Ezio Vendrame

Italian soccer player, called the Italian Great One. Described in the media as a "classic number ten," Vendrame was a talented and creative yet tenacious midfielder, who could play as an offensive central midfielder, as a mezzala, or as a winger.

He was regarded as one of the most promising young Italian players early in his career, even earning the nickname "the Italian George Best," due to his physical appearance (namely his beard and long hair), skills, playing style, movements, position, rebellious personality, and anti–conformist "hippy" lifestyle off the pitch.

He turned his attention to writing poetry and literature and in 2002 published a book in which he covered soccer, as seen at the time, influenced by drugs and sex. Vendrame died of cancer at the age of 72 on 4 April 2020 in Treviso, Italy.