Claudio Gentile

Lore & Background

Gentile was born in Tripoli, Kingdom of Libya, to parents from Noto, Sicily. At age eight, he moved with his family to Brunate, Lombardy. He began his career with Arona, played in Serie B with Varese during 1972–73, then moved to Juventus. He made 414 senior matches for Juventus, including 283 in Serie A, winning six Serie A titles, two Coppa Italias, the 1976–77 UEFA Cup, and the 1983–84 European Cup Winners' Cup.

In 1984, he moved to Fiorentina, spending three seasons there, then played a final season with Piacenza in Serie B, retiring at the end of 1987–88. Internationally, he earned 71 caps for Italy between 1975 and 1984, scoring one goal. He played in the 1978 World Cup (fourth place), 1980 European Championship (semi-finals), and 1982 World Cup (champions). He was named in the Team of the Tournament for both 1980 and 1982.

As a coach, he led Italy's under-21 team to win the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and the Olympic team to a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics.

Reader's Guide

Gentile was regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation, known for hard-tackling, physical man-marking, and versatility across defensive positions. He was capable as a centre-back, full-back, sweeper, or defensive midfielder. Despite his aggressive style, he considered himself fair and was only sent off once in his career. He disliked the nickname 'Gaddafi' and preferred 'Gento'.

Did You Know?

• He fouled Diego Maradona 23 times in the 1982 World Cup match against Argentina.
• He was only sent off once in his entire career, for a double booking in a European Cup semi-final in 1978.