ITALIAN football is in mourning once again following the sad death of former Torino manager Emiliano Mondonico.
The news comes less than a month of the shocking passing of Fiorentina captain Davide Astori.
Mondonico had been battling cancer for seven years, before the fatal disease sadly took him at the age of 71.
He started his playing career in 1966 and spent the majority of it in lower leagues, winning titles in Serie C and D.
His first managerial post arrived in 1981, as he helped guide Cremonese to the top flight within three years.
Mondonico then took over another of his former clubs in Atalanta and, after again leading them to promotion, he guided them to the semi-finals of the Cup Winners’ Cup in 1988.
Next came his most famous managerial spell, in charge of yet another side he represented as a player in Torino.
Mondonico took them to the 1992 Uefa Cup final after victory over Real Madrid in the semi-finals, and famously lifted his chair in protest at a refereeing decision, which is the act he is best known for.
They lost the match on away goals against Louis van Gaal‘s Ajax side, who would be champions of Europe three years later.
A year later, Torino won en epic two-legged Coppa Italia final against Roma, earning a 3-0 win at home before losing 5-2 in the return to clinch the cup on away goals.
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When it had been revealed he had been diagnosed with cancer, Torino fans met en masse and lifted chairs in the air as a tribute to their former manager.
Following a brief spell with Napoli, he took over as manager of Fiorentina in 2003, with La Viola going through a rebuilding process after financial difficulties, which had seen them relegated to the fourth tier.
He continued to manage in the lower leagues until 2012 — even after he had been diagnosed with cancer — but has been out of work since leaving Novara in 2012.
A keen Beatles fan, Mondonico had been desperate to travel to Liverpool with Atalanta for the Europa League clash with Everton in September.
However, he was unable to join up with his former side as his illness worsened.
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