Mauro Tassotti

Mauro Tassotti
Personal information
Date of birth 19 January 1960 (1960-01-19) (age 52)
Place of birth Rome, Italy
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Defender
Club information
Current club Milan (assistant)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1978–1980 Lazio 41 (0)
1980–1997 Milan 429 (8)
National team
1978–1982 Italy U21 10 (1)
1979 Italy U23 1 (0)
1992–1994 Italy 7 (0)
Teams managed
1997–2001 Milan (youth)
2001– Milan (assistant)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Mauro Tassotti (born 19 January 1960) is a retired Italian footballer. He played for seventeen years with A.C. Milan, mostly at right back but could also fill in at centre back if required, thanks to his versatility and commitment. He won 17 major titles for the club, namely five Serie A championships and three UEFA Champions League tournaments.

An Italian international in the early 1990s - already in his 30's - Tassotti represented the nation at the 1994 World Cup.

Contents

Football career

Born in Rome, Tassotti played his first professional seasons with local S.S. Lazio. Subsequently, he was part of A.C. Milan's legendary team of the late 1980s and early 1990s. During the team's peak, he was a key component of an almost insurmountable defence, playing alongside other club greats: Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi and Alessandro Costacurta. He won the European Cup with the club in 1989, 1990 and 1994.[1]

For Italy, Tassotti did not win his first cap until the age of 32, under Arrigo Sacchi. This is partly because of an abundance of other world class Italian defenders at the time, as he was constantly overlooked by Sacchi's predecessor, Azeglio Vicini, despite the player's excellent club performances. He competed for Italy at the 1988 Summer Olympics.[2]

Tassotti played in one FIFA World Cup, the 1994 edition in the United States. In the 2–1 quarterfinal win against Spain he viciously elbowed Luis Enrique in the face in the second half's injury time. The referee did not award Spain a penalty and Italy won the match, but FIFA officials banned Tassotti for eight games, after reviewing the game. The elbowing was so bad that Enrique reportedly lost a pint of blood from his face as a result.[3] Tassotti did not play for the national team after that.

In 2001–02, Tassotti joined Milan's coaching staff, under former teammate Carlo Ancelotti, and retained his post after Ancelotti's departure.[4][5]

Club statistics

Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Lazio 1978/79 14 0 1 0 0 0 - - 15 0
1979/80 27 0 5 0 0 0 - - 32 0
Milan 1980/81 33 0 3 0 0 0 - - 36 0
1981/82 24 0 4 0 0 0 5 0 33 0
1982/83 32 0 9 1 0 0 - - 41 1
1983/84 30 1 7 0 0 0 - - 37 1
1984/85 24 1 10 0 0 0 - - 34 1
1985/86 28 0 6 0 6 0 2 0 42 0
1986/87 25 1 4 0 0 0 - - 29 1
1987/88 28 0 7 0 4 0 - - 39 0
1988/89 32 2 3 0 9 0 1 0 43 2
1989/90 29 3 2 0 9 0 1 0 41 3
1990/91 28 0 2 0 6 0 1 0 37 0
1991/92 33 0 5 0 0 0 - - 38 0
1992/93 27 0 5 0 9 1 1 0 42 1
1993/94 21 0 1 0 10 0 2 0 34 0
1994/95 12 0 4 0 7 0 2 0 25 0
1995/96 15 0 2 0 3 0 - - 20 0
1996/97 10 0 1 0 1 0 - - 12 0
Total for Milan 429 8 75 1 64 1 15 0 583 10
Career totals 470 8 81 1 64 1 15 0 630 10

European competitions include the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, and UEFA Super Cup

Honours

References

  1. ^ Mauro Tassotti; UEFA.com, 10 July 2003
  2. ^ "Mauro Tassotti Biography and Statistics". Sports Reference. http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ta/mauro-tassotti-1.html. Retrieved 28 October 2009. 
  3. ^ Luis Enrique full of respect; BBC Sport, 20 June 2002
  4. ^ All change in Milan; BBC Sport, 17 June 2001
  5. ^ Maldini enjoying the moment; UEFA.com, 23 February 2007

External links

Italy squad – 1988 Summer Olympics
Italy squad – 1994 FIFA World Cup Runners-up