Gianfranco Zigoni, the rebel torn between Roma and Verona

A player with a rebellious streak who etched his name in Italian football history: Gianfranco Zigoni.

Nowadays Zigoni is a quiet 76-year-old living in Oderzo, near Treviso in the north-east of Italy. But back in his heyday, 50 years ago, he marked an era.

A left winger who wore No. 11, Zigoni came through the youth ranks at Juventus, where he won a Scudetto in 1967.

Three years later he joined Roma, going on to score 12 goals across 57 appearances in two seasons. He was then sold to Verona in 1972 and plied his trade for the Gialloblu until 1978.

He didn’t have a huge impact at Roma – certainly less than he would have liked. He did, however, win an Anglo-Italian Cup in 1972.

A year later he helped Verona pull off an extraordinary feat on the final day of the season, 20 May 1973, when AC Milan visited the Stadio Bentegodi.

The Rossoneri needed to beat Hellas, who had already secured their top-flight status, to remain a point ahead of Juventus, who were playing away to Roma, and Lazio, who had to go to Napoli.

AC Milan were odds-on favourites to claim a tenth Scudetto crown but, with Zigoni in irresistible form jinking his way through the Rossoneri defence, Verona ran out 5-3 winners. Meanwhile Lazio lost in Naples, meaning Juventus won the title.

That was the day ‘la fatal Verona’ entered the Serie A lexicon.

Zigoni hung up his boots in 1980 but his legend lived on, courtesy of the many anecdotes. One day Ferruccio Valcareggi, the Verona coach, left him out of the team. So he decided to take his place on the bench in fox fur coat and a cowboy hat.

Although he only spent two seasons at Roma, he always speaks fondly of the Giallorossi in every interview. He once described his relationship with the club in an interview with Roma Radio: “I see Roma as a people who I identified with them. I only spent two seasons at Roma but it’s as if I lived there 100 years.”

He began his career at Juventus but never felt like a Juventus player: “Nowadays players argue over the number 7, 9, or 11. I’d have been happy to play with no number but in a Giallorossi shirt. At Juve I was a number; at Roma I was a man.”

Gianfranco Zigoni loved both Roma and Rome: “The best time of the day was when I woke up in the morning and saw Rome.”

On the eve of the game that means the most to him, Verona v Roma, Zigoni reveals: “I’d like to die wearing the Roma shirt and the Verona scarf. They are the two teams that I received more from than I gave.

"I don’t want to be buried; I want to go up to heaven so I can help them both from there.”

Does Zigoni feel more Romanista or more Veronese? “When you’re born, you have a mum and a dad. Verona and Roma are my mum and dad.”