Giovanni Trapattoni

Lore & Background

A former defensive midfielder, as a player he spent almost his entire club career with AC Milan, where he won two Serie A league titles (1961–62 and 1967–68), and two European Cups, in 1962–63 and 1968–69. Internationally, he played for Italy, earning 17 caps and being part of the squad at the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile. One of the most celebrated managers in football history, Trapattoni is one of only six coaches, alongside Carlo Ancelotti, Ernst Happel, Tomislav Ivić, José Mourinho and Eric Gerets, to have won league titles in four different European countries; in total, Trapattoni has won 10 league titles in Italy, Germany, Portugal and Austria.

Alongside Udo Lattek and José Mourinho, he is one of the three coaches to have won all three major European club competitions (European Cup, European Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Cup) and the only one to do so with the same club (Juventus). Also, he is the only one to have won all official continental club competitions and the world title, achieving this during his first spell with Juventus. He is one of the rare few to have won the European Cup, the Cup Winners' Cup and Intercontinental Cup as both a player and manager.

Regarded as the most famous and consistent disciple of Nereo Rocco, Trapattoni coached his native Italy national team to the 2002 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2004, but could not replicate his club successes with Italy, suffering a controversial early exit in both competitions. Trapattoni led the Republic of Ireland national team to their first European Championships in 24 years, enjoying a successful UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying campaign. This followed narrowly missing out on the 2010 FIFA World Cup, after his team were controversially knocked out by France.

He is one of only five coaches, alongside Ignacio Trelles, Luiz Felipe Scolari, Roy Hodgson and Dick Advocaat, to have managed 1,000 or more club games and 100 or more national team games.

Reader's Guide

Trapattoni began coaching at Milan as a youth team coach, before becoming caretaker coach. He was head coach for Juventus for ten consecutive years, from 1 July 1976 to 30 June 1986. He won the Serie A league title six times (1976–77, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1985–86), the Coppa Italia twice (1978–79 and 1982–83), the European Cup in 1984–85, the Intercontinental Cup in 1985, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1983–84, the European Super Cup in 1984, and the UEFA Cup in 1976–77.

He coached Inter Milan from 1 July 1986 to 30 June 1991, winning the Serie A in 1988–89, the Supercoppa Italiana in 1989 and the UEFA Cup in 1990–91. He then managed Juventus for a second time between 1991 and 1994, winning the UEFA Cup in 1992–93. He became coach of Bayern Munich in the summer of 1994, but left at the end of the 1994–95 season without winning silverware. He coached Cagliari in the 1995–96 season but was dismissed in February 1996.

He returned to Bayern Munich in July 1996, winning the German Bundesliga in 1996–97, the German Cup in 1997–98 and the German League Cup in 1997. He coached Fiorentina from 1998 to 2000. In July 2000, he took charge of the Italy national team.