Luís Vinício

Infobox Football biography
playername = Luís Vinício


fullname = Luís Vinícius de Menezes
nickname = "Vinício"
dateofbirth = Birth date and age|1932|2|28|df=y
cityofbirth = Belo Horizonte
countryofbirth = Brazil flagicon|Brazil
currentclub =
position = Manager
"(center forward as a player)"
years = 1955-60 1960-62 1962-66
1966-67
1967-68
clubs = flagicon|Italy S.S.C. Napoli flagicon|Italy Bologna flagicon|Italy Vicenza
flagicon|Italy Inter Milan flagicon|Italy Vicenza
caps(goals) = 152 (69)
47 (17)
116 (61)
8 (1)
25 (7)
manageryears = 1968-69
1969-70
1970-71
1971-73
1973-76
1976-78
1978-80
1980-82
1982-84
1984-86
1986-88
1991-92
managerclubs = Internapoli
Brindisi
Ternana Terni
Brindisi
Napoli
Lazio
Napoli
Avellino
Pisa
Udinese
Avellino
Juve Stabia [cite news|url=http://www.rsssf.com/players/braz-players-in-it.html|publisher=RSSSF.com|title= Brazilian Players in Italy|date=22 June 2007]

Luís Vinícius de Menezes, more famously known as Vinício (born 28 February 1932 in Belo Horizonte, Brazil) was a professional football player, who played as a center forward. Although he is a Brazilian, Vinício played his entire career in Italy.

Biography

At age 23 Vinício came to Italy, joining the Naples representative club S.S.C. Napoli during the 1956-1957 season. He style was considered generous and powerful on the field, which soon gained him the nickname "'O lione" (lion) from the Napoli faithful. In total for the club he played 152 games and scored 69 goals in a 5 year period.

He moved on next to Bologna, his first season there was a good one, but the successive year Vinício played only a few contests, he had hot competition for his place with youngster Harald Nielsen in the squad.

In the summer of 1962 he returned disconsolate to Brazil, after finding little football action in recent years with Bologna. However soon he was recalled to Italy from the leaders of the Lanerossi Vicenza who offered him a new contract. To Vinício joining Vicenza was like a second birth in Italian football.

After an average first year, he returned to scoring goals like in his prime, with 17 goals in the 1963-1964 season, which brought the club to 6th in Serie A. In 1964-1965 his performances were still decisive, helping Vicenzia to the tenth place in championship. The following season he scored 25 goals; a top-scoring record that would not be equalled again until Marco van Basten in 1991-1992.

In the summer of 1966 he left Vicenza because Helenio Herrera signed Luís Vinício to play for Inter Milan. His tenure in "nerazzurro" did not bring much luck however; he competed only 8 games for the club and scored one goal.

For the final season of his playing career, he returned to Vicenza at age 36. This season saw him take his total goal scoring record, for all games player in Serie A during his career to over 150 goals.

References