Italian Football Hall of Fame: Oriali and Lukaku recognised

MILAN – A Nerazzurri legend and a player currently part of Inter’s squad have been honoured in the latest edition of the Italian Football Hall of Fame, which was established by the Fondazione Museo del Calcio and FIGC in 2011 to celebrate the players who have left an indelible mark on the history of Italian football.

Gabriele Oriali, Inter’s First Team Technical Manager and the Team Manager of the Italian National Team, who formerly played for the Nerazzurri and won the World Cup with his country in 1982, has entered the Hall of Fame in the ‘Italian Veterans’ category. This is an important recognition for someone who not only achieved a lot in club football (two Scudetto titles, two Coppa Italia trophies and a total of 43 goals in 392 games) but also made his mark at international level (one goal in 28 appearances along with the 1982 World Cup), both as a player and now off the pitch.

Orial joins a list of other champions who have stood out for their contribution to their country and been inducted into the Hall of Fame in previous years: Gigi Riva (from 2011), Dino Zoff (from 2012), Gianni Rivera (from 2013), Sandro Mazzola (from 2014), Marco Tardelli (from 2015), Paolo Rossi (from 2016), Bruno Conti (from 2017) and Giancarlo Antognoni (from 2018).

Romelu Lukaku has also been honoured. The Belgian striker received the award dedicated to the memory of Davide Astori, established last year for the greatest gestures of fair play. As the FIGC explained, “the Inter striker, who has been a leading example for the next generation in the fight against racism, handed over a penalty on 21 December to his teammate Sebastiano Esposito for the 17-year-old to score his first goal in Serie A.” Along with Lukaku, 17-year-old Mattia Agnese has also been recognised for scoring his greatest ever goal, that is saving the live of an opposition player who had lost consciousness following a collision on the pitch.

The award ceremony will be held on 4 May in Florence and, in keeping with tradition, the winners will be asked to present a symbolic heirloom of their career to the Football Museum. The Hall of Fame is a gallery of champions and heroes who have made a significant contribution to Italian football. Once every year, they are presented with an award at an official ceremony and earn a place in the Museo del Calcio through heirlooms donated by the protagonists themselves. The aim is to preserve and pass the historic memory of Italian football down to future generations.