Demetrio Albertini facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Demetrio Albertini

Albertini in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Demetrio Albertini
Date of birth	(1971-08-23) 23 August 1971 (age 53)
Place of birth	Besana in Brianza, Italy
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
	AC Milan
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1988–2002	AC Milan	293	(21)
1990–1991	→ Padova (loan)	28	(5)
2002–2003	Atlético Madrid	28	(2)
2003–2004	Lazio	23	(2)
2004–2005	Atalanta	14	(1)
2005	Barcelona	5	(0)
Total		393	(31)
International career
1989	Italy U18	7	(0)
1990–1992	Italy U21	17	(0)
1992	Italy Olympic	5	(2)
1991–2002	Italy	79	(3)
Medal record Men's Football Representing  Italy UEFA European Under-21 Championship Winner 1992 FIFA World Cup Runner-up 1994 UEFA European Championship Runner-up 2000
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Demetrio Albertini (born on August 23, 1971) is a famous Italian former professional football player. He was a talented midfielder. He is known as one of the best players for AC Milan in the 1990s. He was also a very important player for the Italian national team during that time.

Albertini spent most of his career playing for AC Milan in Italy's top league, Serie A. He won many big awards with them. These included five Serie A titles and two UEFA Champions League titles. He also played his last season for Barcelona in Spain. There, he won the Spanish League before he stopped playing football.

As a key player for the Italian national team, Albertini played in the World Cups in 1994 and 1998. He also played in the European Championships in 1996 and 2000. He helped Italy reach the finals of the 1994 World Cup and Euro 2000.

Playing for Clubs: Demetrio Albertini's Career

A young Albertini playing for Padova

Demetrio Albertini was born in Besana in Brianza, near Milan. He started his football journey in AC Milan's youth team. He then played for the senior team for 14 successful years. He made his first appearance in Serie A when he was just 17 years old. This was on January 15, 1989, in a 4–0 win against Como.

To gain more experience, he spent part of the 1990–91 season on loan at Padova Calcio in Serie B. He played 28 games and scored 5 goals there. After this successful loan, he quickly became a regular starter for AC Milan in the 1991–92 season. He wore the number 4 shirt and helped Milan win the league title without losing a single game that season. Overall, he played almost 300 Serie A games for Milan, scoring 21 goals. In total, he played 406 games for Milan and scored 28 goals.

Albertini celebrating winning the 1991–92 Serie A title with AC Milan

Albertini won many titles during his time at Milan. He won three Serie A titles in a row in 1992, 1993, and 1994. He also won two more Serie A titles in 1996 and 1999. He played in 41 Champions League games. He helped Milan reach three Champions League finals in a row between 1993 and 1995. He lifted the trophy in 1994.

He also won two UEFA Super Cups, three Italian Super Cups, and an Intercontinental Cup. Albertini stayed at Milan until 2002. His manager, Carlo Ancelotti, started to prefer playing a younger player, Andrea Pirlo, in his position. In his time at Milan, he scored 28 goals in 406 games. His best scoring season was 1996–97, when he scored 8 goals.

After leaving Milan, Albertini played for a few different teams. He spent the 2002–03 season on loan at Atlético Madrid in Spain. He scored 2 goals in 28 games for them. He then moved to Lazio for the 2003–04 season. There, he finally won the Coppa Italia, a trophy he had not won with Milan. He scored 2 goals in 23 games for Lazio.

He started the 2004–05 season with Atalanta. He played 14 matches and scored a goal in his first game. In January, he moved to FC Barcelona. There, he joined his former coach, Frank Rijkaard. He helped Barcelona win La Liga in his final season as a player, making five appearances.

Playing for Italy: International Career Highlights

For the Italian national team, Albertini played 79 games between 1991 and 2002. He scored 3 goals. His first game was on December 21, 1991, when he was 20 years old. Italy won 2–0 against Cyprus. In 1992, he played for Italy at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. He also won the 1992 UEFA European Under-21 Championship with the Italian Under-21 team.

He played for Italy in the 1994 and 1998 World Cups. He also played in Euro 96 and Euro 2000. He could not play in the 2002 World Cup because of an injury to his Achilles tendon. His last game for Italy was in March 2002, in a 2–1 win against England. Albertini was captain for Italy 6 times.

World Cup 1994: A Strong Performance

Albertini's first big tournament for Italy was the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA. He was a key part of Italy's midfield, along with his Milan teammate Roberto Donadoni and Dino Baggio. In the last group game against Mexico, Albertini helped set up a goal for Daniele Massaro. This goal was very important and allowed Italy to move to the next round.

In the semifinal against Bulgaria, Albertini played a fantastic game. He took many shots and even hit the goalpost. He also created many chances for his team. He helped set up Roberto Baggio's second goal, which led to Italy winning 2–1 and reaching the final. In the final against Brazil, the game ended 0–0 after extra time, so it went to a penalty shootout. Albertini scored his penalty, but Italy lost the shootout.

