Udinese Club Focus: Death of a Legend – Teofilo Sanson

Date: 8th February 2014 at 7:10pm
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On January 31, 2014, Teofilo Sanson passed away in Verona at the age of 87.

An entrepreneur of ice cream and a supporter of sports, Sanson was born in Conegliano in 1927 as the youngest of 12 siblings. Though he is known throughout Italy for various enterprises and contributed to vast areas of society, he will always be remember in Udine as the Chairman of Udinese who saved the club from fading into obscurity as he lead the dazzle from 1976 to 1981.

The Supporter

Sanson was an overall lover of sport, personally and corporately dominating the sporting world. His name was infamous with cycling, having been involved with both Eddy Merckx (the Belgium cyclist, considered to be the best pro-cyclist) and Francesco Moser (considered third best, based on ranking). He also led Rugby Rovigo to two titles and supported various soccer and water polo clubs.

The Football

However, it was Sanson’s role as Udinese Chairman from 1976 – 1981 that he is best remembered for in Udine, where, because of his leadership, the club experienced a renaissance like no other.

Sanson’s influence over the Zebrette began in 1976, when then-A.C Udinese dissolved after a series of losses and a new establishment was formed via the contributions of supporter and capital shares. Sanson, along with then-former deputy president, Lino Midolini, recreated a new Udinese and began to establish a new era—and order—for the Friulano club.

With Sanson as Chairman, and his handpicked staff supporting him, the club completely transformed over just two seasons, seeing a double promotion from Serie C to Serie A in just two years, as well as surviving a betting scandal involving illegal soccer pools, which resulted in Lazio relegated after Udinese appealed their case, winning their claim and remaining in Serie A.

Additionally, Sanson was also in charge for overseeing the opening of the Stadio Friuli, after it became the club’s stadium replacing the Stadio Moretti. Sanson’s first year of Chairman was also the officially opening of the Stadio Fruili, with its panoramic Alp views and more intimate setting.

The Entrepreneur

But despite all the success he had with Udinese, Sanson’s most influential act with the club had nothing to do with actual soccer. Rather, it was his manipulation of business and sport that remains arguably his biggest contribution to sport culture.

During the 1978 – 1979 season, when Udinese was fighting for promotion into Serie A, Sanson places his ice cream company’s logo onto the Zebrette’s shorts. At the time it went against regulations and he was reportedly fined 50 million lire for the then unheard of act. The move would go on to not only cement his place in team history, but also in the corporate culture of soccer, opening the gates to future club sponsorships.

However, the move was not just influential for soccer, when asked about the impact on his decision to promote his company with his team, Sanson reportedly claimed, “I have never sold so many ice creams as when I made this choice.”

The Ice Cream

And it was really the ice cream that really began everything. In 1948, Sanson started an ice cream parlor in Turin which later would become a factory and laboratory, manufacturing Gelati Sanson, which in its most successful years had sales of almost 100 billion lire and produced a million ice creams per day.

Sanson was a legend, in both Udine and in Italy. As a sign of respect to the former Chairman, Udinese wore black armbands during their 2 – 0 win over Bologna the day after Sanson’s death. Current Udinese owner Giampaolo Pozzo attended Sanson’s memorial and expressed his deepest condolences on behalf of his family and the club on his predecessor’s death.

Grasie Teofilo.

 

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