| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 17 February 1968 | ||
| Place of birth | Alzano Lombardo, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.71 m (5 ft 7 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1981–1984 | Internazionale | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1984–1986 | Leffe | 38 | (8) |
| 1986–1989 | Piacenza | 46 | (6) |
| 1987–1988 | → Trento (loan) | 31 | (3) |
| 1989–1992 | Foggia | 100 | (46) |
| 1992–1997 | Lazio | 152 | (117) |
| 1998 | Sampdoria | 17 | (7) |
| 1998–2004 | Bologna | 142 | (70) |
| 2004–2005 | Iraklis | 5 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | Sopron | 10 | (3) |
| National team | |||
| 1992–1995 | Italy | 28 | (7) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Giuseppe "Beppe" Signori (Italian pronunciation: [dʒuˈzɛppe siɲˈɲori]; born 17 February 1968 in Alzano Lombardo, Province of Bergamo) is a retired Italian football striker, one of the top scorers in Serie A history and widely regarded as one of the best football players to have never received a winners medal in competitive football. He was a fast, left footed striker who was prolific goalscorer. During the early part of his career he was used as a left winger, where his accurate crossing and pace were put to good use.
Signori used to squeeze his feet into boots that were too small for him, claiming that this improved his touch and accuracy on the ball. He was also known for his unique style of taking penalty kicks. He would stand next to the ball (without taking any run-up) and shoot.
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As a youngster Signori played in the youth system of Internazionale, but was eventually released after being told by the club that he was too small to succeed as a professional. He went on to make his pro debut for Leffe (1984–86), followed by Piacenza (1986–87 and 1988–89), Trento (1987–88), Foggia (1989–92), Lazio (1992–97), Sampdoria (January–June 1998) and Bologna (1998–2004). He then spent two short periods abroad: first in Greece in 2004 with Iraklis Thessaloniki; and then in October 2005 he signed a one-year contract with Hungarian team MFC Sopron.
Signori led Serie A in goals three times, in 1993, 1994, and 1996 (the last title shared with Igor Protti). Overall, he scored 188 goals in Italy's top division, the eighth all-time in league history. Now he is one of suspects in a new betting scandal code named "last bet".
Signori was not able fully to translate his success to the national level, partly due to differences between him and national coach Arrigo Sacchi, who preferred to play him in the midfield. He played for the national side 28 times, scoring seven goals. The only major tournament Signori played in was the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where he set up two crucial goals that allowed Italy to advance.
After working as a Serie A football pundit for RAI Radio1,[1] he served as director of football of Ternana Calcio from 2008 to 2009. He is currently undertaking coaching classes in the renowned Coverciano school in Florence, with the aim to become a football manager himself.
Signori was arrested on 1 June 2011 for his involvement in a betting scandal, together with other former players such as Stefano Bettarini and Mauro Bressan.[2] On the 9th of August 2011, it was announced that he had been banned from any football-related activity for 5 years for his role in alleged match fixing.[3]
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