Gianluca Pessotto

Gianluca Pessotto (Italian pronunciation: [dʒanˈluːka pesˈsɔtto]; born 11 August 1970) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a defender or midfielder. A former Italy international, he spent the majority of his club career with Juventus, where he won several domestic and international trophies, and is now head of its youth system. He represented his country at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, and at UEFA Euro 2000, reaching the final of the latter tournament.

Gianluca Pessotto
Pessotto in 2006
Personal information
Full name Gianluca Pessotto[1]
Date of birth (1970-08-11) 11 August 1970
Place of birth Latisana, Italy
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s) 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)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

After his retirement in 2006, Pessotto remained at Juventus as a member of the coaching staff. He is currently the Sporting Director (Direttore Sportivo) of the club's youth academy.[2]

Pessotto was given the nickname Il Professorino ("The Little Professor") by the fans, due to his glasses, his interest in philosophy and literature, and as he was able to obtain a law degree during his career. His stamina and ability to run very quickly – indeed he was often described as almost "flying" on field in the media – also earned him the nickname "Passerotto" ("Little Sparrow").[3][4]

Club career

Milan

Born in Latisana, in the province of Udine, Pessotto started his career in the A.C. Milan youth system. However, he was instantly sold to A.S. Varese 1910 in 1989. He never made a professional appearance for Milan.

Varese

After joining Varese in 1989, Pessotto officially began his professional career. In two full seasons with the club, he tallied an impressive 64 appearances, also finding the back of the net on a solo occasion.

Massese

In August 1991, Pessotto transferred to U.S. Massese 1919, although he only remained at the club for one season. in his lone season, he appeared 23 times in the league, netting one goal.

Bologna

Following impressive spells with both A.S. Varese 1910 and U.S. Massese 1919, he transferred to, then, Serie B club Bologna F.C. 1909 in the summer of 1992. Despite being a highly anticipated transfer, Pessotto made just 21 league appearances, and was sold at the conclusion of the season. He also scored one goal for the Bolognese club.

Verona

After a season with Bologna in Serie B, Pessotto transferred to fellow Serie B club, Hellas Verona F.C. in 1993. Pessotto was an undisputed starter for much of the season, impressing greatly. He made 34 league appearances with a seasonal career high of 3 goals.

Torino

After impressing in the second division of Italian football, Pessotto transferred to Torino F.C. in 1994. In his first season in the Serie A, Pessotto racked up a starting position along with 32 league appearances and his first Serie A goal. After greatly impressing in his debut Serie A season, Pessotto moved to city rivals and European giants Juventus, in 1995, in what was a very highly regarded transfer.[3]

Juventus

After joining Juventus in 1995, Pessotto instantly became a key part of the first team and helped Juventus form what was considered to be one of the best defences in the world at this time, and teams strongly regretted ever going down a goal to the club, as they knew how hard it would be to score one back for themselves. Pessotto formed impressive defensive partnerships with the likes of Ciro Ferrara, Moreno Torricelli, Paolo Montero, Mark Iuliano, Lilian Thuram, Alessandro Birindelli, Igor Tudor, Gianluca Zambrotta, Nicola Legrottaglie, Fabio Cannavaro, Jonathan Zebina, and Giorgio Chiellini during his lengthy 12-year tenure with the club. He was one of many experienced players who had been at Juventus for a lengthy period of time. Injuries and other issues in the closing stages of his career limited his first-team opportunities to mainly being used a substitute to Jonathan Zebina or Lilian Thuram. Pessotto retired at the end of the 2005–2006 Serie A season, after back to back Scudetti. With Juventus he managed well over 250 total appearances scoring 2 league goals in the process. Among his achievements as a Juventus player, Pessotto won the UEFA Champions League in 1996 (scoring a penalty in Juventus's shoot-out victory over Ajax), playing in 4 Champions League Finals, the UEFA Super Cup in 1996, the Intercontinental Cup in 1996, 1 UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2000, 4 Scudetti (1997, 1998, 2002, 2003) 4 Supercoppa Italiana titles (1997, 1998, 2002, 2003), and 1 Coppa Italia in 1995.[3]

International career

In total, Pessotto was capped 22 times for Italy between 1996 and 2002, under managers Arrigo Sacchi (1996), Cesare Maldini (1996–98), Dino Zoff (1998–2000), and Giovanni Trapattoni (2000–2002).[5] He played for his country at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, where Italy were eliminated by hosts and eventual champions France on penalties in the quarter finals, and at Euro 2000. At Euro 2000, Pessotto scored a penalty in the semi-final shootout win over co-hosts the Netherlands, which sent Italy into the final against France.[6] In the final, Pessotto would set up Delvecchio's goal; however, he only picked up a runners-up medal, as Italy lost to France for the second consecutive tournament, after conceding a last minute equaliser, and then subsequently conceding a David Trezeguet golden goal.[7] Trezeguet became his Juventus teammate the following season.[8] He was unable to take part at the 2002 World Cup with Italy due to injury.[9]

Style of play

Despite initially not being known as the most naturally talented, flashy, or technically gifted footballer, Pessotto was considered to be a promising prospect in his youth, and later made a name for himself as a correct, hard-working, reliable, tactically intelligent, efficient, and versatile utility player, with solid ball control and a good positional sense, who was able to play as an attacking full-back or wing-back, or also as a wide midfielder on either flank. Despite being naturally right-footed, he was capable of playing with either foot, and he usually preferred to play on the left side of the pitch. In this role, he was known for his pace, calm composure, reading of the game, and stamina, as well as his ability to chase and close down opponents, win back the ball with his tackles, and subsequently carry it up the flank, play exchanges with teammates, get forward, and deliver crosses into the area, courtesy of his distribution and ability to make attacking runs, which enabled him to cover the flank effectively. He was also capable of playing as a central or defensive midfielder, and was even used as a centre-back on occasion, due to his consistency, awareness, and man-marking ability. He was also an accurate penalty taker. In spite of his reserved character, his sportsmanship, fair-play attitude, professionalism, discipline, elegant playing style, and gregariousness made him an important, well-liked, and respected figure in the dressing room, among both his teammates and managers.[3][4][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]

Coaching career

Following his retirement, Pessotto was successively appointed as the new Juventus team manager.

