Alfonso Negro Explained

Alfonso Negro
Birth Date:1915 6, df=yes
Birth Place:Brooklyn, New York, United States
Death Place:Florence, Italy
Years1:1930–1933
Caps1:?
Goals1:?
Years2:1933–1934
Caps2:23
Goals2:6
Years3:1934–1938
Caps3:52
Goals3:5
Years4:1934–1938
Caps4:25
Goals4:3
Years5:1942–1952
Clubs5:Ercolanese
Caps5:?
Goals5:?
Nationalyears1:1936
Nationalcaps1:1
Nationalgoals1:1

Alfonso Negro (pronounced as /it/; 5 July 1915 – 7 November 1984) was an American-born Italian football (soccer) player, who played as a forward; he is believed to be the first American-born player in Serie A and the first American-born player to have played for Italy.

Club career

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Negro started his career with Angri in Serie C at the age of 15. He moved onward to Catanzarese in Serie B. While at Catanzarese, he made his international debut with Italy B team against Hungary in Vercelli.

In 1934, he transferred to Fiorentina in Serie A. At that era, three other American-born players -- Armando Frigo, Alfio Argentieri and Umberto Piccolo—played in Italy at that time, but only Armando Frigo played in the Serie A. Alfonso Negro played 51 games for Fiorentina, and scored five goals, before being transferred to Napoli in 1938, where he played 25 games and scored three goals.

International career

Negro was selected to play for Italy at the 1936 Olympic Games. He scored a goal against Norway and went on to win a gold medal in the tournament.[1]

Education

Negro also entered university where he played for his school team. He graduated in medicine and surgery at Florence University and during the war served as a medical officer in Greece. Following the war he became a specialist in obstetrics and gynaecology and became a lecturer. He died in Florence, Italy on 7 November 1984.

Honours

International

Italy

1936

Sources

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Alfonso Negro . Olympedia . 18 September 2021.