Stefano Tacconi

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Tacconi got his first significant experience at Spoleto football club. Following this, having already attracted the interest of Inter Milan, he had his first brief stint as a professional with Pro Patria and Livorno before joining Sambenedettese. He then reached Serie A with Avellino in the 1980–81 season; he remained there for three years before joining Juventus in 1983, as a replacement for Dino Zoff. With Juventus, he won two scudetti in 1984 and 1986, the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1984, the 1984 European Super Cup, the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1985 and the 1985 Intercontinental Cup. In 1990 he won a UEFA Cup and a Coppa Italia double; the following season, he was named the team's captain. After ten years with Juventus, he transferred to Genoa in 1992, which was relegated to Serie B at the end of the season. He retired in 1994.

In Their Own Story

On 10 June 1987, Tacconi made his senior international debut for Italy in a 3–1 win over Argentina in Zürich. Despite being widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers of his generation and of all time, he served largely as a back-up to Walter Zenga at the national level. This role earned him the nickname 'the best back-up keeper in the world.' He was part of the squads for the 1988 Summer Olympics (where Italy finished fourth), UEFA Euro 1988, and the 1990 FIFA World Cup on home soil, where Italy finished third. During the 1990 semi-final loss to Argentina on penalties, Tacconi later criticized manager Azeglio Vicini for not substituting him in for Zenga, believing he was better at saving penalties.

Reader's Guide

Tacconi made his senior international debut in a 3–1 win over Argentina on 10 June 1987. He was chosen by Dino Zoff as the starting goalkeeper for the Under-23 Italian Olympic side which reached the semi-finals in the 1988 Olympics. He was Zenga's deputy during Euro 1988 and the 1990 World Cup. In total, he made seven appearances for Italy between 1987 and 1991, all in friendly matches, conceding two goals. His final match was a 0–0 friendly draw with Belgium on 13 February 1991. After retiring, he had several disappointing experiences in politics. In August 2008, at age 51, he returned to active football with amateur club Arquata. He married Laura Speranza in 2011 and has four children. In October 2023, he was released from hospital following rehabilitation from a brain haemorrhage suffered in April 2022.

Did You Know?

• Tacconi is the only goalkeeper to have won all international club competitions, a feat he achieved with Juventus.
• He was nicknamed 'the best back-up keeper in the world' due to his role behind Walter Zenga for Italy.
• In 2014, Tacconi criticised Azeglio Vicini for not bringing him on for the penalty shoot-out in the 1990 World Cup semi-final, citing a similar substitution by Louis van Gaal in the 2014 World Cup.