Michele Lo Russo

Michele Lo Russo, also referred to as Michele Lorusso, (1 February 1947 – 2 December 1983) was an Italian footballer who played as a defender. He is most notable for being the record appearance holder for Lecce, where he played 418 matches between 1970 and 1983.
Lo Russo began his career at Bernalda, before joining Venosa two years later. After two years there, he joined Lecce, where he broke the club's all-time appearance record, which still stands today.
His career was cut short due to his untimely death in 1983 aged only 36. He died along with his team-mate Ciro Pezzella in a car accident whilst travelling to an away match against Varese. Lo Russo and Pezzella were driving to catch a train from Bari, as they had a fear of flying.