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 played 418 matches for Lecce between 1970 and 1983, the most of any player in the history of the club.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michele Lo Russo | ||
| Date of birth | 1 February 1947 | ||
| Place of birth | Bari, Italy | ||
| Date of death | 2 December 1983 (aged 36) | ||
| Place of death | Mola di Bari, Italy | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1966–1968 | Bernalda | 31 | (?) |
| 1968–1970 | Venosa | 66 | (?) |
| 1970–1983 | Lecce | 418 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 12:45, 20 September 2012 (UTC) | |||
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.