Euro 1996: Early Exit

Italy went to the European Championship in England. Many people thought Italy, with Albertini as a key player wearing the number 10 shirt, could win. However, Italy was knocked out in the first round. They lost 2–1 to the Czech Republic. Then, they drew 0–0 with Germany, who later won the tournament. Italy dominated the game against Germany, but Gianfranco Zola missed a penalty.

World Cup 1998: Helping Italy Qualify

Albertini played a big part in helping Italy get to the 1998 World Cup. In a play-off game against Russia in October 1997, he set up a goal for Christian Vieri in a 1–1 draw. He also set up Pierluigi Casiraghi's goal in the second game. This helped Italy win 2–1 overall and qualify for the World Cup.

At the 1998 World Cup, Albertini was still a very important central midfielder. In the quarter-final against France, the game ended 0–0 after extra time and went to penalties. Albertini missed his penalty, and Italy lost. However, he almost created a winning goal for Italy in extra time. He sent a great pass to Roberto Baggio, but Baggio's shot went just wide. France went on to win the World Cup.

Euro 2000: A Key Midfield Leader

Albertini's Euro 2000 Italy jersey in the Football Museum in Florence

At Euro 2000, Albertini was the clear leader of Italy's midfield. He helped control the game and create chances for his team. He made two assists in the tournament. One was for Francesco Totti's goal against Belgium, and the other for Inzaghi's goal against Romania. Italy reached the final without losing a game. They beat Turkey, Belgium, and Sweden in the group stage. They then beat Romania 2–0 and the Netherlands on penalties.

In the final, Italy lost 2–1 to France after a "golden goal" in extra time. Albertini's great performances earned him a spot in the Team of the Tournament.

Missing the 2002 World Cup

Albertini was a key player for Italy's coach, Giovanni Trapattoni. However, he missed the 2002 World Cup because of an injury. He got hurt on April 14, 2002, less than two months before the tournament. This injury happened in a Serie A game for Milan against Juventus. This effectively ended his international career at age 30. This game also turned out to be his last for AC Milan.

Life After Football: New Roles

On December 5, 2005, Albertini announced he was retiring from professional football. He said he hoped to become a football manager one day. On March 15, 2006, a special match was played in his honor between Milan and Barcelona. Many famous players from the past and present, like Marco van Basten and Franco Baresi, took part. Milan won 3–2, and Albertini scored the first goal from a free kick. After the game, fans gave him a huge cheer.

In 2006, Albertini helped start a football academy called "Scuola calcio Demetrio Albertini." It was for young players in Milan and Lecchese, with over 1000 kids involved.

Working with the Italian Football Federation

In May 2006, after a big issue in Italian football, Albertini was named vice-commissioner of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). He later became vice-president of the FIGC in 2007 and was re-elected in 2013. In 2014, Albertini ran for president of the FIGC but lost.

Parma Football Club Role

After Parma FC faced financial problems, Demetrio Albertini joined the club's board. He became a football advisor to help the club's leaders.

Football Manager Researcher

Albertini also works as a researcher for Football Manager. This is a popular video game where you manage a football team.

How Demetrio Albertini Played Football

Albertini was a very complete and experienced midfielder. He had great energy, power, skill, and class. This made him one of the best midfielders of his time. His main strengths were his strong mindset, excellent vision, and understanding of the game. He also had amazing ball control and could pass the ball brilliantly. These skills made him a key player for Milan and Italy in the 1990s and early 2000s.

He was also known for his powerful and accurate shots from far away. This helped his team score goals and create chances. Not many players could pass the ball long or shoot from distance as well as Albertini. Some people compared his skills to those of Ronald Koeman. Albertini was also very good at taking penalty kicks and free kicks. He could curve the ball well or kick it with power. He often kicked the ball without a run-up.

Even though he was mainly a hardworking and creative central midfielder, he improved his defensive and attacking skills throughout his career. He became good at winning the ball back. His wide range of skills meant he could play in many different midfield positions, even on the wing, because he was good at crossing the ball.

Many football experts compare Albertini to Andrea Pirlo. Pirlo is another famous Italian midfielder who played a similar role after Albertini. Both were deep-lying playmakers with great technique, ball skills, vision, and passing. They were also good at set-pieces and scoring from distance. Besides his football skills, Albertini was also known for his fair play and good behavior on the field. He was seen as a leader for both his club and national teams.

Personal Life

Demetrio Albertini is a practicing Roman Catholic. He married Uriana Capone in 1996. They have a son named Guillermo.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

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

International Appearances and Goals

Honours and Awards

AC Milan

• Serie A: 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1998–99
• Supercoppa Italiana: 1992, 1993, 1994
• UEFA Champions League: 1993–94; runner-up: 1992–93, 1994–95
• European Super Cup: 1989, 1994

Lazio

• Coppa Italia: 2003–04

Barcelona

• La Liga: 2004–05

Italy U21

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 1992

Italy National Team

• FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1994
• UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2000

Individual Awards

• UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2000
• AC Milan Hall of Fame

See also

In Spanish: Demetrio Albertini para niños