ITALY NATIONAL TEAM
1954-1955
Italy vs Belgium
Player’s Blazer
Boniperti Giampiero
Did you Know?
Giampiero Boniperti is an Italian former football player who played his entire 15 season career at Juventus between 1946 and 1961, winning five Serie A titles and two Coppa Italia titles. He also played for the Italian national football team at international level, and took part at the 1950 and 1954 FIFA World Cup finals, as well as the 1952 Summer Olympics with Italy. After retirement from professional football, Boniperti has been a chairman of Juventus and a deputy to the European Parliament. A talented, creative, and prolific forward, with good technique, Boniperti is regarded as one of Italy’s and Juventus’s greatest ever players, and is considered by some to be Italy’s greatest player of all time; with 182 goals in all competitions, Boniperti was the highest goalscorer in Juventus history for more than 40 years, until his record was bested by Alessandro Del Piero on 10 January 2006. Del Piero also broke his club record of 443 Serie A appearances on 14 February 2010, when he played his 444th Serie A game in a 3–2 win against Genoa; with 443 Serie A appearances for Juventus, Boniperti is currently third in the club’s rankings, behind only Del Piero and Gianluigi Buffon. Boniperti also held the record for most minutes played in Serie A by a Juventus player (39,680), until his record was surpassed by Buffon on 19 March 2017, in the 66th minute of a 1–0 away win over Sampdoria. Notably, Boniperti is the eleventh-highest goalscorer of all-time in Serie A. In March 2004, he was named by Pelé as one of the world’s top 125 greatest living footballers.
Things to Know:
After playing only 14 games in the Serie A league, Boniperti was called up to play for the Italian national football team, making his international debut on 9 November 1947, in a game against Austria; the match ended in a humiliating 5–1 drubbing to the Austrian side. He got even with Austria a couple of years later, when in May 1949 he scored his first international goal for Italy, with a 3–1 victory. Although Boniperti’s international career was not particularly long, he did manage to achieve 38 caps (24 of which he played as captain) and scored 8 goals for the azzurri. Boniperti played for Italy in the 1950 and 1954 FIFA World Cup finals (captaining the team in the latter edition of the tournament), as well as in the 1952 Summer Olympics.
ITALY NATIONAL TEAM
Fifa World Cup “ESPAÑA 82”
Italy vs Germany
Match Used Ticket
Did you Know?
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July 1982. The tournament was won by Italy, who defeated West Germany 3–1 in the final in the Spanish capital of Madrid. It was Italy’s third World Cup win and first since 1938. The tournament featured the first ever penalty shoot-out in World Cup competition. In the final, Antonio Cabrini fired a penalty wide of goal in the first half. In the second half, Paolo Rossi scored first for the third straight game by heading home Gentile’s bouncing cross at close range. Exploiting the situation, Italy scored twice more on quick counter-strikes, all the while capitalising on their defence to hold the Germans. With Gentile and Gaetano Scirea holding the centre, the Italian strikers were free to counter-punch the weakened German defence. Marco Tardelli’s shot from the edge of the area beat Schumacher first, and Alessandro Altobelli, the substitute for injured striker Francesco Graziani, made it 3–0 at the end of a solo sprint down the right side by the stand-out winger Bruno Conti. Italy’s lead appeared secure, encouraging Italian president Sandro Pertini to wag his finger at the cameras in a playful “not going to catch us now” gesture. In the 83rd minute, Paul Breitner scored for West Germany, but it was only a consolation goal as Italy won 3–1 to claim their first World Cup title in 44 years, and their third in total. Italy became the first team to advance from the first round without winning a game, drawing all three (while Cameroon were eliminated in the same way), and also the only World Cup winner to draw or lose three matches at the Finals. By winning, Italy equalled Brazil’s record of winning the World Cup three times. Italy’s total of twelve goals scored in seven matches set a new low for average goals scored per game by a World Cup winning side (subsequently exceeded by Spain in 2010), while Italy’s aggregate goal difference of +6 for the tournament remains a record low for a champion, equalled by Spain. Italy’s 40-year-old captain-goalkeeper Dino Zoff became the oldest-ever player to win the World Cup. This was the first World Cup in which teams from all six continental confederations participated in the finals, something that did not happen again until 2006.
ITALY NATIONAL TEAM
Fifa World Cup “ESPAÑA 82”
Match Worn Shirt
Gentile Claudio
Did you Know?
Gentile was capped on 71 occasions by Italy between 1975 and 1984, scoring a single goal during his international career. He played in all of Italy’s matches at the 1978 World Cup, where Italy finished in fourth place, after reaching second place in the final group stage of the tournament and then losing the 3rd place playoff to Brazil. Gentile also played in the 1980 European Championship, and he was named in the team of the tournament. In the 1982 World Cup, Gentile was once again a permanent member of the starting line-up as Italy went on to win the World Cup that year. He gained notoriety for his aggressive man-marking of Diego Maradona in a 2–1 second-round victory against Argentina at the 1982 World Cup, where he fouled the Argentine star 11 times in the first half, and 23 in total, after which Gentile famously quipped, “Football is not for ballerinas!” Italy ended up defeating the defending champions Argentina 2–1. Italy then faced tournament favorites Brazil in the next second-round group match and won 3–2. Paolo Rossi had a hat trick. Italy defeated Poland 2–0 in the semi-final, and Gentile returned for the final against West Germany where Italy won 3–1. Gentile was once again in the team of the tournament for his performances during the 1982 World Cup.
