Alessandro Costacurta
Encyclopedia
Alessandro "Billy" Costacurta (born 24 April 1966) is an Italian
former professional football
defender
turned manager
.
Costacurta spent some twenty years at Milan
, with a brief period spent in AC Monza
on loan. He is best known for his role alongside Franco Baresi
, Paolo Maldini
and Mauro Tassotti
, forming one of the greatest defences in the Serie A
and European football during the 90s. He is mainly central defender, but also can play on the right flank if necessary.
at 40 years and 116 days.
On 7 May 2007, at age 41, he announced his retirement, effective at the end of the 2006-07 season
. He remained with the club, as a second assistant to coach Carlo Ancelotti
for a short time afterwards. He made his final home start in Milan's 3-2 loss to Udinese
on 19 May 2007, converting a penalty that marked his first Serie A goal since the 1991-92
season (a left-footed volley against Roma
on 3 November 1991), and left the pitch near the end of the match to a standing ovation. After the match ended, his teammates entered the pitch wearing a replica of his jersey as a tribute.
throughout the 1990s, Costacurta played for his country in 1994 and 1998 World Cups, as well as Euro 96. After missing out on the 1994 Champions League final through suspension, he also missed the 1994 World Cup final loss to Brazil, again due to suspension. He retired from international duty with 59 caps in 1998.
's coaching staff as a technical assistant, while earning his own coaching badges. At the end of the season, he successfully earned his badges and various Italian media reported that he was pursuing a managerial role of his own. However he refused a position at Pisa
offered by new club owner Luca Pomponi immediately after the completion of his takeover of the club, citing his need to remain at Milan in order to stay at home and take care of his son, while his wife was on tour with the theater.
On 27 October 2008 Costacurta was unveiled as new head coach of Serie B
promotion candidates Mantova
, following the dismissal of previous boss Giuseppe Brucato. However his time at Mantova proved to be unsuccessful, as he failed to improve Mantova's results and ultimately leading him to tend his resignation from the coaching post following a 1–0 loss to Vicenza
that left his club only four points above the relegation zone.
*European competitions include the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, and UEFA Super Cup
>
1991
2
0
1992
8
1
1993
5
0
1994
14
1
1995
5
0
1996
6
0
1997
11
0
1998
8
0
Total
59
2
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
former professional football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
turned manager
Coach (sport)
In sports, a coach is an individual involved in the direction, instruction and training of the operations of a sports team or of individual sportspeople.-Staff:...
.
Costacurta spent some twenty years at Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
, with a brief period spent in AC Monza
A.C. Monza Brianza 1912
Associazione Calcio Monza Brianza 1912 is an Italian football club based in Monza, Lombardy.Founded in 1912, Monza currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione group A, having last been in Serie B in 2000. Monza spent the last few years in Serie C1 and Serie C2.-History:Monza was founded on 1...
on loan. He is best known for his role alongside Franco Baresi
Franco Baresi
Franco Baresi is an Italian football youth team coach and former player. He played as a sweeper and spent his entire career with Serie A club AC Milan, acknowledged as one of the greatest defenders ever to play the game. Baresi was nicknamed "Piscinin", Milanese for "Little one"...
, Paolo Maldini
Paolo Maldini
Paolo Cesare Maldini is an Italian former footballer who played as a left or central defender. He spent all 25 seasons of his career at Serie A club Milan, before retiring at the age of 41 in 2009, becoming a symbol and a legend of the club...
and Mauro Tassotti
Mauro Tassotti
Mauro Tassotti is a retired Italian footballer. He played for seventeen years with A.C. Milan, mostly at right back but could also fill in at centre back if required, thanks to his versatility and commitment...
, forming one of the greatest defences in the Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
and European football during the 90s. He is mainly central defender, but also can play on the right flank if necessary.
Club career
Costacurta, affectionally known to fans as "Billy", won the Scudetto seven times with Milan, and the European Cup/Champions League five times (1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007 - although he did not actually feature in the squad for the 2007 final). He was set to retire from Milan at the end of the 2005-06 season, but later signed a one-year extension at the age of 40.http://www.acmilan.com/BreakingNewsDetail.aspx?IdLingua=mil-en&IdNews=65156 He became the oldest footballer ever to play in the Champions League, in Milan's 1-0 loss to AEK Athens on 21 November 2006, at 40 years and 211 days, topping the previous record held by Belgian goalkeeper Dany VerlindenDany Verlinden
Daniel 'Dany' Verlinden is a retired Belgian footballer who played as a goalkeeper.Often referred to as De Muur , he played most of his career at Club Brugge, having played into his 40s....
at 40 years and 116 days.
