Former Fiorentina, Atalanta and Torino boss Emiliano Mondonico has died after losing his battle with cancer.

Mondonico’s death was confirmed on Thursday morning, just 20 days after he turned 71.

He had been fighting cancer for seven years and was forced to retire from coaching in 2012.

The northerner played for Torino, Monza, Atalanta and his local Cremonese as a winger between 1966 and 1979.

He then went into coaching, taking Cremonese into Serie A in 1984, before reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup with Atalanta five years later.

Spells at Torino, which included a run to the 1992 UEFA Cup Final, were sandwiched by a return to Atalanta, although he failed to keep Napoli in the top flight during the 2000-01 campaign.

The final 11 years of Mondonico’s career saw him lead Fiorentina back into Serie A after their demotion in 2002, prior to stints with AlbinoLeffe, Novara and - for a third time - Cremonese.