The club mourns the passing of Lamberto Leonardi

The club is in mourning for former striker Lamberto Leonardi, who passed away on Tuesday. He was 81.

The striker, Rome-born and a product of the club's academy system, made over 100 appearances for his boyhood club in a career in Giallorosso that spanned more than a decade.

Leonardi was not even 20 when he made his debut for Roma - being handed the chance by the great Gunnar Nordahl in 1958. Loan spells at Cosenza, Prato and Modena followed, as the youngster slowly and steadily grew into a player capable of handling the demands of Serie A.

He returned to the first-team group in 1962 and, despite finding himself in a squad filled with talented forwards and attacking midfielders, slowly carved out a role for himself.

His first goal came against an old club, Modena, in February 1963 - Leonardi firing his side back in front despite wearing ripped boots that he was about to change. Roma would go on to win the match 3-1.

Known as 'Er Cicala' ('The Grasshopper') for the distinct way he moved on the pitch, Leonardi was a member of the club's Coppa Italia-winning side of 1964 - scoring three goals, two of them vital, along the way.

One of those was in the quarter-finals against Atalanta, another in the semis against Fiorentina. He then nearly missed the final entirely after being involved in a serious car crash days earlier, but he recovered in time to play his part in the win over Torino.

A beloved member of the side, he was eventually sold to Varese in 1966 - although the fact that six years later, at the orders of coach Helenio Herrera, the player was brought back to train with the side with a view to re-signing him underlines the esteem with which he was held inside the club.

In 2014 he was at the Stadio Olimpico alongside his teammates to celebrate the 50th anniversary of that cup victory - although in truth he was there at almost every game, watching the side from the sector reserved especially for ex-players.

Rest in peace, Bebo.

“For Roma I would have even played for free"

- Lamberto Leonardi