Ermes Muccinelli was born on July 28, 1927, in Lugo near Ravenna.
He started playing football in an orphanage in Fabriago di Lugo with his little brother. In the early 1940s he played a game against the Lugo youth team and scored 6 goals. The brothers were clearly underfed, but Ermes impressed on the pitch. Sergio Geminiani, a young kid at the time but who would later become a footballer, mentioned Muccinelli to the President of Baracca Lugo who immediately made sure the brothers were fed. Geminiani, together with a few other youngsters, used to take food on their bikes to them.
From Lugo, Ermes briefly played for Biellese in 1945-46 and then moved to Turin and joined Juventus. He debuted in Serie A on November 24 in the home match won by the Bianconeri against Triestina. In the late 1940s and early 50s he formed a magnificent attacking duo with John Hansen and won two championships: 1949-50 and 1950-51. He played in Turin until 1955 with 226 appearances and 60 goals.
In 1955 he joined Lazio and stayed for three years appearing in 93 games and scoring 19 goals. Loved by the fans, Muccinelli was a small winger who was a great assist man but also scored goals himself. He left the Biancocelesti in 1958 hence just missed out on winning Lazio’s first silverware, the Coppa Italia of 1958.
He romantically wanted to have one last year at Juve before retiring and he did just that in 1958-59. He returned briefly to football in 1960 to play three games for Como in Serie B.
He played 15 times for Italy and scored 4 goals. He participated in the 1950 World Cup (two appearances with one goal) as well as the 1954 edition (two appearances).
Once he retired, he settled in Liguria at Torre del Mare, near Savona where he died on November 4, 1994.
The Lugo stadium is named after him.
Lazio Career
Season | Serie A Appearances | Serie A Goals |
1955-56 | 32 | 9 |
1956-57 | 29 | 5 |
1957-58 | 32 | 5 |
Total | 93 | 19 |
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