Former Perugia Calcio Owner Luciano Gaucci passes away at the age of 81
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Former Perugia President Luciano Gaucci has died at the age of 81, a legendary figure in 1990s Serie A.
He owned Perugia Calcio, a football club based in Perugia, Umbria. Viterbese Calcio, a football club based in Viterbo, Lazio; S.S. Sambenedettese Calcio, a football club based in San Benedetto del Tronto, Marche, Calcio Catania, a football club based in Catania, Sicily
After Perugia fell bankrupt in 2005, the Italian magistrature started an inquiry into him and his sons Alessandro and Riccardo; after these events, Luciano Gaucci escaped to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic where he stayed for four years in hiding. He was subsequently sentenced to a three-year suspended jail sentence. Gaucci returned to Italy in March 2009.
Gaucci signed Ahn Jung-Hwan, then announced he was firing the player because he scored the winning goal for South Korea against Italy in the 2002 World Cup.
This was a bit of showmanship from Gaucci, seeing as Ahn was only ever on loan and Perugia had no intention of keeping him anyway.
Gaucci then signed the son of Libyan dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, Al-Saadi, who was on the club’s books from 2003 to 2005.
Al-Saadi Gaddafi made only three competitive appearances in a Perugia shirt and spent much of that time suspended for anti-doping violations.
Gaucci tried to take advantage of a loophole by fielding the first female player in a Serie A team, but all those he approached turned him down.
He did eventually appoint the first female coach in Italian football, hiring Carolina Morace to Viterbese in 1999.
He was also vice-president of Roma football club during the presidential period of Dino Viola in the 1980s.
Gaucci’s son, Riccardo, is the chairman of Maltese football team Floriana after being appointed President in 2014.
Riccardo Gaucci served as vice-president of Perugia at the time when Luciano Gaucci was the owner of the club and between 2000 and 2004, he was president of Catania. He led Catania to promotion to the Serie B at the end of 2001/02.
