Signing Info:
Signed Trainee: 07/1963. Signed Professional: 10/02/1965
Previous Clubs:
Debut:
09/10/1968 v Tottenham Hotspur (A) 2-2 (League Division One)
Farewell:
Transferred to Bologna, 01/1973, £50,000
Passed Away:
Biography
Carlo Domenico Sartori is a former professional footballer who made history becoming the club's very first non-British or Irish player to play for the 1st team. A skilful midfielder with excellent vision, Sartori progressed through United’s youth system during the 1960s before going on to enjoy a respected playing career in England and Italy.
Early Life and Youth Career
Sartori was born in the small town of Caderzone in Trentino, northern Italy, but his family emigrated to Manchester, England, when he was a young boy. Growing up close to Old Trafford in Collyhurst, Sartori quickly developed a love for football and joined Manchester United’s youth ranks. His technical ability and intelligence on the ball made him stand out at a time when foreign-born players in English football were a rarity.
Manchester United First Team Career
Carlo Sartori signed professional terms with Manchester United on his birthday in 1965 and made his first-team debut as a substitute for Francis Burns in a League Division One match on 09/10/1968 v Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane during a 2-2 draw, just months after United had lifted the European Cup at Wembley.
Although not a regular starter, Sartori was an energetic midfielder who contributed depth to a squad full of household names, including George Best, Bobby Charlton, and Denis Law. He went on to make 56 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring 6 goals between 1968 and 1973.
His presence in the first team was historically significant: Sartori became the first non-British or Irish player to play for the 1st team, paving the way for the many international stars who would later wear the famous red shirt.
Later Career in Italy
In 1973, Sartori returned to Italy to continue his professional career, signing for Bologna in Serie A, he was awarded a Coppa Italia winners medal despite not playing in the final, He later played for US Lecce, SPAL 1907, Rimini & Trentino, enjoying a successful career in his homeland throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. Sartori retired in 1984.
Upon retiring & leaving Italy, he returned to Manchester & was a professional knife sharpener in the Hotel & Restaurant business.
