Raffaele Sansone (20 September 1910 – 11 September 1994) was an Italo-Uruguayan football player and coach. Born in Montevideo, Uruguay, to Italian immigrant parents originally from Salerno, he played as a midfielder and represented the Italy national team as an oriundo (a player of Italian descent born abroad).
Early life and club career
Sansone began his professional career in Uruguay with Peñarol in 1931. He subsequently moved to Italy, where he spent the majority of his playing career with Bologna FC. Over more than a decade with the club (spanning the 1930s and early 1940s), he won the Serie A championship four times and the Mitropa Cup twice. His career at Bologna was interrupted by a brief return to Peñarol during the 1933–34 season before he rejoined Bologna. He later moved to Napoli, where he played one match before retiring as a player.
International career
Because his parents were from Salerno, Sansone qualified to play for the Italy national team as an oriundo. He earned a total of three caps for Italy, two of which came as a starter during the 1931–32 Central European International Cup campaign, in which Italy finished as runner-up and won the silver medal.
Managerial career
After retiring as a player, Sansone became a coach. He served as player-manager at Napoli during the 1945–46 season, and later managed Bologna in 1951 and Bari during the 1952–53 season.
Honours
- Bologna: Serie A champion (four titles); Mitropa Cup winner (twice)
- Italy: Central European International Cup runner-up (1931–32)
Death
Sansone died on 11 September 1994 in Bologna, Italy, at the age of 83.
