Roberto Bettega

Roberto Bettega (Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto ˈbɛtteɡa]; born 27 December 1950) is an Italian former footballer who played as a forward.

Roberto Bettega
Bettega with Juventus in 1973
Personal information
Full name Roberto Bettega
Date of birth (1950-12-27) 27 December 1950
Place of birth Turin, Italy
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Juventus
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1969–1983 Juventus 326 (129)
1969–1970 → Varese (loan) 30 (13)
1983–1984 Toronto Blizzard 48 (11)
Total 404 (153)
National team
1975–1983 Italy 42 (19)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

A prolific and athletic striker, Bettega is mostly remembered for his successful time at his hometown club Juventus, where he won several titles and established himself as one of Italy's greatest ever players due to his strength, skill, goalscoring ability, and creativity. He was nicknamed La penna bianca ("White Feather") due to his appearance,[1][2][3][4] and Bobby Gol! due to his eye for goal.[4]

At international level, he represented Italy at the 1978 FIFA World Cup, and at the 1980 European Championships, helping his team to fourth-place finishes on both occasions; he was unable to take part at the 1982 World Cup, which Italy won, due to injury.[2][5]

In December 2009, Bettega was officially appointed deputy director-general of Juventus. His role was to act as an intermediate between the players and coaching staff and the upper echelons of the club, as well as taking an active involvement in all of the Old Lady's transfer dealings.[2] Bettega left the role a short time later in 2010 after the appointment of Luigi Del Neri as manager.[6]

Club career

Early career
A 14-year-old Bettega with Juventus Youth Sector in 1964

Born in Turin, Bettega joined the Juventus Primavera squad in 1961 as a midfielder. Bettega spent the 1968–69 campaign on the bench. At the age of 19 Bettega was loaned to the Varese F.C. in Serie B. Under Nils Liedholm, the coach of Varese, Bettega hit 13 goals to help the side finish top and gain promotion to Serie A.

Nils Liedholm said of Bettega, "He allies tremendous athletic strength with impressive technical skills. He is particularly strong in the air, and can kick the ball with either foot. All he needs is to build up experience, and then he will certainly be a force to be reckoned with."[1]

Professional career

Back at Juventus, Bettega made his Serie A debut away to Catania on 27 September 1970. He scored the winning goal. Bettega ended the season with 13 goals in 28 matches. The following season, he scored 10 goals in only 14 matches.[2]

Bettega in 1972, during his period of enforced rest, talks with juventino teammate Fabio Capello (left).

He scored a goal against Fiorentina on 16 January 1972, but this was to be his last for a while because he was forced out of the game with a lung infection and the initial stages of tuberculosis, although he was still able to contribute to Juventus's Serie A title victory that season. He was not out for long, and returned on 24 September of the same year, leading the team to their second successive league title that season.[7]

With the arrival of Giovanni Trapattoni in 1976 as coach, Bettega found himself becoming the main frontman of the bianconeri in the late 70s; the former player to take this position, Pietro Anastasi, moved to Internazionale in the summer of that year, and Bettega partnered with his replacement, Roberto Boninsegna, leading the team to notable domestic and European success during this period, including back to back Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia, and an UEFA Cup triumph; Juventus also reached the European Cup final during the 1972–73 season, as well as the Intercontinental Cup final, and managed a semi-final finish in the 1979–80 European Cup Winners' Cup.[2][8]

Bettega won the Serie A title with Juventus yet again during the 1980–81 season, but did not feature extensively in Juventus's victorious defense of their Serie A campaign during the 1981–82 season, as he suffered knee ligament damage in a collision with an opposing goalkeeper during a 1981 European Cup match against Anderlecht.[9] After finally regaining full fitness, he took to the pitch for the 1982–83 season, which would be his final season with the club. He retired from playing in Europe after Juventus lost the 1983 European Cup Final against Hamburg in Athens.[10]

