Antonio Benarrivo
Antonio Benarrivo with Parma in 1993. | |||
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 | Appsβ | (Gls)β |
1986β1989 | Brindisi | 76 | (2) |
1989β1991 | Padova | 69 | (7) |
1991β2004 | Parma | 258 | (5) |
National team | |||
1993β1997 | Italy | 23 | (0) |
Honours
| |||
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
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 came to prominence during his time with Parma, where he eventually became the club's record appearance holder in Serie A and in European competitions. Although he was usually deployed on the right, he was comfortable on both flanks. He was known for his attacking prowess, despite rarely scoring, and was sometimes employed as a makeshift wide midfielder due to his pace, stamina, offensive capabilities, and technique.[1]
At international level, Benarrivo represented Italy at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the final.
Club career
Benarrivo started playing with the professional football team of his city, Brindisi, in Serie C1, during the 1986β87 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 1992β93 season, he won the 1993 Cup Winners' Cup. He reached a second consecutive Cup Winners' Cup final during the 1993β94 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 1994β95 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 1996β97 season, where they finished the league in second place, qualifying for the 1997β98 UEFA Champions League; they also managed a third place finish during the 1994β95 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 1998β99 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 1999β2000 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 2000β01 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, and is the club's record appearance holder in the top-tier of Italian football.[2] Following his retirement, he worked as a coach.[1][3]
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.[4] Benarrivo played with the national side until 1997, making his final appearance on the 29th October, against Russia.[1][5]
Honours
Club
- Coppa Italia: 1991β92, 1998β99
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1992β93
- UEFA Super Cup: 1993
- UEFA Cup: 1994β95, 1998β99
- Supercoppa Italiana: 1999
International
- FIFA World Cup: 1994 (Runner-up)
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Che fine hanno fatto? Benarrivo, dalla fascia al cantiere". Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- β "Benarrivo: βDura contro Palermo, quel mio Parma..β" (in Italian). 29 April 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- β "Antonio Benarrivo". Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- β Antonio Benarrivo β FIFA competition record
- β "Convocazioni e presenze in campo: Antonio Benarrivo". Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- β "Antonio Benarrivo". Retrieved 26 January 2015.