From Goal-Scoring Hero to Tragedy: Marco Negri’s Career Ended by a Ball to the Eye

Only the most dedicated Serie A fans remember the Italian forward, Marco Negri. He never made it to the top clubs, and the best teams on his resume were Udinese, Bologna, and Cagliari. However, he made a splash in a big club in the UK.

In the summer of 1997, the Scottish club Rangers signed the forward to secure their 10th consecutive championship title. Marco immediately became a goal-scoring machine. He scored two goals in the opening match, a five-goal haul in the second, and five more in the following three games. Negri was doing something fantastic, netting 23 goals in the first 10 matches. Naturally, he also scored against Celtic.

By Christmas, everything was going great for the forward — recognition in the UK, a friendship with Paul Gascoigne, and his first call-up to the national team at 27. Marco also picked up a new sport — squash, which he enjoyed playing with fellow Italian teammate Sergio Porrini. Squash players are advised to wear protective glasses, but one day, Negri forgot and got hit in the eye by a ball traveling at over 100 km/h.

The result: a detached retina, surgery, and rehabilitation. He returned to the field in February but struggled, mainly because the injury impaired his peripheral vision. Yes, Marco still finished the season with 32 goals and the league’s Golden Boot, but his form was never the same, and the title went to Celtic.

Negri started the next season poorly, so he was loaned out to Vicenza in the second half. There, he also suffered a back injury, which broke him entirely and sent him back home. But in Glasgow, the forward remains a legend forever!

Published by Patrick Jane
21.10.2024