On 7 May 2007, at age 41, he announced his retirement, effective at the end of the 2006-07 season
Serie A 2006-07
The Serie A 2006–2007 season began September 10, 2006. It was scheduled to begin on August 26 and 27, but was then postponed due to the Serie A scandal of 2006. It is the 104th Italian championship ever held, the first without the presence of Juventus, and the 75th Serie A league, the first...
. He remained with the club, as a second assistant to coach Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager, Nicknamed Carletto, Ancelotti played as a midfielder and had a successful career with Roma – captaining the team – with whom he won one Scudetto and 4 Coppa Italia and was part of the legendary late 80's Milan team, with whom he won two Scudetti and...
for a short time afterwards. He made his final home start in Milan's 3-2 loss to Udinese
Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa....
on 19 May 2007, converting a penalty that marked his first Serie A goal since the 1991-92
Serie A 1991-92
During this season, under the guidance of Fabio Capello, AC Milan completed a remarkable unbeaten season, a run that eventually totalled 58 games.- Final classification :- Results :-Top scorers:25 goals* Marco van Basten 18 goals...
season (a left-footed volley against Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
on 3 November 1991), and left the pitch near the end of the match to a standing ovation. After the match ended, his teammates entered the pitch wearing a replica of his jersey as a tribute.
International career
A mainstay in the Italian national teamItaly national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
throughout the 1990s, Costacurta played for his country in 1994 and 1998 World Cups, as well as Euro 96. After missing out on the 1994 Champions League final through suspension, he also missed the 1994 World Cup final loss to Brazil, again due to suspension. He retired from international duty with 59 caps in 1998.
Coaching career
After his retirement, in the 2007-08 season Costacurta was a member of Carlo AncelottiCarlo Ancelotti
Carlo Ancelotti is an Italian football manager, Nicknamed Carletto, Ancelotti played as a midfielder and had a successful career with Roma – captaining the team – with whom he won one Scudetto and 4 Coppa Italia and was part of the legendary late 80's Milan team, with whom he won two Scudetti and...
's coaching staff as a technical assistant, while earning his own coaching badges. At the end of the season, he successfully earned his badges and various Italian media reported that he was pursuing a managerial role of his own. However he refused a position at Pisa
Pisa Calcio
Associazione Calcio Pisa 1909 is an Italian association football club, based in Pisa, Tuscany. The club was founded in 1909 as Pisa Sporting Club and refounded in 1994 as A.C. Pisa , after the cancellation of the old one because of economical troubles...
offered by new club owner Luca Pomponi immediately after the completion of his takeover of the club, citing his need to remain at Milan in order to stay at home and take care of his son, while his wife was on tour with the theater.
On 27 October 2008 Costacurta was unveiled as new head coach of Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
promotion candidates Mantova
A.C. Mantova
Mantova Football Club is an Italian football club, based in Mantua, Lombardy. Mantova had played consecutively in the Italian Serie B from the 2005–06 season to 2009–10 as Associazione Calcio Mantova, when they were relegated after ending the season in 20th place.During the summer 2010, the club...
, following the dismissal of previous boss Giuseppe Brucato. However his time at Mantova proved to be unsuccessful, as he failed to improve Mantova's results and ultimately leading him to tend his resignation from the coaching post following a 1–0 loss to Vicenza
Vicenza Calcio
Vicenza Calcio is an Italian football club based in Vicenza, Veneto. The club was formed in 1902 and currently plays in Italy's Serie B, having spent the entire 1960s and a large part of the 1990s in Serie A...
that left his club only four points above the relegation zone.