Did you Know?
This shirt was worn by Ivano Bordon during a Fifa World Cup “ESPANA 82” game. Bordon was the bench goalkeeper for the whole tournament behind Dino Zoff. Bordon is regarded as one of the best Italian goalkeepers of his generation. He was a traditional and introverted goalkeeper, known in particular for his composure, correct behaviour, positioning, and ability to organise his defence, as well as his ability to pull off athletic and acrobatic saves if necessary, without resorting to histrionics. Although he initially struggled when coming off his line to claim crosses, he later improved upon this element of his game as his career progressed. At international level, Bordon received 21 caps for the Italy national football team between 1978 and 1984, and he participated in three major tournaments with Italy as Dino Zoff’s backup. He represented Italy at the 1978 FIFA World Cup (where Italy reached the semi-finals finishing in fourth place), Euro 1980 (where Italy reached the semi-finals finishing in fourth place once again), and he was also a member of Italy’s 1982 World Cup winning squad. This is a very iconic shirt for the Italian National team’s history because it is the shirt that Dino Zoff wore during the World Cup and the same style of shirt used to lift the World Cup on July 11th 1982. With this style of shirt Zoff reached his greatest accomplishment since he captained Italy to victory in the tournament at the age of 40, making him the oldest ever winner of the World Cup; throughout the tournament, he kept two clean sheets, and produced a crucial goal-line save in the final minutes of the last second-round group match against favourites Brazil on 5 July, which enabled the Italians to earn a 3–2 victory and advance to the semi-finals of the competition. On 11 July, at the age of 40 years and 133 days, he became the oldest player ever to feature in a World Cup final; following Italy’s 3–1 victory over West Germany at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid, he followed in the footsteps of compatriot Gianpiero Combi (1934) as only the second goalkeeper to captain a World Cup-winning side (later Iker Casillas and Hugo Lloris repeated this feat for Spain and France in the 2010 and 2018 World Cups respectively). Due to his performances, he was voted as the Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament.
Things to Know:
The World Cup 1986 Italy’s shirt had a different neck from all of the other competitions. It was smaller and of a different material compared to regular ones. The shirt was made by Diadora and the reason of the different neck is unknown.
Did you Know?
Cabrini was called up to Italy’s being part of the list of 20 players to participate in the 1978 FIFA World Cup despite being uncapped (he however, had 23 caps for junior teams). He earned his first cap on 2 June 1978, in Italy’s opening game against France, which ended in a 2–1 win to the “Azzurri”; Italy went on to finish the tournament in fourth place, and Cabrini was named the Best Young Player of the Tournament. He soon became an international regular for the next 9 years; he participated as a starter in all of Italy’s games in 3 consecutive World Cups: in 1978, 1982 and 1986. Overall, Cabrini played 18 games during World Cup final stages, winning the 1982 edition despite missing a penalty in the final against West Germany. He also represented Italy at Euro 1980 as a starter on home soil, finishing the tournament in fourth place, after reaching the semi-finals. Cabrini was part of the legendary 1982 World Cup-winning team that included goalkeeper Dino Zoff, Gaetano Scirea, Giuseppe Bergomi, Claudio Gentile in defense, Marco Tardelli and Bruno Conti in midfield, and Cabrini’s Juventus team mate Paolo Rossi in attack. Cabrini gave a strong performance throughout the tournament, helping to lead his country to win the title, keeping two clean sheets throughout the tournament, but also scoring the crucial match-winning goal in Italy’s 2–1 second round win over defending champions Argentina. In total, he earned 73 caps for his country and scored 9 goals (an Italy international record for a defender), ending his career with the Azzurri in October 1987, earning his final appearance on 17 October 1987, in a 0–0 draw against Switzerland. He also captained the national side 10 times.
Did you Know?
A member of the Italy under-21 national football team, reaching the final of the 1986 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, Donadoni made his Italy national team senior debut on 8 October 1986, under Azeglio Vicini in a 2–0 victory over Greece. He soon became a key member of his national side, reaching the semi-finals of Euro 1988, and he subsequently played in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, on home soil, helping Italy to a third place finish. Unfortunately, he missed one of the penalties in the fateful semi-final shoot-out against defending champions and eventual runners-up Argentina. Overall, he made five appearances throughout the tournament, missing out on the round of 16 victory against Uruguay due to injury, and the bronze medal match victory against England. Donadoni also took part at the 1994 World Cup, under Arrigo Sacchi, helping Italy to a second-place finish, where Italy would once again be defeated on penalties, by Brazil. However, on this occasion Donadoni did not take a penalty in the final shoot-out. En-route to the final, he set up Dino Baggio’s goal in Italy’s 2–1 quarter-final victory over Spain, and also provided the throw-in on the left flank from which Roberto Baggio scored his first goal in Italy’s 2–1 over Bulgaria in the semi-finals of the tournament. He also represented Italy at Euro 1996, which would be his final international tournament prior to his international retirement, appearing in all three group matches. His final appearance for Italy was on 19 June 1996, in the final group match, which ended in a 0–0 draw against the eventual champions Germany, eliminating the Italians in the first round of the tournament. Overall, Donadoni made 63 appearances for Italy, scoring five goals.
