Antonio Cabrini

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Lore & Background

Cabrini was born in Cremona, Lombardy. He made his professional debut with U.S. Cremonese in Serie C during the 1973–74 season. He played for Atalanta in Serie B in 1975–76, then joined Juventus in summer 1976. With Juventus, he won six Serie A titles, two Coppa Italia, one UEFA Super Cup, one European Cup, one UEFA Cup and one Intercontinental Cup. He captained Juventus in his final season. In 1989 he moved to Bologna for two seasons before retiring. He played 297 Serie A matches for Juventus, scoring 33 goals. He earned his first senior cap on 2 June 1978 against France. He played in three World Cups (1978, 1982, 1986), winning in 1982. He scored the winning goal in Italy's 2–1 second round win over Argentina in 1982. He earned 73 caps and scored 9 goals for Italy, an international record for a defender. He captained Italy ten times.

In Their Own Story

In the summer of 1976, Cabrini joined Juventus, where he would spend the majority of his career. A former left winger switched to left-back by Ivanoe "Babo" Nolli during his youth days at Cremonese, Cabrini brought a unique attacking dimension to the position. He was known for his timing, elevation in the air, and ability to take free kicks and penalties. His discipline was legendary; he neither smoked nor drank, standing out for his man-of-few-words demeanor despite his popularity. In 1978, at age 20, he earned his first cap against France in a 2–1 win, becoming the Best Young Player of that World Cup where Italy finished fourth. By 1982, he was an established international regular, keeping two clean sheets en route to the title. After retiring from Juventus in 1989 following 13 successful seasons, he played two more years at Bologna before hanging up his boots, having played 352 Serie A matches and scoring 35 goals.

Reader's Guide

Cabrini was a fast, powerful attacking left-back, considered one of the greatest full-backs of his generation. Originally a left winger, he was switched to left-back by Ivanoe "Babo" Nolli at Cremonese. He was known for his attacking runs, crossing, passing, flair, technical ability, and goal-scoring from distance, free kicks, and penalties. He was strong in the air and disciplined, neither smoking nor drinking. After playing, he managed Arezzo, Crotone, Pisa, and Novara. He was briefly appointed Syria national team head coach in 2007 but the agreement was terminated in February 2008 before he managed the team. He coached the Italy women's national team from 14 May 2012 to 4 August 2017.

Did You Know?

• Cabrini scored 33 Serie A goals for Juventus, not 35.
• Cabrini was not uncapped at the 1978 World Cup; he had earned his first senior cap just before the tournament.
• He missed a penalty in the 25th minute of the 1982 World Cup final against West Germany but still won the title.
• He is one of the few players to have won all UEFA Club competitions with Juventus.