Enzo Scifo

Vincenzo "Enzo" Daniele Scifo (Italian pronunciation: [ˈɛntso ʃˈʃiːfo]; born 19 February 1966)[1] is a retired Belgian football midfielder who is regarded as one of Belgium's greatest ever footballers. He has also managed the Belgium national under-21 football team and several Belgian club sides. He played for clubs in Belgium, France and Italy, where he won several domestic titles. At international level, he was a member of the Belgian national team, for which he appeared in four FIFA World Cups, being one of three Belgian players ever to do so.

Enzo Scifo
Personal information
Full name Vincenzo Daniele Scifo
Date of birth (1966-02-19) 19 February 1966
Place of birth La Louvière, Belgium
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1983–1987 Anderlecht 119 (32)
1987–1988 Internazionale 28 (4)
1988–1989 Bordeaux 24 (7)
1989–1991 Auxerre 67 (25)
1991–1993 Torino 62 (16)
1993–1997 AS Monaco 91 (20)
1997–2000 Anderlecht 75 (14)
2000–2001 Charleroi 12 (3)
Total 478 (121)
National team
1984–1998 Belgium 84 (18)
Teams managed
2001–2002 Charleroi
2004–2006 Tubize
2007–2009 Mouscron
2012–2013 Mons
2015–2016 Belgium U21
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Early life

Scifo was born in La Louvière, Wallonia, to Italian parents from Sicily.[2][3][4] He proved himself a highly promising talent in youth football and was nicknamed "Little Pelé" at his local team, where he scored 432 goals in only four seasons as a junior.[3][5] Scifo joined his local club R.A.A. Louviéroise as a seven-year-old in 1973.[3] He transferred to Belgium's most successful club, R.S.C. Anderlecht, in 1982.[3]

Club career

Scifo made his first team debut with R.S.C. Anderlecht in 1983, at the age of 17.[5] After winning three Belgian First Division championships with the club, and helping the team to the 1984 UEFA Cup Final, only to lose out to Tottenham on penalties, Scifo earned a reputation as one of the most promising young stars of his generation,[3] and moved to Italian club Internazionale in 1987 for a fee of 7.5 billion Lire.[6] After an unsuccessful spell in Milan, which saw him manage only four league goals in 28 appearances, he moved to French club Bordeaux in 1988 where he again disappointed, and faced injuries and conflict with senior squad members.[3][7] His career was revived by a successful move to Auxerre in 1989, at the age of 23, under manager Guy Roux, which led to a return to Italy with Torino in 1991;[8] his second spell in Serie A was more successful, as he reached the 1992 UEFA Cup Final in his first season with Torino, and won the Coppa Italia the following season.[5] Scifo then moved to AS Monaco in 1993, where he endured a similar level of success and won the French championship in 1997.[5] He returned to Anderlecht later that year and won his fourth Belgian league title in the 1999–2000 season.[9] He joined Charleroi in 2000, but retired later in the same season, at the age of 36, after being diagnosed with chronic arthritis.[3][10] In total, Scifo scored 121 league goals in 478 official matches.[3]

International career

Scifo made his senior international debut on 6 June 1984 for Belgium, in a 2–2 friendly draw against Hungary.[11] In Belgium's opening group match of UEFA Euro 1984, on 13 June, he attracted much publicity when he helped his team to a 2–0 victory over Yugoslavia; at the age of 18 years and 115 days, he was the youngest player ever to appear in the finals at the time.[5][12] Scifo featured in all three of Belgium's group matches in the tournament, as they placed third in their group and suffered a first round elimination.[13]