Club
| Season | Club | League | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||
| 1986-87 Serie A 1986-87 The 1986/1987 Serie A season ended with S.S.C. Napoli doing the "domestic double", winning their first Scudetto and third Coppa Italia, spurred on by their talismanic captain Diego Maradona.... |
Milan A.C. Milan Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others... |
Serie A Serie A Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new... |
0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||||
| 2 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1986-87 | Monza A.C. Monza Brianza 1912 Associazione Calcio Monza Brianza 1912 is an Italian football club based in Monza, Lombardy.Founded in 1912, Monza currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione group A, having last been in Serie B in 2000. Monza spent the last few years in Serie C1 and Serie C2.-History:Monza was founded on 1... |
Serie C1 | 30 | 0 | ||||||||
| 30 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1987-88 Serie A 1987-88 The 1987/1988 Serie A season marked A.C. Milan's first Scudetto under the Silvio Berlusconi era and their first since the 1978/1979 season. S.S.C. Napoli, with a team including Diego Maradona, Ciro Ferrara and Careca were pre-season favourites. The championship went down to the last day of the... |
Milan A.C. Milan Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others... |
Serie A Serie A Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new... |
7 | 0 | 1 | |||||||
| 8 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1988-89 | 26 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 0 | ||
| 1989-90 Serie A 1989-90 Another dominant year for Napoli, with Diego Maradona being among the leading goalscorers in Serie A , behind Marco Van Basten of Milan and Roberto Baggio of Fiorentina .-Final classification:-Results:-Top scorers:... |
26 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 1 | ||
| 1990-91 Serie A 1990-91 -Final classification:-Results:-Top scorers:19 goals* Gianluca Vialli 16 goals* Lothar Matthäus 15 goals* Carlos Aguilera * Tomáš Skuhravý 14 goals* Roberto Baggio... |
25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 0 | ||
| 1991-92 Serie A 1991-92 During this season, under the guidance of Fabio Capello, AC Milan completed a remarkable unbeaten season, a run that eventually totalled 58 games.- Final classification :- Results :-Top scorers:25 goals* Marco van Basten 18 goals... |
30 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 36 | 1 | |||||||||||
| 1992-93 | 31 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 0 | ||
| 1993-94 Serie A 1993-94 The 1993–94 Serie A was won by A.C. Milan, being the 14th title for the rossoneri.-Final classification:-Results:-Top scorers:23 goals* Giuseppe Signori 18 goals* Gianfranco Zola 17 goals* Roberto Baggio... |
30 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 0 | ||
| 1994-95 | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 0 | ||
| 1995-96 Serie A 1995-96 The 1995–96 Serie A title was won by A.C. Milan , with Juventus finishing as runners-up.-Final classification:-Results:-Top scorers:24 goals* Igor Protti... |
30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||||||
| 40 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1996-97 | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 0 | ||
| 1997-98 Serie A 1997-98 Juventus won the title in controversial circumstances. In their match on Sunday, 26 April 1998, against eventual runners-up, Inter, Ronaldo was denied what appeared a clear penalty for Inter after being blocked by Mark Iuliano of Juventus. Had the penalty been awarded and then dispatched, the... |
29 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 37 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1998-99 Serie A 1998-99 AC Milan won their 16th Scudetto, led by coach Alberto Zaccheroni. Lazio finished second, losing the title on the last day. Inter with an often Injured or rested Ronaldo had a disastrous season, finishing in 8th position, whereas Juventus impressive start was cut short by a bad injury to Alessandro... |
29 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 32 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 1999-00 Serie A 1999-00 Lazio won the title on the final day of the season in controversial cirumstances. Juventus, the only other team left in contention on the day lost their match against Perugia in terrible conditions at a rain-sodden Stadio Renato Curi, many considering the pitch unplayable. Pierluigi Collina the... |
27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 0 | ||
| 2000-01 Serie A 2000-01 In the 2000-01 season, Serie A, the major football Italian professional league, was composed by 18 teams, for the 13th consecutive time from season 1988-89.... |
18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||||||
| 29 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 2001-02 Serie A 2001-02 In the 2001-02 season, the Serie A, the major football Italian professional league, was composed by 18 teams, for the 14th consecutive time from season 1988-89.... |
21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||||||
| 31 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 2002-03 Serie A 2002-03 In the 2002-03 season, the Serie A, the major football Italian professional league, was composed by 18 teams, for the 15th consecutive time from season 1988-89.... |
18 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||||||
| 33 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 2003-04 Serie A 2003-04 The 2003-2004 season in Italian Serie A football contained 18 teams for the 16th and last time from the 1988-89 season. With the bottom three being relegated, the 15th placed side would face the 6th highest team from Serie B, with the winner playing in the Serie A in 2004-2005.As usual, the top two... |
22 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 0 | ||
| 2004-05 Serie A 2004-05 In the 2004–05 season, the Serie A, the highest professional football league in Italy, was composed of 20 teams for the first time in several years.... |
14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | ||||||
| 22 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 2005-06 Serie A 2005-06 In the 2005–06 season, Serie A, the major professional football league in Italian, was contested for the second year in a row by 20 teams. The league commenced on August 28, 2005 and finished on May 14, 2006... |
15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||||||
| 21 | 0 | |||||||||||
| 2006-07 Serie A 2006-07 The Serie A 2006–2007 season began September 10, 2006. It was scheduled to begin on August 26 and 27, but was then postponed due to the Serie A scandal of 2006. It is the 104th Italian championship ever held, the first without the presence of Juventus, and the 75th Serie A league, the first... |
3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | ||||||
| 11 | 1 | |||||||||||
| Total for Milan | 458 | 3 | 78 | 0 | 116 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 663 | 3 | ||
| Career totals | 488 | 3 | 78 | 0 | 116 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 693 | 3 | ||
*European competitions include the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup, and UEFA Super Cup