Daniele Massaro

Lore & Background

Massaro began his career with his local club Monza in Serie B in 1978. In 1981, he was acquired by Serie A club Fiorentina, along with Paolo Monelli, making his Serie A debut on 13 September 1981. After leaving Fiorentina in 1986, Massaro made a name for himself at AC Milan where he played over 300 games between 1986 and 1995 (apart from a loan spell with Roma during the 1988–89 season). He was part of the legendary Milan squad of the late 1980s and early 1990s, under Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello. After leaving Milan in 1995, he played a year in the Japanese football league with Shimizu S-Pulse, before retiring in 1996. Massaro made his Italy under-21 debut on 23 September 1981. He made four appearances with the Azzurrini between 1981 and 1984, also taking part with Italy's Olympic under-23 side at the 1984 Olympics, where Italy reached the semi-final, finishing in fourth place. He debuted for the senior squad on 14 April 1982 in a 1–0 loss against East Germany. He was a member of the Italian squad that won the 1982 FIFA World Cup but did not receive any playing time. He was called up for Italy's 1994 FIFA World Cup squad by manager Arrigo Sacchi at the age of 33. He played in six of Italy's seven games and scored a goal in a 1–1 draw against Mexico in Italy's final match of the group stage on 28 June. In the 1994 FIFA World Cup final loss against Brazil, he missed a one-on-one opportunity and later failed to convert a penalty kick in the shoot-out, which marked his last international appearance. After fully retiring from football, he took part in several rally races in the Italian Rally Division, racing twice in the WRC, in the Sanremo Rally (in 1998 and 1999). Massaro currently works with Milan as a public relations manager.

In Their Own Story

The rain slicked the grass at the Atleti Azzurri d'Italia stadium in the winter of '83. Massaro received a pass near the touchline, shielding it with his back to goal. He didn't rush; he waited for the line to break. With a feint that dropped the defender's shoulder, he cut inside, unleashing a curling shot that kissed the underside of the bar and rolled in. The crowd roared, unaware this was merely the prelude to a Milan legend.

Reader's Guide

Massaro was a talented and determined player, gifted with pace and agility, as well as good physical and athletic attributes. Due to his versatility, work-rate and tactical intelligence, he was uniquely capable of playing in many different positions anywhere on the pitch. Although he is remembered mainly for his performances as a centre forward with Milan, he began his career as a midfielder, and was capable of playing anywhere in midfield; indeed, he was often used as an offensive, central, or defensive midfielder. Throughout his career, he even played as a makeshift defender, both in the centre, or on the flank as a full-back. During his highly successful stint with AC Milan, he was initially deployed as an outside forward on the left, or as a winger under his Milan manager Arrigo Sacchi, due to his good technique. Massaro was only utilised as a true striker later on in his career, in particular under Milan's subsequent manager Fabio Capello, and also at the 1994 World Cup with Italy under Sacchi, where he was able to find the net more often, due to his finishing ability with either foot, as well as his aerial prowess and heading accuracy; in this position, he was also capable of playing off his teammates and of holding up the ball when playing with his back to goal. Due to his tendency to score decisive goals in closely fought matches, most notably his brace in the 1994 UEFA Champions League Final, or in the closing minutes of games, he earned the nicknames Provvidenza ('providence,' in Italian) and 'San Massaro' in the media. Describing his career experience at Milan, Massaro once referred to himself as a 'supersub,' due to his penchant for scoring decisive goals after coming off the bench.

Did You Know?

• Massaro scored a hat-trick for Shimizu S-Pulse in a 5–1 win against Bellmare Hiratsuka on 13 April 1996.
• He is the oldest-ever Italian goalscorer at the FIFA World Cup, scoring at age 33 years and 36 days.
• Massaro was also the captain of the Italian Beach Soccer National Team for a couple of years.
• He is an avid golfer during his free time.