Ninão

Ninão
Personal information
Full name	João Fantoni
Date of birth	24 June 1905
Place of birth	Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Date of death	19 July 1982 (aged 77)
Place of death	Belo Horizonte, Brazil
Position(s)	Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team
1922–1931	Palestra Itália-MG
1931–1935	Lazio
1935–1938	Palestra Itália-MG
Managerial career
1937	Palestra Itália-MG
1943–1944	Cruzeiro
1959	Cruzeiro
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14 February 2024

João Fantoni (24 June 1905 – 19 July 1987), better known as Ninão or Fantoni I, was a Brazilian professional footballer and manager, who played as a forward.

Career[edit]

One of the first great idols in the history of Cruzeiro EC, Ninão is one of the greatest goalscorers in the club's history, with 167 goals in 127 matches (1.41 per game). He was runner-up for the club in 1922, 1923 and 1924, and three-times champion in 1928, 1929 and 1930, being top scorer in these three editions, with emphasis on 1928 with 43 goals.^[1] Some sources credit him with scoring 10 goals in a single match, against Alves Nogueira, a feat that would equal that of Dadá Maravilha in the Sport Recife 14–0 Santo Amaro match.^[2]

Alongside his brother (Niginho), he was hired by the SS Lazio in 1931, remaining until 1934 when he returned to Brazil with the increase in political tension in Italy due to the Abyssinia Crisis. Ninão returned to Cruzeiro and ended his career in 1938. He was also a member of the club's board and coach on three occasions: 1937, 1943–1944, when he was state champion, and 1959.^[3]^[4]^[5]

Personal life[edit]

Ninão is brother os also footballers Niginho (Leonídio Fantoni) and Orlando Fantoni, cousin of Nininho Fantoni, and father of Benito Fantoni and Fernando Fantoni.

Honours[edit]

Player[edit]

Cruzeiro

Campeonato Mineiro: 1928, 1929, 1930
Campeonato AMET: 1926

Individual

1928 Campeonato Mineiro top scorer: 43 goals
1929 Campeonato Mineiro top scorer: 33 goals
1930 Campeonato Mineiro top scorer: 18 goals

Manager[edit]

Cruzeiro

Campeonato Mineiro: 1943

References[edit]

^ "Ninão: A melhor média de gols da história celeste". Guerreiro dos Gramados (in Portuguese). 31 January 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
^ "Cruzeiro 100 anos: time de 1928 teve 91 gols, Ninão como artilheiro e com 10 gols em um jogo". GloboEsporte (in Portuguese). 3 January 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
^ "João Fantoni". Cruzeiropédia (in Portuguese). Retrieved 14 February 2024.
^ "Faltam 86 dias: Artilheiro nato, Ninão começou a colocar os Fantoni na história do Cruzeiro". Hoje Em Dia (in Portuguese). 7 October 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
^ "Que fim levou? Ninão (Ex-atacante do Palestra Itália/Cruzeiro)". Terceiro Tempo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 14 February 2024.

External links[edit]

Ninão at ogol.com.br (in Brazilian Portuguese)

[1] "Ninão: A melhor média de gols da história celeste". Guerreiro dos Gramados (in Portuguese). 31 January 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2024.

[2] "Cruzeiro 100 anos: time de 1928 teve 91 gols, Ninão como artilheiro e com 10 gols em um jogo". GloboEsporte (in Portuguese). 3 January 2021. Retrieved 14 February 2024.

[3] "João Fantoni". Cruzeiropédia (in Portuguese). Retrieved 14 February 2024.

[4] "Faltam 86 dias: Artilheiro nato, Ninão começou a colocar os Fantoni na história do Cruzeiro". Hoje Em Dia (in Portuguese). 7 October 2020. Retrieved 14 February 2024.

[Terceiro_Tempo-5] "Que fim levou? Ninão (Ex-atacante do Palestra Itália/Cruzeiro)". Terceiro Tempo (in Portuguese). Retrieved 14 February 2024.

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