He appeared for Belgium in the 1986, 1990, 1994, and 1998 World Cups, playing sixteen games in total;[14] he is one of only 14 players to have participated in four World Cups, and one of only three Belgian players ever to do so.[5] Scifo helped his nation to the semi-finals of the 1986 edition of the tournament in Mexico, playing in all seven of his team's matches and scoring two goals as Belgium finished the tournament in fourth place; he was named the best young player of the tournament for his performances throughout the competition.[4][5] In the 1990 edition of the tournament, held in Italy, Scifo scored a notable goal from long range in Belgium's 3-1 first round victory over Uruguay, on 17 June, held in Verona;[5] the goal was later elected as the tenth greatest FIFA World Cup goal of the Century in a 2002 poll, with 2,935 votes.[15] Belgium were eventually eliminated in the second round against England; four years later, at U.S.A. '94, the Belgian side were once again eliminated in the second round.[5] Scifo retired from international football after Belgium's first round elimination in the 1998 World Cup held in France;[5] in total he gained eighty-four international caps and scored eighteen goals.[16]

Style of play

A highly creative midfielder with an eye for goal, Scifo was a classic number 10 playmaker who usually played as an attacking midfielder behind the strikers; he was also capable of playing as a central midfielder, where he functioned as a deep-lying playmaker, or as a wide midfielder along the right flank. Considered one of Belgium's greatest ever players, his primary traits as a footballer were his excellent vision, tactical intelligence, and technical skills, which allowed him to orchestrate his team's attacking moves from midfield; he was also highly regarded for his balance on the ball, and his ability to dribble with his head up, as well as his accurate shooting and passing ability with his right foot, which enabled him both to score goals or create chances for his teammates. However, despite his talent, he was also criticised by his managers at times for his poor defensive work-rate off the ball, his introverted character, and for being selfish and inefficient at times, in particular in his youth, as he attempted too many individual dribbling runs, rather than looking to provide a simpler pass to an open teammate. Throughout his career, his unique playing style drew comparisons with Gianni Rivera, Giancarlo Antognoni, and his idol Michel Platini.[3][6]

After retirement

Scifo tried his hand at coaching with R. Charleroi S.C., joining them for the 2000–01 season. Indifferent results led to his resignation in June 2002. He later coached Tubize between 2004 and 2006, and later became head trainer of R.E. Mouscron, another Belgian League team, in 2007. On 6 June 2009 Scifo quit Mouscron due to the club's difficult financial situation.[17]

In May 2006, he was part of the historic first European Selection, led by former England manager Terry Venables and Josep Mª Fusté which had its début in Eindhoven in the first EFPA Match.

Scifo returned to club football with Mons between 2012 and 2013. Between 2015 and 2016, he served as the manager of the Belgium national under-21 football team.

Career statistics

Club
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
Belgium League Belgian Cup League Cup Europe Total
1983–84AnderlechtBelgian League255
1984–853014
1985–86315
1986–87338
Italy League Coppa Italia League Cup Europe Total
1987–88Internazionale Milano[18]Serie A284100--61445
France League Coupe de France Coupe de la Ligue Europe Total
1988–89Girondins BordeauxDivision 1247
1989–90AuxerreDivision 13311
1990–913414
Italy League Coppa Italia League Cup Europe Total
1991–92Torino[19]Serie A30950--1124611
1992–9332762--40429
France League Coupe de France Coupe de la Ligue Europe Total
1993–94AS MonacoDivision 1316
1994–95112
1995–96347
1996–97155
Belgium League Belgian Cup League Cup Europe Total
1997–98AnderlechtBelgian League304
1998–99278
1999–2000172
2000–01CharleroiBelgian League123
Total Belgium 20549
Italy 9020
France 18252
Total 477121

International
Belgium national team[20]
YearAppsGoals
198481
198531
1986123
198740
198840
198950
199092
199163
199261
199354
199460
199532
199640
199740
199851
Total8418

