Gianpietro Marchetti, former Atalanta and Juventus player, dies aged 78

Gianpietro Marchetti, former Atalanta, Juventus and Italy player, has died aged 78. He also enjoyed success as Piacenza's sporting director when they reached Serie A for the first time in the mid-1990s, with Leonardo Garilli as president and Gigi Cagni in the dugout.

His life: Marchetti played at left-back, centre-back and defensive midfield. He won two Serie A titles with Juventus and made five appearances for Italy before beginning his career as a club official at Triestina in the 1980s. In 1988, he arrived at Garilli's Piacenza and helped build the team that rose from Serie C to Serie A and became unforgettable. Walter Novellino later took over in the dugout, but Marchetti stayed at Piacenza until 2001, overseeing four promotions (one to Serie B, three to Serie A) and six seasons in the top flight.