Claudio Gentile (left) and Bettega with bianconeri in the 1974–75 season

In total, Bettega made 326 league appearances for Juventus, scoring 129 league goals[11] and enjoyed a highly successful career, winning seven league titles between 1972 and 1982, the 1977 UEFA Cup (in which he scored in the final) and the 1978-79 Coppa Italia titles. He also won the Capocannoniere (Serie A top scorer) in the 1979–80 season. Regarded as one of Juventus's best ever players, Bettega scored 179 goals for Juventus in all competitions, in 490 matches, including 22 goals in 74 Coppa Italia matches, and 27 goals in 81 European matches.[2][5]

After retiring from European football, Bettega played two summers in the NASL with the Toronto Blizzard, helping the team to two second-place finishes during his two seasons with the club.[2][3]

International career

Bettega played 42 times for Italy, scoring 19 goals between 1975 and 1983. In 1975, Bettega got his first call-up to the Italian national team for a match against Finland. He went on to play in the 1978 FIFA World Cup where he scored two goals to help Italy reach the second round, where they were defeated by the Netherlands, which denied them a spot in the final. Italy finished fourth after losing the third place play-off to Brazil at Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespuci, Buenos Aires.[12] Bettega was named in the Team of the Tournament for his performances. Bettega also helped Italy to a fourth-place finish at the 1980 European Championship, a tournament played on home soil.[13]

From left to right: manager Enzo Bearzot, Marco Tardelli and Bettega celebrates an Italian victory over England in 1976.

He was set to represent Italy at the 1982 FIFA World Cup, but suffered a knee ligament injury in a collision with an opposing goalkeeper during a 1981 European Cup match against Anderlecht, missing out on the '82 tournament, in which Italy were victorious.[2][3][5][14]

Style of play

Bettega was regarded as a player of noteworthy tactical intelligence, and in his prime, he was one of the most feared Italian strikers in the world, due to his physical strength and prolific goalscoring ability. A tall, quick, agile, and athletic player, he excelled in the air, and was known for his ability to score acrobatic goals, due to his elevation, coordination, opportunism, and timing, as well as his ability to make attacking runs to get on the end of crosses, and was an accurate and powerful finisher with either foot as well as with his head.[1][15] His elegance, ability in the air, and prematurely greying hair also earned him the nickname Cabeza Blanca ("white head," in Spanish).[15]

One of Bettega's most iconic goal, the back-heel versus A.C. Milan at San Siro in 1971.

Considered one of the greatest Italian footballers of all-time, Bettega was also regarded as a complete and modern team player, as he was capable of playing both as a midfielder and as a forward, courtesy of his stamina, vision, passing ability, and outstanding technical skills, which led him to be compared to former Juventus legend John Charles. He was usually used as a centre-forward earlier on in his career, but was also able to play in several other attacking roles, including as a left winger, and was even deployed in a more creative role, as a supporting striker, or as an attacking midfielder, during his later career, in particular after losing some of his natural pace, agility, and mobility. In addition to his ability as a footballer, Bettega also stood out for his personality, determination, and leadership throughout his career. Despite his playing ability, his career is thought to have been affected by his injuries, in particular during the later part of his career.[2][3][16][17]

After retirement

Bettega later returned to Juventus at the request of the club's chairman at the time, Umberto Agnelli, who asked him to be vice-chairman of the board of directors. He served the position from 1994 to 2006. He returned to Juventus again in 2009 as vice general manager.[18][19] However, his return was short lived, after Andrea Agnelli became chairman and Giuseppe Marotta became CEO and general manager of the club in 2010.

