JOSÉ 'MAZZOLA' ALTAFINI

Born in Brazil, where he was known as Mazzola, José Altafini is one of a select group of players to represent two different countries in the World Cup finals. As well as short international careers with both Brazil and Italy, he enjoyed a successful domestic career in Serie A over a period of nearly twenty years.

Starting out on his playing career at Rio club Palmeiras in 1955, "Mazzola" scored 77 goals in a three year spell and earned a place in the Brazilian squad for the 1958 World Cup in Sweden. Although he did not play in the final as Brazil took the title for the first time, he did appear three times in the tournament and scored twice against Austria in the opening match.

Following the World Cup Altafini moved to Italy and to AC Milan, where he was a part of the Serie A title winning teams in 1959 and 1962. His form for AC Milan caught the attention of the Italian national team, and with rules on eligibility more relaxed than today he was able to play for Italy in the 1962 World Cup in Chile. Italy failed to get past the First Round, and Altafini did not play international football again.

He spent another three years at AC Milan and lead the team to a European Cup win in 1963, scoring both goals in the final against Benfica at Wembley. After scoring more than 150 league goals over seven years in Milan, Altafini moved on to Napoli in 1965.

Spending seven years in Naples, the goals continued to come but success was elusive, and it was a move to Juventus in 1972 that provided the successful ending to Altafini's career in Italy. In four years in Turin he won two more Serie A Championships, in 1973 and 1976. His playing career would end in Switzerland, where he spent three years playing for Chiasso. Over a career lasting nearly twenty-five years, Altafini scored more than 350 league goals in Brazil, Italy and Switzerland before moving into a career in television.