Luciano Tessari

Luciano Tessari was born on 29 September 1928 in San Martino Buon Albergo, a town in the province of Verona. He started out as a goalkeeper with the local club, making his first team debut in 1946-47, and then joined Hellas Verona, where he played in the youth side before becoming part of the senior squad in Serie B. He made 26 league appearances in two seasons with Verona.

In 1950 he moved to Roma and made his Serie A debut in 1950-51, the season in which the club was relegated for the only time in its history. After Roma returned to the top flight he spent 1951-52 with Fiorentina, came back to Roma for 1952-53 and then played 1953-54 with Palermo, who were relegated after losing a play-off. He returned to Roma for a third time and stayed four seasons before retiring in 1958, having played for the club in three separate spells.

In 1963 Tessari was hired by AC Milan to run its youth teams at the newly opened Milanello training ground. In 1964-65 his side won the Campionato Primavera, his first trophy as a coach and the only Primavera title in Milan's history. From 1965 to 1967 he was also goalkeeping coach of the first team under Nils Liedholm.

Returning to Rome to work with Roma's youth teams, he was asked in April 1971 to take charge of the first team after the club dismissed Helenio Herrera. He began with a 5-0 win over Catania and guided the team to the end of the season, also winning the Armando Picchi league trophy, before Herrera was recalled. In 1973-74 he replaced Humberto Rosa at newly promoted Latina in Serie C but could not prevent relegation, and he later coached youth sides at Almas and the Lazio regional representative team, and Pro Cisterna in Serie D in 1978-79.

When Liedholm took over Roma at the end of the 1970s he chose Tessari as his assistant and goalkeeping coach. Their partnership brought Roma its second Scudetto in 1982-83 and the Coppa Italia in 1979-80, 1980-81 and 1983-84, and the team reached the 1984 European Cup final at the Stadio Olimpico, losing to Liverpool on penalties. In summer 1984 Milan president Giussy Farina brought Liedholm back to Milan and Tessari went with him, serving as assistant until 1987, when Fabio Capello took charge.

Tessari made his home in Rome, the city where he spent most of his football life. Few details of his family have been published. In 2015 he received the Premio Sette Colli, an award given to the great figures of Roma's history.

Luciano Tessari died in Rome on 10 November 2026, aged 98, having celebrated his birthday in September. His death was announced by AS Roma on social media and reported by Il Romanista. The club said: "AS Roma mourns the passing of Luciano Tessari, historic giallorosso goalkeeper, coach of the first team and youth sector and deputy to Nils Liedholm in the 1982/83 Scudetto season. A piece of our history, a man who left his mark on the Roma family. The club holds his family and loved ones close in their grief." No cause of death was made public.

Tessari is remembered at Roma as a club man who served it as a player, youth coach, caretaker manager and assistant, and as the trusted right hand of Nils Liedholm during the most successful period in the club's history up to that time. At Milan, his 1964-65 Primavera title remains a unique honour for the club's youth sector. His career, stretching from post-war Serie B to a European Cup final, made him one of the longest lived links to Roma's past.