Claudio Gentile

Hard-tackling Juventus and Italy defender, 1982 World Cup winner, and later coach of Italy's under-21 and Olympic teams.

Claudio Gentile (born 27 September 1953) is an Italian football manager and former player who played as a defender in the 1970s and 1980s. He appeared for Italy in two World Cup tournaments and played for the winning Italian team in the 1982 final. His club career was notably spent with Juventus, for whom he made almost 300 league appearances, winning six national titles and two major European trophies.

Quick Facts

Born: 27 September 1953
Birthplace: Tripoli, Kingdom of Libya
Height: 1.78 m / 5 ft 10 in
Position: Defender
Total caps: 441
Total goals: 14

Lore & Background

Gentile was born in Tripoli, Kingdom of Libya during Italian colonization, to parents from Noto, Sicily. At age eight, he moved with his family to Brunate, Lombardy. He began his career with Arona, then played in Serie B with Varese during 1972–73. He moved to Juventus and debuted in a Coppa Italia match against Ascoli on 29 August 1973, with his Serie A debut on 2 December 1973 against Verona.

He played 414 senior matches for Juventus, including 283 in Serie A. He won two major European club competitions (1976–77 UEFA Cup and 1983–84 European Cup Winners' Cup), six Serie A championships, and two Coppa Italias. He reached the 1982–83 European Cup final, losing 1–0 to Hamburg; during the match, he collided with Danish forward Lars Bastrup, breaking Bastrup's jaw, but the incident went unnoticed by the referee. In 1984, he moved to Fiorentina for three seasons, then played a final season with Piacenza in Serie B, retiring at the end of 1987–88.

He was capped 71 times by Italy between 1975 and 1984, scoring one goal. He played in all of Italy's matches at the 1978 World Cup (fourth place) and the 1980 European Championship, where he was named in the team of the tournament. In the 1982 World Cup, he was a permanent starter as Italy won the final. He gained notoriety for his aggressive man-marking of Diego Maradona in a second-round victory against Argentina, where he fouled the Argentine star 23 times in total, after which Gentile quipped, 'Football is not for ballerinas!'

Italy defeated Brazil 3–2 in the next match, with Gentile marking Zico. He missed the semi-final due to suspension but returned for the final against West Germany (3–1 win). He was once again in the team of the tournament for his performances during the 1982 World Cup. He later coached the Italy under-21 team to win the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and the Olympic team to a bronze at the 2004 Olympics. On 5 June 2014, he signed a two-year deal with Sion.

Reader's Guide

Gentile was regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation, one of the toughest ever players in his position, and as one of the greatest Italian defenders of all time. A hard-tackling and versatile defender, he could play as a man-marking centre-back or 'stopper', as a full-back on either flank, and was known for his tight, heavy, physical marking, work-rate, and aggressive challenges. He could also play as a sweeper or defensive midfielder.

He stood out for his ability in the air. Though not initially known for natural skill, he was disciplined in training and showed technical improvements. He was mobile, hard-working, and capable of contributing offensively as an attacking full-back. Alongside Juventus and Italy teammates Dino Zoff, Brio, Cabrini, and Scirea, he formed one of the most formidable defensive lines in football history.

In 2007, The Times placed him at number 8 in their list of the 50 hardest footballers. Despite his reputation, he considered himself hard yet fair; he was only sent off once, in a 2–0 away loss to Club Brugge in a European Cup semi-final in April 1978, for a double booking following a handball. Due to his aggressive style and country of birth, he was nicknamed 'Gaddafi' in the Italian media, but he disliked it, saying 'they didn't realise how much I detested that nickname...

I couldn't stand it because I knew what he [Gheddafi] had done to the Italians and to my relatives.' He preferred the diminutive 'Gento'.