Sandro Ciotti Biography
Sandro Ciotti (1928 - 2003), born in Rome and died here in 2003, was a former footballer and journalist, a famous radio voice, in particular a reporter for Tutto il calcio minute by minute. At five years old Sandro begins to study the violin but music will only be a passion and another front of journalistic interest. He began playing in the youth teams of SS Lazio and later, in the role of midfielder, in Forlì and Anconitana in Serie C and in Frosinone in the fourth series, between the 1940s and 1950s. He soon discovered that his passion was reporting on the sporting exploits of others and so he began a career as a journalist, collaborating with Paese Sera, Il Messaggero and Giornale d'Italia. However, he confides to his godfather, the poet Trilussa, that he doesn't feel as good as his father, also a journalist. In 1958 he joined RAI, two years later he was the radio commentator of Denmark-Argentina, a football match valid for the Rome Olympics. In the following decades, he will recount over 2400 matches, 15 Tours of Italy, 9 Tours de France, a dozen Olympics and as many football World Cups. In history and in common speech, to indicate an unexpected result, his phrase Sensational al Cibali enters, when on 4 June 1961 he commented on Catania's incredible victory over Inter 2-0 at the Cibali stadium. His hoarse voice is the result of 14 consecutive hours of live broadcast in the rain, during the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. But this particular timbre is the symbol of 30 years of football, first on the radio, then also on television with his hosting of the Domenica Sportiva (for 5 years until 1991), when many have difficulty associating voice and face, unknown to most.