Alleged suicide attempt

Weeks after his retirement as a footballer, he survived a 15-metre fall from a fourth storey window at the headquarters of Juventus, on 27 June 2006. As he was holding a rosary, it is believed that he was attempting suicide in the wake of the Calciopoli scandal which led his club to be stripped of two Serie A titles and relegated in Serie B for their first time in history.[24] He suffered multiple fractures and internal bleeding from the fall. On 17 July 2006, medical staff declared him out of danger and stated that he would not have long-term mental damage or physical paralysis.[25][26] His wife Reana later declared it had not been a suicide attempt, but that Pessotto had blacked-out.[27]

After recovering Pessotto resumed his managerial duties. In the summer of 2009 he was appointed Primavera (U-20) coach, replacing former teammate Ciro Ferrara, who had been just been named the new first team manager.

Honours

Club

Juventus[3][28][29]

International

Italy[28]

Individual

Orders
5th Class / Knight: Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 2000[31][32]

References
  1. "Comunicato Ufficiale N. 214" [Official Press Release No. 214] (PDF) (in Italian). Lega Serie A. 26 April 2016. p. 5. Retrieved 11 December 2020.
  2. "Corporate Information — Sport Department". juventus.com. Archived from the original on 7 October 2014.
  3. Stefano Bedeschi (11 August 2018). "Gli eroi in bianconero: Gianluca PESSOTTO" (in Italian). Tutto Juve. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  4. "Pessotto, una nuova vita 5 anni dopo" (in Italian). Tutto Juve. Retrieved 15 September 2014.
  5. "Nazionale in cifre: Pessotto, Gianluca" (in Italian). FIGC. Archived from the original on 23 December 2008. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  6. "Spot-on Italy inflict more woe for Dutch". UEFA. 6 October 2003. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  7. "Trezeguet sinks Italy as France clinch Euro 2000". UEFA. 1 January 2011. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  8. Jack Carroll (25 June 2000). "Euro 2000 Diary: Trezeguet makes £13.5m move to Juventus". The Telegraph. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  9. Antonello Capone; Lodovico Maradei (18 April 2015). "Tutto male per l'Italia Perde anche Pessotto" [Everything is going badly for Italy Even Pessotto is out] (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
  10. "Euro 2000 Profile: Gianlua Pessotto". BBC. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
  11. "Italy squad at a glance". BBC. 14 November 2000. Retrieved 7 November 2015.
  12. John Ley (9 June 2000). "Italy Team Details". The Telegraph. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
  13. Stu Forster (13 July 2000). "Profile: Gianluca Pessotto". ESPN FC. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  14. "PESSOTTO, Gianluca" (in Italian). Treccani: Enciclopedia dello Sport (2002). Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  15. "Gianluca PESSOTTO (I)" (in Italian). www.magliarossonera.it. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  16. Salvatore Campana (27 July 2010). "ESCLUSIVA TJ - Intervista a Lello Roberto, coordinatore degli JC calabresi: Quest'anno io ci credo!" (in Italian). www.tuttojuve.com. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  17. Mattia Feltri (7 June 2006). "Simula i falli, evadi il fisco" (in Italian). La Stampa. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  18. Nicola Morosini (2 April 2012). "Pessotto, il lucchese doc" (in Italian). Il Tirreno. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  19. Massimo Meroi; Paolo Condò; Sebastiano Vernazza; Germano Bovolenta; Paolo Forcolin (5 September 2001). "La Juve non si ferma più" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 28 September 2018.
  20. "Tanti auguri a Gianluca Pessotto!" (in Italian). www.juventus.com. 11 August 2018. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  21. Giorgio Dell'Arti (24 June 2014). "Biografia di Gianluca Pessotto" (in Italian). www.cinquantamila.it. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  22. Lodovico Maradei (8 November 1999). "Toro e Juve fanno a botte" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  23. Whitebloom, Grey (7 May 2020). "Juventus' Ultimate 25-Man Serie A Squad". 90min.com. Retrieved 1 June 2020.
  24. "Italians see Pessotto in hospital". BBC. 29 June 2006.
  25. "Pessotto meets his sons in hospital". ANSA. 17 July 2006. Archived from the original on 19 July 2006.
  26. "Juventus's Antonio Conte investigation". The Guardian. 28 May 2012.
  27. 'Pessotto wilde niet dood' - Trouw (in Dutch)
  28. "G. Pessotto". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  29. "Gianluca Pessotto" (in Italian). Eurosport. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  30. "Premio Nazionale Carriera Esemplare Gaetano Scirea". Retrieved 21 January 2015.
  31. "Onorificenze". quirinale.it (in Italian). 12 July 2000. Archived from the original on 10 January 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  32. "Pessotto Sig. Gianluca - Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana". Archived from the original on 10 November 2013. Retrieved 21 January 2015.
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