Gianluca Pessotto facts for kids
Pessotto in 2006
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Gianluca Pessotto | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 11 August 1970 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Latisana, Italy | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.73 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defender, midfielder | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 1989–1991 | Varese | 64 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 1991–1992 | Massese | 22 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 1992–1993 | Bologna | 21 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 1993–1994 | Verona | 34 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Torino | 32 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| 1995–2006 | Juventus | 243 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 416 | (9) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2002 | Italy | 22 | (1) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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Gianluca Pessotto (born 11 August 1970) is an Italian former professional footballer. He played mainly as a defender or midfielder. Gianluca spent most of his club career with Juventus. There, he won many national and international trophies. He also played for the Italian national team. He represented Italy in the 1998 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2000. In Euro 2000, his team reached the final.
After he stopped playing in 2006, Pessotto stayed at Juventus. He became part of the coaching team. He is now the Sporting Director for the club's youth academy. This means he helps manage the young players.
Fans gave him nicknames like Il Professorino ("The Little Professor"). This was because he wore glasses and liked philosophy and books. He even earned a law degree while playing! He was also called "Passerotto" ("Little Sparrow"). This was due to his amazing speed and energy on the field.
Contents
Early Football Career
Gianluca Pessotto was born in Latisana, Italy. He started his football journey in the youth system of AC Milan. However, he was quickly sold to AS Varese 1910 in 1989. He never played a professional game for Milan.
Starting Out at Varese
Pessotto began his professional career with AS Varese 1910 in 1989. He played for two full seasons with the club. During this time, he appeared in 64 games and scored one goal.
Moving Through Italian Clubs
In August 1991, Pessotto moved to US Massese 1919. He stayed there for one season. He played 23 league games and scored one goal.
After that, he joined Bologna FC 1909 in 1992. Bologna was in Serie B at the time. He played 21 league games and scored one goal before moving on.
In 1993, Pessotto transferred to Hellas Verona FC, another Serie B club. He became a regular starter there. He played 34 league games and scored 3 goals. This was his highest goal count in a season.
Reaching Serie A with Torino
After showing great skill in the second division, Pessotto moved to Torino FC in 1994. This was his first season in Serie A, Italy's top league. He quickly earned a starting spot. He played 32 league games and scored his first Serie A goal. After a very good first season, Pessotto joined Torino's city rivals, Juventus, in 1995. This was a very important move for his career.
Life at Juventus
When Pessotto joined Juventus in 1995, he quickly became a key player. He helped Juventus build one of the best defenses in the world. Opponent teams found it very hard to score against them.
Becoming a Key Player
Pessotto played alongside many great defenders at Juventus. These included players like Ciro Ferrara, Paolo Montero, and Lilian Thuram. He stayed with the club for 12 years. Towards the end of his career, injuries meant he played less often. He mostly came on as a substitute. Pessotto retired at the end of the 2005–2006 season. He played over 250 games for Juventus and scored 2 league goals.
Winning Trophies with Juventus
Pessotto won many important trophies with Juventus:
- He won the UEFA Champions League in 1996. He even scored a penalty in the final shootout against Ajax. He played in 4 Champions League Finals in total.
- He won the UEFA Super Cup in 1996.
- He won the Intercontinental Cup in 1996.
- He won the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2000.
- He won four Italian League titles (1997, 1998, 2002, 2003).
- He won four Supercoppa Italiana titles (1997, 1998, 2002, 2003).
- He won one Coppa Italia in 1995.
Playing for Italy
Pessotto played 22 times for the Italian national team. He played for Italy between 1996 and 2002.
Representing His Country
He played for Italy in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Italy was knocked out by France in the quarter-finals. France went on to win the tournament.
Euro 2000 Success
Pessotto also played in Euro 2000. In the semi-final, he scored a penalty in the shootout against the Netherlands. This sent Italy to the final against France. In the final, Pessotto helped set up a goal. However, Italy lost to France after they scored a last-minute goal. Italy then lost to a "golden goal" by David Trezeguet. Trezeguet later became his teammate at Juventus. Pessotto could not play in the 2002 World Cup due to an injury.
How He Played the Game
Gianluca Pessotto was not known for being the most naturally gifted player. But he was a very promising young talent. He became known as a reliable and hard-working player. He was also very smart tactically and could play in many different positions.
A Versatile and Reliable Player
Pessotto had good ball control and knew where to be on the field. He could play as an attacking full-back or wing-back. He could also play as a wide midfielder on either side of the field. Even though he was naturally right-footed, he could play well with both feet. He usually played on the left side.
His Strengths on the Field
He was known for his speed, calm attitude, and great stamina. He was good at reading the game and chasing down opponents. He could win the ball back with his tackles. Then, he would carry the ball up the field and pass to teammates. He was also good at sending crosses into the penalty area. This allowed him to cover the entire side of the field effectively. He could also play as a central or defensive midfielder. Sometimes, he even played as a centre-back. This was because he was consistent and good at marking players. He was also very accurate at taking penalty kicks.
Even though he was a quiet person, he was a great sportsman. He was professional and disciplined. His elegant playing style and friendly nature made him well-liked by his teammates and coaches.
After Retirement: Coaching Career
After he stopped playing football, Pessotto became the new team manager for Juventus. He continues to work with the club today.
Awards and Achievements
Club
Juventus
- Serie A: 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03
- Supercoppa Italiana: 1995, 1997, 2002, 2003
- Intercontinental Cup: 1996
- UEFA Champions League: 1995–96
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 1996–97, 1997–98, 2002–03
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999
- UEFA Super Cup: 1996
International
Italy
- UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2000
Individual
- Premio Nazionale Carriera Esemplare "Gaetano Scirea": 1995
Orders
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5th Class / Knight: Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 2000
See also
In Spanish: Gianluca Pessotto para niños
