Tottenham fitness coach Gian Piero Ventrone has tragically died aged 62.
The Italian joined Spurs in 2021 as part of Antonio Conte’s side.
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Known as ‘The Marine’, Ventrone was popular with Tottenham players
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The 62-year-old died on Thursday morning and the club said he will be missed by everyone
Ventrone followed fellow Italian Antonio Conte to Tottenham in 2021
Ventrone died suddenly of fulminant leukemia on Thursday morning.
A Spurs statement read: “We are devastated to announce that fitness trainer Gian Piero Ventrone has passed away.
“As lovable off the pitch as he was demanding, Gian Piero has quickly become a hugely popular figure with players and staff alike.
“He will be greatly missed by everyone at the Club and our thoughts are with his family and friends at this incredibly sad time.”
Nicknamed ‘The Marine’ due to his intense training, the Napoli native spent ten years at Juventus between 1994 and 2004.
During his time with the Old Lady, he worked under the likes of Marcello Lippi and Carlo Ancelotti.
Ventrone spent ten years at Juventus from 1994 to 2004
He then moved to France to become assistant manager at Ajaccio, while he also enjoyed time in China at Jiangsu Suning and Guangzhou Evergrande.
Ventrone was held in high respect by the Tottenham squad, with Son Heung-min recently congratulating him after his hat-trick against Leicester.
The pair were seen hugging after the 6-2 win over the Foxes last month.
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Son Heung-min praised Ventrone after his hat-trick against Leicester last month
Son said: “I have a very, very good relationship with Gian Piero.
“So obviously his English is not perfect, sometimes he comes with his phone and translates into English from Italian.
“It means a lot. Not so footballingly speaking, I think in life he gives me so much advice, which I’m really grateful for.
“He was so helpful, always giving me a big hug in difficult times and even in good times he was always next to me and every member of staff.
“Even today, before leaving the training ground, the hotel, we had a few minutes to have a nice chat which made me really feel at ease and really grateful.”
It has been announced that his funeral will take place in Naples on Sunday afternoon.
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