Mario Frustalupi


Mario Frustalupi was an Italian footballer, who played as a midfielder.

Playing career

Born in Orvieto, Frustalupi debuted in Italian Serie A in 1963 with Sampdoria, for which he played in 8 seasons. In 1970, he moved to FC Internazionale, then in need of a replace for Luis Suárez, but Frustalupi disappointed the premises. With the Milanese team he won a scudetto and reached the final of the European Cup in 1972, losing against Ajax.
The following year he was sold to S.S. Lazio. Although he often quarrelled with the club's leading star striker Giorgio Chinaglia, he contributed to make the team one of the strongest in Italy, as shown by the side's scudetto victory in 1974. He also had a successful stint with A.C. Cesena, which under him reached its best result ever in the league, a sixth-place finish in Serie A and the right to play in the UEFA Cup.
In 1977 Frustalupi went to Pistoiese, being a protagonist of the first team's promotion to Serie A. He retired in 1981.

Death

Frustalupi died in a car accident in 1990.