GIUSEPPE BERGOMI

A one club man throughout his career, Giuseppe Bergomi was a rock in the Italian defence over a sixteen year international career, and became a living legend at his home town club Internazionale. He came into the team as a teenager in the 1979-80 season, making his debut in an Italian Cup match, and would remain as an Inter player for twenty years.

Bergomi won his first domestic honour in 1982 as Inter took the Italian Cup, and forced his way into the national team just in time to make the squad for the World Cup in Spain. Having made his debut in a warm-up match, he waited until the famous win over Brazil to feature in the finals, but went on the play in the semi-final and the final as Italy took the title.

Having played three games as Italy failed to defend the world title in 1986, Bergomi had become national team captain by the time of the 1988 European Championship, and led the team to the semi-final where they were beaten by the U.S.S.R. In 1989, he won his only Italian Championship as Inter took the Serie A title, and a year later led his country into the World Cup on home soil. Bergomi played every game as Italy suffered a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out loss to Argentina in the semi-finals.

Through the 1990s, Bergomi continued to enjoy success with Inter as they took the U.E.F.A. Cup three times in the space of eight seasons, but his international career had appeared to be over before a surprise return to the national team took him to his fourth World Cup in France in 1998. Having not played an international for six years, he played in three of Italy's five games as they went out to the host nation in the quarter-finals.

Playing one more season at club level with Inter, Bergomi retired from playing in 1999 after twenty years and more than 750 games with Inter. He went to to do media work in Italy as well as pursuing coaching qualifications.