Gianluca Pagliuca facts for kids
Pagliuca with Sampdoria in 1989
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Gianluca Pagliuca | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 18 December 1966 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Bologna, Italy | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1986 | Bologna | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1994 | Sampdoria | 198 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1999 | Inter Milan | 165 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2006 | Bologna | 248 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Ascoli | 23 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 634 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1989 . | Italy U21 | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1996 | Italy Olympic (O.P.) | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 1991–1998 | Italy | 39 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||
Gianluca Pagliuca is a famous Italian goalkeeper who played professional football. He was born on December 18, 1966. Many experts consider him one of the best goalkeepers of his time and one of Italy's greatest ever.
During his career, he played for several top Italian clubs like Sampdoria, Inter, Bologna, and Ascoli. He won many important trophies with these teams. He also played for the Italian national team in three FIFA World Cups (1990, 1994, and 1998). He was the starting goalkeeper when Italy reached the 1994 World Cup final.
Gianluca Pagliuca holds impressive records in Serie A, Italy's top football league. He is the player with the fifth-highest number of appearances, playing in 592 matches. He is also the second-best at saving penalty kicks, with 24 saves.
Contents
Club Career: Playing for Top Teams
Gianluca Pagliuca started his club career playing for Sampdoria from 1987 to 1994. With Sampdoria, he achieved great success. He helped them win the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup and the Italian league title, known as the Scudetto. He also played in the UEFA Champions League final in 1992, where Sampdoria lost to Barcelona. Even though they lost, Pagliuca played incredibly well in that match.
Moving to Inter Milan
In 1994, Pagliuca joined Internazionale, also known as Inter. His transfer fee was a world record for a goalkeeper at the time, costing £7 million. With Inter, he reached two UEFA Cup finals in a row. They lost the first one in 1997 but won the second in 1998. In that final, he was the team captain as Inter beat Lazio 3-0. Pagliuca left Inter in 1999.
Returning to Bologna and Retirement
After leaving Inter, Pagliuca moved back to his hometown club, Bologna. He played there from 1999 to 2006. Even when Bologna was relegated to Serie B in 2005, he stayed with the team for another year. In 2006, he returned to Serie A, joining Ascoli for one season. On September 17, 2006, Pagliuca set a new record for the most Serie A appearances by a goalkeeper, passing the legendary Dino Zoff. He retired from professional football at the end of that season.
International Career: Playing for Italy
Gianluca Pagliuca was part of the Italian squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup but did not play. However, by the 1994 FIFA World Cup, he became Italy's first-choice goalkeeper. In that tournament, he made history by becoming the first goalkeeper ever to be sent off (given a red card) in a World Cup match. This happened when he handled the ball outside his penalty area against Norway.
World Cup Final and Penalty Saves
Despite the red card, Pagliuca returned after his suspension. He played from the quarter-finals onwards, helping Italy reach the final against Brazil. Italy lost the final in a penalty shootout. However, Pagliuca became the first goalkeeper to save a penalty in a World Cup final shootout, stopping a shot from Márcio Santos.
In 1996, he played for the Italian Olympic team. He also played in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He became the starting goalkeeper for Italy in that tournament due to an injury to another player. He made an amazing save against Norway, blocking a close-range header. Italy was eventually knocked out by host country France in the quarter-finals after a penalty shootout. Pagliuca even saved a penalty in that shootout. After the 1998 World Cup, he finished his international career with 39 appearances for Italy.
Life After Football: Coaching and Commentary
After retiring from playing, Gianluca Pagliuca became a football coach. In 2014, he rejoined his hometown club, Bologna, as a youth coach. By 2016, he became the goalkeeping coach for the club's under-19 team, a role he still holds. He also often gives interviews and shares his opinions as a commentator for sports media.
Style of Play: The Wall
Gianluca Pagliuca was known for being a very agile, consistent, and athletic goalkeeper. He was famous for his quick reactions, incredible diving saves, and his ability to stop penalties. He was also good at controlling the ball, distributing it accurately, and making long kicks with his left foot. People nicknamed him The Wall because of his strong goalkeeping skills and how reliable he was.
He was also known for his dedication and how well he kept himself in shape, which helped him avoid injuries and play for a long time.
Personal Life
Gianluca Pagliuca was born in Bologna, Italy, and he is a big fan of his local team, Bologna FC 1909. He played 248 matches for them between 1999 and 2006. He has also mentioned that he supports the English Premier League club Aston Villa F.C..
His son, Mattia Pagliuca, is also a professional footballer. Mattia made his debut in Serie A in December 2020, playing as a winger for Bologna.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Coppa Italia | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sampdoria | 1986–87 | Serie A | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| 1987–88 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 7 | 0 | ||||
| 1988–89 | 33 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 50 | 0 | |||
| 1989–90 | 34 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 46 | 0 | |||
| 1990–91 | 32 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 8 | 0 | — | 50 | 0 | |||
| 1991–92 | 34 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 11 | 0 | — | 54 | 0 | |||
| 1992–93 | 29 | 0 | — | — | — | 29 | 0 | |||||
| 1993–94 | 34 | 0 | 10 | 0 | — | — | 44 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 198 | 0 | 51 | 0 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 280 | 0 | ||
| Inter Milan | 1994–95 | Serie A | 34 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 43 | 0 | |
| 1995–96 | 34 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 42 | 0 | |||
| 1996–97 | 34 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 0 | — | 53 | 0 | |||
| 1997–98 | 34 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 11 | 0 | — | 49 | 0 | |||
| 1998–99 | 29 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 0 | ||
| Total | 165 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 234 | 0 | ||
| Bologna | 1999–00 | Serie A | 32 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | — | 41 | 0 | |
| 2000–01 | 34 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 36 | 0 | ||||
| 2001–02 | 34 | 0 | — | — | — | 34 | 0 | |||||
| 2002–03 | 34 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 38 | 0 | ||||
| 2003–04 | 34 | 0 | — | — | — | 34 | 0 | |||||
| 2004–05 | 38 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | 40 | 0 | ||||
| 2005–06 | Serie B | 42 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 44 | 0 | |||
| Total | 248 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 267 | 0 | ||
| Ascoli | 2006–07 | Serie A | 23 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 25!!0 | |||
| Career total | 634 | 0 | 90 | 0 | 78 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 806 | 0 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 1991 | 3 | 0 |
| 1992 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1993 | 8 | 0 | |
| 1994 | 13 | 0 | |
| 1995 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 3 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 6 | 0 | |
| Total | 39 | 0 | |
Honours and Awards
Sampdoria
- Serie A: 1990–91
- Coppa Italia: 1987–88, 1988–89, 1993–94
- Supercoppa Italiana: 1991
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1989–90; runner-up: 1988-89
- European Cup runner-up: 1991–92
Inter
- UEFA Cup: 1997–98; runner-up: 1996-97
Italy
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1994 third place: 1990
- Scania 100 Tournament: 1991
Individual
- Pirata d'Oro (Internazionale Player Of The Year): 1995
- Guerin d'Oro: 1996–97, 2004–05
- Inter Milan Hall of Fame: 2021
Orders
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5th Class / Knight: Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 1991
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See also
In Spanish: Gianluca Pagliuca para niños
