Bruno Bolchi


Bruno Bolchi is an Italian retired football manager and former player, who played as a midfielder. Throughout his playing career, he played for Inter, Verona, Atalanta, and Torino, as well as the Italy national football team.

Club career

Born in Milan, Bolchi made his debut at the age of 18 with F.C. Internazionale Milano in a Serie A away match lost 1–0 to S.S.C. Napoli on 18 May 1958. He played six seasons with the nerazzurri, with 109 caps and 10 goals, gaining the nickname Maciste, due to his imposing physique, strength, and hard-tackling style of play. He captained the side between 1961 and 1962 and obtained notable success during his spell with the club, winning the Serie A title in 1963, and the European Cup in 1964. He then played for Serie B side Verona, and returned to play in the top division for Atalanta and Torino, where he ended his playing career in 1970, also winning the Coppa Italia with the latter club in 1968.

International career

Bolchi appeared for the Italian team on four occasions, all in 1961.

Managerial career

Bolchi started his coaching career in 1971 with Pro Patria, then a Seconda Categoria club. In 1974, he had his first professional coaching job at Sorrento. He also coached Pistoiese, winning the 1976–77 Serie C title, earning promotion into Serie B. He first coached a Serie A team, Cesena, in 1982, but did not manage to save it from relegation. Since then, Bolchi made just two appearances as Serie A coach, despite his long career all over the country: in 1985–86, his third season as Bari's boss which followed two consecutive promotions from Serie C1 to the top tier of Italian football; however, Bolchi was not able to save the biancorossi. In 1988–89, he had his last Serie A job before 2007, as Pisa head coach, but he was sacked after the 22nd matchday.
On 23 April 2007, with just five matches remaining before the end of the league, Bolchi was appointed head coach of Messina, a team he already coached in their 1975–76 Serie C campaign and, for six matches, at the end of the 2002–03 season, in Serie B. He did not manage to avoid relegation, also due to Messina's poor league table well before his appointment, and finally retired from football after the end of the season.

Honours

Player

Inter
Torino
Pistoiese
Bari