Antonio Benarrivo facts for kids
Benarrivo with Parma in 1993
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 21 August 1968 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Brindisi, Italy | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.70m | |||||||||||||||
| 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) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 327 | (14) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1997 | Italy | 23 | (0) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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Antonio Benarrivo (born 21 August 1968) is a former Italian footballer. He played as a defender. Many people thought he was one of the best players in his position during the 1990s.
Benarrivo was an energetic full-back. This means he played on the side of the field, helping both in defense and attack. He could play well on both the left and right sides. He started his career with Brindisi in 1986. Later, he moved to Padova in 1989.
He became very famous while playing for Parma. He joined Parma in 1991. With Parma, he won many important trophies in Italy and Europe. He even played the most games for Parma in Italy's top league, Serie A, and in European competitions.
Benarrivo also played for the Italian national team. He was part of the team that reached the final of the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Antonio Benarrivo began his professional football journey with Brindisi. This was his hometown team. He played for them in Serie C1, which is a lower division in Italy. He played there for three seasons, starting in 1986.
After his time in Brindisi, he moved to Padova in 1989. Padova played in Serie B, a higher division. He stayed there for two years. His good performances caught the eye of bigger Italian clubs.
Joining Parma and Early Successes
In 1991, Parma bought Benarrivo. At that time, Parma was coached by Nevio Scala. In his first year in Serie A, Italy's top league, Benarrivo helped Parma qualify for the UEFA Cup.
He quickly became a very important player for Parma. The team had great success in Italy and Europe over the next ten years. In his first year in Serie A, Benarrivo won the Italian Cup in 1992. The next year, in the 1992–93 season, he helped Parma win the Cup Winners' Cup.
Parma reached the Cup Winners' Cup final again in the 1993–94 season, but they lost that time. However, they did win the European Supercup in 1993.
More Trophies with Parma
Benarrivo had many exciting wins during his time at Parma. One big win was the UEFA Cup in the 1994–95 season. They also reached another Italian Cup final that year.
Even though Parma was very strong, they couldn't win the Serie A title. Teams like Milan and Juventus were too dominant. Parma's best league finish was second place in the 1996–97 season. This allowed them to play in the 1997–98 UEFA Champions League. They also finished third in the 1994–95 season.
Benarrivo had another great year in the 1998–99 season. Parma finished fourth in the league. But more importantly, Benarrivo won his second UEFA Cup and Italian Cup titles. After these wins, they also won the 1999 Supercoppa Italiana.
After this season, Benarrivo didn't play as often. He still contributed to the team. In the 1999–2000 season, Parma finished fourth again. They just missed out on the UEFA Champions League. In the 2000–01 season, Parma finished fourth for the third time in a row. They also reached another Italian Cup final, but lost to Fiorentina.
Benarrivo added one more trophy to his collection. He won his third Italian Cup in 2002. He retired from professional football in 2004. He played 257 games for Parma in Serie A and scored 5 goals. He holds the record for the most appearances for Parma in Italy's top league. After retiring, he worked as a coach.
International Career
Benarrivo played for the Italian national team 23 times. For a while, he was the main right-back for Italy. He played his first game on 22 September 1993. This was a qualifying match for the 1994 FIFA World Cup against Estonia.
He was part of the Italian team at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA. Italy reached the final but lost to Brazil in a penalty shootout. Benarrivo was a key player in the 1994 World Cup. He played in the final and showed how versatile he was. He could play on both the right and left sides of the field.
During the tournament, he helped Italy win a penalty in extra time against Nigeria. Roberto Baggio scored from that penalty, sending Italy to the quarter-finals. Benarrivo continued to play for the national team until 1997. His last game was on 29 October against Russia.
Playing Style
Antonio Benarrivo was known for his energetic playing style. Even though he usually played on the right side, he was comfortable playing on both the left and right flanks. He was an attacking full-back. This means he was good at going forward and helping the attack, even though he didn't score many goals.
Sometimes, he played as a wing-back or even a makeshift wide midfielder. This was because he was very fast and had great stamina. He was also good at crossing the ball accurately. He could cover the entire side of the field, helping both in attack and defense. These skills made him one of the best players in his position during the 1990s.
Honours
Parma
- Coppa Italia: 1991–92, 1998–99, 2001–02
- Supercoppa Italiana: 1999
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1992–93
- UEFA Cup: 1994–95, 1998–99
- UEFA Super Cup: 1993
Italy
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1994
See also
In Spanish: Antonio Benarrivo para niños