ITALY NATIONAL TEAM
Euro 88
Match Used Tickets
Did you Know?
The 1988 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in West Germany between 10 and 25 June 1988. It was the eighth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and supported by UEFA. The tournament crowned the Netherlands as European champions for the first time. Euro 88 was a rare instance of a major football tournament ending without a single sending-off or goalless draw, nor any knockout matches going to extra time or penalties.
Did you Know?
During his time with Juventus, De Agostini achieved his first senior international cap in a 0–0 draw against Norway on May 28, 1987. With Italy, he participated in Euro ’88, scoring against Denmark, as Italy went on to reach the semi-finals. He also took part in Italy’s footballing campaign at the 1988 Summer Olympics, where they managed a fourth-place finish after reaching the semi-finals yet again. He was also a substitute member of Italy’s squad at the 1990 World Cup on home soil, where the team managed a third-place finish following a penalty-shootout defeat to defending champions Argentina; despite the loss, De Agostini was able to net his penalty in the semi-final shoot-out. Under manager Azeglio Vicini, he was also often deployed as a wide midfielder or as a wing-back, in addition to his more regular full-back role. Unfortunately, his time with Juventus also included his last game for the Italian national team on September 25, 1991, in a 2–1 home loss to Bulgaria, during Italy’s qualifying campaign for Euro 1992. In total he made 36 appearances for Italy, scoring 4 goals.
ITALY NATIONAL TEAM
1988
Italy vs Netherlands
Match Worn Shirt
De Agostini Luigi
World Cup 1990
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice (the first being Mexico in 1986). Teams representing 116 national football associations entered, and qualification began in April 1988. A total of 22 teams qualified from this process, along with host nation Italy and defending champion Argentina. The tournament was won by West Germany, their third World Cup title. They beat Argentina 1–0 in the final, a rematch of the previous final four years earlier. Italy finished third, and England fourth, after both lost their semi-finals in penalty shootouts. This was the last tournament to feature a team from the divided Germany, with the country being reunified later in 1990, as well as teams from the Eastern Bloc prior to the end of the Cold War in 1991, as the Soviet Union and Yugoslavian teams made appearances. Costa Rica, Ireland and the UAE made their first appearances in the finals, and Egypt its first since 1934. The official match ball was the Adidas Etrusco Unico. The 1990 World Cup is widely regarded as one of the poorest World Cups. It generated an average 2.21 goals per game – a record low that still stands – and a then-record 16 red cards, including the first ever dismissal in a final. This World Cup saw the introduction of the pre-match Fair Play Flag (then inscribed with “Fair Play Please”) to encourage fair play. Defensive tactics led to the introduction of the back-pass rule in 1992, and three points for a win instead of two at future World Cups. Nonetheless, the 1990 World Cup stands as one of the most watched events in television history, garnering an estimated 26.69 million non-unique viewers over the course of the tournament. This was the first World Cup to be officially recorded and transmitted in HDTV by the Italian broadcaster RAI in association with Japan’s NHK. At the time it was the most watched World Cup in history in non-unique viewers, but was bettered by the 1994 and 2002 World Cups.
Things to Know:
During the Fifa World Cup “Italia 90” the team used a Diadora shirt with a different neck. Italy’s shirts made by Diadora had the colors of the Italian flag on neck’s edge. But usually the colors of the neck were starting from the edge with green color and then white and red. Only for the Fifa World Cup “Italia 90” the colors on neck were inverted starting with red color and white and green. That was the main difference from regular shirts and World Cup 90 shirts.
Did you Know?
Italy hosted the World Cup for the second time in 1990. The Italian attack featured talented forwards Salvatore Schillaci and a young Roberto Baggio. Despite being favourites to win, playing nearly all of their matches in Rome and not conceding a goal in their first five matches, Italy lost in the semi-final to defending champion Argentina in Naples, losing 4–3 on penalty kicks following a 1–1 draw after extra time, Schillaci’s first half opener having been equalised in the second half by Claudio Caniggia’s header for Argentina. Aldo Serena missed the final penalty kick (with Roberto Donadoni also having his penalty saved by goalkeeper Sergio Goycochea). Italy went on to defeat England 2–1 in the third place match in Bari, with Schillaci scoring the winning goal on a penalty to become the tournament’s top scorer with six goals. Italy then failed to qualify for the 1992 European Championship.
Watch above the official World Cup “ITALIA 90” anthem “Notti Magiche”
ITALY NATIONAL TEAM
Fifa World Cup “ITALIA 90”
Match Used Tickets
