived a fantastic period: 29 goals in 74 games with a moment of great fame: the opening goal after just 1′ in the final of the Italian Cup in Naples against Juventus (later lost 2-1), who had to leave prematurely due to a knee injury after a clash with Cabrini.
He played in Serie A with Catanzaro, Pistoiese and Avellino
Leaving Palermo in ’79, he made his debut in Serie A with Catanzaro (26 appearances and 1 goal) and then moved on to Pistoiese (where he still holds the record for goals in the top flight, 9) and finally to Avellino (26 games and 3 goals) . He ended his career going down a category choosing the Taranto shirt with which he played 3 seasons scoring 22 goals in 83 games. Hanging up his boots, Chimenti became coach of Matera and then continued his long technical career as assistant in many other teams (Rimini, Casarano, Lanciano, Messina, Foggia and Salernitana) before starting, from 2019, the collaboration with the Pomaric. To honor his disappearance, the Lucanian club decided not to take the field.
Palermo dedicates the victory in Ascoli to him: “A friend is leaving”
The president of Palermo Dario Mirri was particularly touched by the news: “A friend of Palermo is leaving, a friend of those who love Palermo, a friend of mine. A kind soul who has always represented the love for our shirt and who never we also wanted to pay homage a few years ago with a work of art entirely dedicated to him in the Palermo Museum. It will always remain with us, like the memory of his ‘bicycle’, now part of our history”. The rosanero coach Eugenio Corini and the striker Matteo Brunori dedicated the victory to him after the match in Ascoli.