Personal life

Bettega has a son named Alessandro who also started his career in the Juventus system and was the captain of the Primavera team.[20]

Career statistics

Club
Club performance League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
Italy League Coppa Italia Europe Total
1969–70VareseSerie B301330-3313
1970–71JuventusSerie A2813321164221
1971–72141041542315
1972–7327881724211
1973–7424852203110
1974–752761031014710
1975–76291532413618
1976–773017411254623
1977–78301142724115
1978–7930992204111
1979–80281640814017
1980–8125583433711
1981–82754231148
1982–832767161408
Canada League Cup Continental Total
1983Toronto BlizzardNASL162--162
1984238--238
CountryItaly 35614276228127513191
Canada 3910--3910
Total 39515276228127552201

International

[21]

Italy national team
YearAppsGoals
197520
197678
197756
1978123
197920
1980101
198131
198200
198310
Total4219

Honours

Club
Juventus[2]
Varese

Individual

References
  1. "Roberto Bettega" (in Italian). Il Corriere della Sera. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  2. Stefano Bedeschi. "Gli eroi in bianconero: Roberto BETTEGA" (in Italian). Tutto Juve. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  3. "Il Pallone Racconta: Roberto Bettega" (in Italian). Il Pallone Racconta. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  4. Emanuele Gamba (27 December 2009). "vizi e virtù DI Bobby gol" (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
  5. "Roberto Bettega" (in Italian). Storie di Calcio. Retrieved 3 February 2015.
  6. http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/86/italy/2010/05/31/1952058/official-director-roberto-bettega-leaves-juventus
  7. Taylor, Dave (20 September 2014). "A look back at Bettega". www.football-italia.net. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  8. Dave Taylor (20 September 2014). "A look back at Bettega". Football Italia. Retrieved 15 June 2015.
  9. Lea, Greg (14 June 2018). "Tears, tantrums and phone bills: 14 high-profile superstars who suffered injury agony before a World Cup". www.fourfourtwo.com. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  10. Crosetti, Maurizio (20 October 2014). "La Juve di Bettega e una notte maledetta". La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  11. "Fußball Italien: Bettega wird neuer Sportdirektor bei "Juve"" (in German). Düsseldorf, Germany: Handelsblatt.com. 22 December 2009. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
  12. Bianchi, Fabio (15 May 2014). "Mondiale 1978: Italia, allegria del tango ma poi l'Olanda ci beffa". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  13. "Europei, la storia: Italia 1980". Il Sole 24 ORE (in Italian). 29 April 2016. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  14. "Nazionale in cifre: Bettega, Roberto". figc.it (in Italian). FIGC. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  15. Furio Zara (15 May 2018). "Pavoletti e i grandi specialisti di testa dell'Italia e del mondo" [Pavoletti and the great heading specialists in Italy and the world] (in Italian). www.calciomercato.com. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  16. Pierpaolo Marino (26 March 2016). "50 ANNI, 10 STELLE: la classifica di Marino, Rivera e Scirea davanti a Baggio" (in Italian). Calciomercato.com. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  17. "BETTEGA, Roberto in "Enciclopedia dello Sport"" (in Italian). www.treccani.it. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  18. "Official: Roberto Bettega Back At Juventus". Goal.com. 23 December 2009. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
  19. "Roberto Bettega torna in bianconero" (in Italian). Juventus.com. 23 December 2009. Archived from the original on 26 December 2009. Retrieved 29 April 2010.
  20. Imparato, Gaetano (9 February 2007). "Sembra Nedved, è Bettega jr. - Gazzetta dello Sport". www.gazzetta.it (in Italian). Retrieved 27 December 2020.
  21. Di Maggio, Roberto (9 November 2002). "Roberto Bettega - Goals in International Matches". RSSSF. Retrieved 19 April 2013.
  22. Roberto Di Maggio; Igor Kramarsic; Alberto Novello (11 June 2015). "Italy - Serie A Top Scorers". RSSSF. Retrieved 2 December 2015.
  23. "Italy - Serie B Top Scorers". rsssf.com. RSSSF. Retrieved 2 April 2015.
  24. "FIFA World Cup Awards: All-Star Team". Retrieved 22 March 2015.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Bruno Giordano		 Serie A Top Scorer
1979–80		 Succeeded by
Roberto Pruzzo
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