Delio Onnis

1966/68 Almagro (ARG) 44 games, 23 goals

1968/71 Gimnasia La Plata (ARG) 99 games, 57 goals

(Argentine Championship: 95 games, 53 goals)

(Argentine Cup: 4 games, 4 goals)

1971/73 Stade de Reims (FRA) 76 games, 45 goals

(French Championship: 65 games, 39 goals)

(French Cup: 11 games, 6 goals)

1973/80 AS Monaco (FRA) 291 games, 229 goals

(French Championship: 200 games, 157 goals)

(French D2 Championship: 31 games, 30 goals)

(French Cup: 51 matches, 36 goals)

(European Champions Cup: 3 matches, 1 goal)

(Cup Winners' Cup: 2 matches, 1 goal)

(UEFA Cup: 4 matches, 4 goals)

1980/83 Tours (FRA) 133 matches, 75 goals

(French Championship: 110 matches, 64 goals)

(Play-offs: 4 matches, 2 goals)

(Coupe de France: 19 matches, 9 goals)

1983/86 SC Toulon (FRA) 81 matches, 40 goals

(French Championship: 74 matches, 39 goals)

(Coupe de France: 7 matches, 1 goal)

Delio Onnis

Born March 24, 1948 in Giuliano di Roma (ITA)

Argentinian/Italian, Striker, 1m80

Nickname: El Tano

Delio Onnis was born Giuliano di Roma in Italy. The son of Greek immigrants, he moved with his family to Argentina when he was only 3 years old. He did his youth training in Argentina before making his professional debut in the small club Almagro when he was only 17 years old. Gifted with an extraordinary sense of goal, he quickly made it to Gimnasia La Plata where he would become a future star of Argentinian football.

After 139 matches played in Argentina for 80 goals, it was Stade de Reims who would recruit the 23-year-old striker. His transfer is also very original, originally, he was not supposed to be recruited by the French club. Indeed, the Champagne club wanted to sign the Argentinian player Alfredo Obberti, striker of Newell's Old Boys. While everything was settled by phone and the player had to initial the contract, the player's wife changed her mind and refused to go to Europe. The French recruiter at the time, Robert Marion, then found himself without a recruit, and it was Delio Onnis who was finally spotted by him and who signed in France.

The player took a few months to adapt to French life but on the field, he proved his consistency and formidable efficiency. In 2 seasons, he scored 45 goals in 76 matches for Stade de Reims. Crazy statistics, which pushes the biggest clubs in the country to want the player, it is finally AS Monaco who secures the services of the Italian-Argentine in 1973.

In the shadow of legendary players such as Josip Skoblar and Salif Keita, Delio Onnis continues his progression. With AS Monaco, he has a crazy first season, endowed with a genius offensive positioning, he had the ability to always place himself in the right place, at the right time. Whether with his left foot, his right foot or his head, he should not be left in front of the goal. Very strong, it was also difficult to beat him on the shoulder.

His 1973/74 season is insane and he perfectly meets expectations, in the championship, he scores 26 goals in 31 matches and it is especially in the Coupe de France that he gets noticed, scoring 10 times in 9 matches. Enough to reach the final, which he unfortunately loses.

After this first season, Delio Onnis established himself as one of the best centre-forwards in the league and in Europe, even if the media coverage around him was limited. Playing without shin guards, he was an excellent fox in the box, capable of scoring in any position once in the box.

In a club that finished in 16th place in the league in 1973/74, he shone individually in a team that collectively did not work. His 1974/75 season was even more impressive than the last time. He finished top scorer in the league with 30 goals scored in 37 games, while his club only finished 10th in the league. To show the power of statistics, he finished 9 goals ahead of the second top scorer in the league... And he scored 47% of his team's goals in the league.

The following season was one of disappointment for the player who is still one of the best players in the league. His 1975/76 season was breathtaking, he scored 29 goals in 33 league games with a team that finished in 18th place in the league, synonymous with relegation. In that season, he finished 2nd top scorer in the league behind his great rival: Carlos Bianchi. Onnis scored 55% of his team's goals in the league.

After a season in the French second division, the player and AS Monaco returned to Ligue 1. For his return to the French elite, AS Monaco and Onnis made an impression by winning the league, Onnis was once again at the top of the league level. Although he finished second in the top scorers rankings once again, behind Bianchi, Onnis had a season with 29 goals in 35 games at the age of 30, and scored 37% of his team's goals in Ligue 1.

Delio Onnis played 2 more years at Monaco, scoring a total of 51 goals in 76 games during these 2 additional seasons. His peak was the 1977/78 season, when he scored a total of 37 goals in 44 games. The Argentinian striker left AS Monaco after the club's victory in the 1980 Coupe de France, won 3-1 against US Orléans, in which he scored Monaco's third goal in the 66th minute, perfectly concluding his adventure with the principality, having taken the club to the top of the French championship.

In 1980, following a falling out with President Campora, he joined FC Tours, which had just been promoted. In an interview, he explained why: "I had my habits there, which is normal when you've been in a place for seven years; my wife was happy in Monaco, I thought I would end my career in the red and white jersey. I thought I had done enough for the club to deserve what I was asking for, because you have to know that it wasn't a money problem that made me leave, but a problem of contract length. As for the money, everyone agreed, Monaco wanted me to sign for a year, I wanted a two-year contract." After 7 years of loyal service for AS Monaco, a club he followed even in Ligue 2, the end was sad. While the player is 32 years old and is certainly one if not the best player in the championship, we think he will quietly retire, but this is not the case, it would be underestimating Delio Onnis. 

For his first season at FC Tours, he finished top scorer in the French championship, in a team that finished in 18th place! The club barely stayed in Ligue 1 in the play-offs at the end of the season. Delio Onnis slammed a season with 27 goals in 43 games and proved his consistency as well as his longevity. Onnis will have scored 44% of his club's goals in the championship.

Subsequently, he played an even better second season, 29 goals in the championship and a 5th title of top scorer in the championship, the player seems eternal. He holds this record until 2024, surpassed by a certain Kylian Mbappé.

In 1983, he joined a small club at the bottom of the table again, SC Toulon at 35 years old, we say to ourselves that it's good, the legend of the championship will finally regress in level and retire, but no, he continues to score goals, and will even do more. The club that had finished 16th in Ligue 1 in 1983/84, will finish in 6th place in the championship the following season, with a flamboyant Onnis, 17 goals in 30 league games at 37 years old. He ended his career in 1986, after an anecdotal season and the only one of his career in Ligue 1 below 17 goals.

Delio Onnis was somewhat forgotten afterwards, probably due to the lack of an international career, whether with Argentina or Italy. He was notably in the shadow of players like Kempes, Maradona or even Bianchi, his eternal rival... However, he was the complete striker, capable of so many good things... it is a disappointment never to have been able to see him in the colours of his country. The lack of selection can also be explained by his Italian passport, which means that the player was never considered Argentinian, like his nickname "El Tano" ("the Italian").

- Voted best player in the history of the French championship by the newspaper SO FOOT in 2022

- Top scorer in the history of the French championship with 299 goals

- Top scorer in the French championship in 1975 (30 goals), 1980 (21 goals) (AS Monaco), 1981 (24 goals), 1982 (29 goals) (Tours) and 1984 (21 goals) (SC Toulon)

- Top scorer in the French D2 championship in 1977 (30 goals) (AS Monaco)

- Top scorer in the Coupe de France in 1979 (8 goals) (AS Monaco)

- Top scorer in the history of AS Monaco with 229 goals in all competitions

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