International goals
Scores and results list Belgium's goal tally first.[20]
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.17 October 1984Heysel Stadium, Brussels Albania2–13–11986 World Cup qualifier
2.27 March 1985Heysel Stadium, Brussels Greece2–02–01986 World Cup qualifier
3.8 June 1986Estadio Nemesio Díez, Toluca Iraq1–02–11986 World Cup
4.15 June 1986Estadio Nou Camp, León Soviet Union1–14–31986 World Cup
5.10 September 1986Heysel Stadium, Brussels Republic of Ireland2–12–2Euro 1988 qualifier
6.26 May 1990Heysel Stadium, Brussels Romania1–02–2Friendly
7.17 June 1990Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi, Verona Uruguay2–03–11990 World Cup
8.27 February 1991Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, Brussels Luxembourg3–03–0Euro 1992 qualifier
9.11 September 1991Stade Josy Barthel, Luxembourg Luxembourg1–02–0Euro 1992 qualifier
10.9 October 1991Sóstói Stadion, Székesfehérvár Hungary2–02–0Friendly
11.25 March 1992Parc des Princes, Paris France2–13–3Friendly
12. 13 February 1993Makario Stadium, Nicosia Cyprus1–03–01994 World Cup qualifier
13.2–0
14.22 May 1993Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, Brussels Faroe Islands2–03–01994 World Cup qualifier
15.13 October 1993Stadionul Steaua, Bucharest Romania1–21–21994 World Cup qualifier
16. 7 June 1995Philip II Arena, Skopje North Macedonia2–05–0Euro 1996 qualifier
17.5–0
18.6 June 1998King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels Paraguay1–01–0Friendly

Honours

Club
RSC Anderlecht[3]
AS Monaco[3]
Torino[3]

International

Belgium

Individual

References
  1. "World Cup History > Best Players of All Times > Belgium > Enzo Scifo". us.terra.com. Archived from the original on 22 February 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  2. Emanuela Audisio (23 April 1987). repubblica.it (ed.). "Italiano per forza". Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  3. "Scifo, a Red Devil with divine gifts". FIFA. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  4. "Enzo SCIFO". FIFA. Retrieved 8 November 2013.
  5. "Planet World Cup – Legends – Enzo Scifo". Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  6. EMANUELA AUDISIO (23 April 1987). "ITALIANO PER FORZA". La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 3 January 2016.
  7. EXKLUSIV Interview mit Enzo Scifo
  8. MyDict Team. "Enzo – hat folgende Bedeutung". Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  9. "International Football Betting Tips – Bet £10 Get £30 with Betfair". Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  10. "WM-Rekordspieler, Platz 19: Enzo Scifo: Der „rote Teufel" tanzte viermal auf der WM-Bühne". Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  11. "SCIFO, Vincenzo (Enzo)". Treccani: Enciclopedia dello Sport (in Italian). 2002. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  12. "Scifo helps Belgium to overcome Yugoslavia". UEFA. 4 October 2003. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  13. "Teenager Willems breaks Scifo's record". UEFA. 9 June 2012. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  14. World Football Legends | Players | Enzo Scifo Archived 25 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  15. "Diego Maradona goal voted the FIFA World Cup Goal of the Century". FIFA. 30 May 2002. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  16. SPIEGEL ONLINE, Hamburg, Germany (16 August 1999). "Ausland: Fußball-Star Enzo Scifo außer Lebensgefahr". SPIEGEL ONLINE. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
  17. Enzo Scifo décide de jeter l'éponge Archived 11 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine
  18. Archivio.inter.it
  19. Archiviotoro.it Archived 2 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  20. Karel Stokkermans (16 May 2013). "Vincenzo "Enzo" Scifo – International Appearances". RSSSF.com. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  21. "Anderlecht wint de Ligabeker".
  22. "Tijdperk-Vanden Stock: 20 landstitels, 8 bekers en 3 Europabekers".
  23. "Jules Pappaert Cup".
  24. "Winnaars Brugse Metten".
  25. "Rode Duivels Ploeg van het Jaar".
  26. "FIFA 1986 World Cup".
  27. "Winnaars Gouden Schoen".
  28. "Ballon d'Or 1984".
  29. "Ballon d'Or 1990".
  30. "Ballon d'Or 1992".
  31. "Ballon d'Or 1993".
  32. "Planet World Cup - Legends - Enzo Scifo". www.planetworldcup.com. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  33. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 5 September 2015. Retrieved 16 October 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  34. "Profvoetballer van het Jaar".
  35. UEFA.com (15 January 2004). "Aruna voted Belgium's finest | Inside UEFA". UEFA.com. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  36. "Het beste Gouden Schoen-elftal ooit".
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