Mario Frustalupi

Mario Frustalupi (12 September 1942 – 14 April 1990) was an Italian footballer who was a midfielder.

Playing career
Born in Orvieto (Umbria), Frustalupi debuted in Italian Serie A in 1963 with Sampdoria, for which he played for 8 seasons. A promising player in this youth, in 1970, he moved to FC Internazionale, then in need of a replacement for playmaker Luis Suárez in midfield, but Frustalupi disappointed and failed to live up to his potential, also struggling for a place in the starting line-up due to the presence of star player Sandro Mazzola. With the Milanese team, he won a scudetto and reached the final of the European Cup in 1972, losing against Ajax.

The following year, he was sold to S.S. Lazio. Although he often quarrelled with the club's leading star striker, Giorgio Chinaglia, he made the team one of the strongest in Italy, as shown by the side's scudetto victory in 1974. He also had a successful stint with A.C. Cesena, which under him reached its best result ever in the league, a sixth-place finish in Serie A and the right to play in the UEFA Cup.

In 1977, Frustalupi went to Pistoiese, being a protagonist of the first team's promotion to Serie A. He retired in 1981.

Death
Frustalupi died on the highway near San Salvatore Monferrato in a car accident in 1990 while he was going to Cervinia to join the family on holidays.