Antonio Benarrivo
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 21 August 1968 | ||
| Place of birth | Brindisi, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) | ||
| Playing position | Full back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1986–1989 | Brindisi | 76 | (2) |
| 1989–1991 | Padova | 69 | (7) |
| 1991–2004 | Parma | 258 | (5) |
| National team | |||
| 1993–1997 | Italy | 23 | (0) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). | |||
Antonio Benarrivo (Brindisi, 21 August 1968) is a former Italian footballer who covered the role of defender. One of the best full-backs in the world in the 1990s, Benarrivo was comfortable on both flanks, although he was usually deployed on the right. He was known for his attacking prowess, despite rareley scoring, and was sometimes employed as a makeshift wide midfielder due to his pace, stamina, offensive capabilities, and technique.[1]
Club career
Benarrivo started playing with the professional football team of his city, Brindisi, in Serie C1, during the 1986–87 season. After three seasons playing in Apulia, he went to play for Padova in Serie B, where he remained for two years, attracting much attention from larger Italian clubs.[1]
In 1991, Benarrivo was bought by Parma under Nevio Scala; that year, he would help his new team to qualify for the UEFA Cup in his first year in Serie A. He quickly became one of the strongest players of the Emilian side, which achieved notable domestic and European successes over the next decade. In his first year in the highest division, Bennarivo won the 1992 Italian Cup, and the following year, during the 1992–93 season, he won the 1993 Cup Winners' Cup. He reached a second consecutive Cup Winners' Cup final during the 1993–94 season only to be defeated, although he was able to capture the European Supercup with the club in 1993.[1]
The series of thrilling triumphs he endured during his time at Parma, which culminated in the UEFA Cup victory during the 1994–95 season, as well as another Coppa Italia final, were not quite replicated in Serie A, however. Although Parma managed to navigate the top spots of the table during these seasons, they were not able to beat the dominant Milan and Juventus sides to the Serie A title, with their best finish coming during the 1996–97 season, where they finished the league in second place, qualifying for the 1997-98 UEFA Champions League; they also managed a third place finish during the 1994-95 season, as well as several fourth place finishes during this time, usually achieving European qualification.[1]
Benarrivo experienced another successful year with the club during the 1998-99 season. Parma finished fourth place in the league, but Benarrivo finished the season with the conquest of his second UEFA Cup and Italian Cup titles, following these successes up with the 1999 Supercoppa Italiana, a title which had evaded him in 1995. This would be his final season as an indisputable starter, however, and the following seasons would see him play with less regularity.[1]
During the 2000-01 season, Parma finished in fourth place yet again, and narrowly missed out on qualifying for the UEFA Champions League after losing out to Inter in the playoff match. Parma managed their third consecutive fourth place finish in the league during the 2000-01 season, also reaching another Coppa Italia final, only to be defeated by Fiorentina. Benarrivo managed to add another trophy to his club silverware, however, with a third Italian Cup in 2002. Benarrivo retired from professional football in 2004. With the Emilian club, he collected 257 appearances in Serie A, scoring 5 goals. Following his retirement, he worked as a coach.[1][2]
International career
Benarrivo played with the national team a total of 23 times, and for a period, he was the starting right-back for the Italians. He made his debut on 22 September 1993 under manager Arrigo Sacchi, in a 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Estonia. He took part in the 1994 World Cup with Italy, where they reached the final, only to lose out to Brazil on penalties; Benarrivo was a key member of the starting line-up for the 1994 World Cup, also featuring in the final defeat, and demonstrating his tactical versatility as he alternated between playing on the right and the left flanks. During the tournament, he notably won a penalty in extra time during the round of 16 match against Nigeria, from which Roberto Baggio subsequently scored, sending the Italians to the quarter-finals.[3] Benarrivo played with the national side until 1997, making his final appearance on the 29th October, against Russia.[1][4]
Honours
Club
- Coppa Italia: 1991-92, 1998-99
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1992-93
- UEFA Super Cup: 1993
- UEFA Cup: 1994-95, 1998-99
- Supercoppa Italiana: 1999
International
- FIFA World Cup: 1994 (Runner-up)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 "Che fine hanno fatto? Benarrivo, dalla fascia al cantiere". Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ↑ "Antonio Benarrivo". Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ↑ Antonio Benarrivo – FIFA competition record
- ↑ "Convocazioni e presenze in campo: Antonio Benarrivo". Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ↑ "Antonio Benarrivo". Retrieved 26 January 2015.
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