Alessandro Nesta

Lore & Background

Nesta was first discovered by Francesco Rocca, a scout for Roma, but his father, a Lazio fan, turned down the offer. He began his youth career with Lazio in 1985, playing in various roles, including as a striker and midfielder, before being placed in the role of a defender. In the 1993–94 season he was called up to the first team, and on 13 March 1994 he made his debut in a 2–2 away draw against Udinese; Nesta came on for Giuseppe Signori during the 78th minute. He assumed the team captaincy in 1997 under Sven-Göran Eriksson, and helped Lazio win the 1998 Coppa Italia against AC Milan in the final 3–2 on aggregate, with the decisive goal in the second leg scored by Roberto Mancini. Lazio reached the UEFA Cup quarter-finals that season, where they were eliminated by Atlético Madrid. Nesta was awarded the Serie A Young Footballer of the Year Award at the 1998 Italian footballing awards for his performance throughout the season. The following year he was forced to stay out for nearly half the season due to a knee injury, though it was not related to the 1998 World Cup. He returned to the field in December, and, as captain, led Lazio in the title race, lost by a single point on the final day of the season. He did, however, win the first two trophies at the international level of his team: the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, won against Mallorca, and, in August, the European Super Cup over Manchester United. In the 1999–2000 season he led Lazio to the Scudetto and Coppa Italia, winning the double. During the 2000–01 season, under Dino Zoff, Lazio won the Supercoppa Italiana and finished third in Serie A. Nesta's performances and success for Lazio during this period earned him three consecutive Serie A Defender of the Year awards between 2000 and 2002. Financial problems for Lazio and its then-president Sergio Cragnotti led to the sale of Nesta to Milan in 2002. Nesta left the club with a backlog salary of €2 million, half of which were converted into shares of the Biancocelesti club. He is considered to be one of the best Lazio defenders.

In Their Own Story

The sun dipped low over the Stadio Olimpico on that late spring afternoon. The air smelled of hot asphalt and anticipation. Nesta stood near the center circle, hands on hips, watching the opposition warm up. He wore the blue and white stripes like armor, familiar and comforting. A young fan in the stands held a sign with his name, hoping for one last glance before kickoff. Nesta paused, nodding slightly to the crowd that had sung him into legend. There was no arrogance in his posture, only readiness. As the whistle blew, he moved not with haste, but with purpose, gliding toward the ball as if it were waiting for him.

Reader's Guide

Nesta transferred to Milan for €30,987,000 (60 billion lire) just before the 2002–03 Serie A campaign. During his time at Milan, he formed a formidable defensive line alongside Paolo Maldini, Cafu, Alessandro Costacurta and Jaap Stam, among others. He won the Champions League for the first time in his career in 2002–03 as Milan defeated rivals Juventus at Old Trafford in the first all-Italian Champions League final in history. Nesta helped Milan keep a clean sheet during the match, which went to a penalty shootout following a 0–0 deadlock after extra time; Nesta scored his penalty kick as Milan won the shootout 3–2. He also won the Coppa Italia over Roma during his first season at the club, while Milan finished third in Serie A that season. Nesta was once again awarded the Serie A Defender of the Year award for his performances, and was elected to be part of the UEFA Team of the Year. The following season, Milan lost both the 2003 Supercoppa Italiana to Juventus and the Intercontinental Cup final to Boca Juniors, on penalties. Nesta managed to win the European Super Cup with Milan against Porto, however, and captured his second Scudetto that season, during which Milan set an Italian record for points won in a 34-match Serie A season (82). Milan were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Champions League by Deportivo La Coruña, and in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia, to eventual winners Lazio, although Nesta managed to score a goal in the quarter-final match against Roma. Nesta was once again elected to be part of the UEFA Team of the Year, for the third consecutive season. Nesta began the next season by defeating his former team Lazio to capture the 2004 Supercoppa Italiana. Milan also reached the Champions League final in 2005, losing to Liverpool on penalties, while in Serie A, they finished behind champions Juventus. Despite finishing second in both Serie A and the Champions League, Nesta was elected to the 2005 FIFPro World XI for the first time in his career. During the 2005–06 season, Milan once again finished behind Juventus in Serie A, although both Juventus and Milan were later deducted points for being involved in the 2006 matchfixing scandal, and the title was awarded to Internazionale; Juventus were relegated while Milan finished in third place after the point deduction. Milan also reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2006, lo

Did You Know?

• Nesta was first discovered by a scout for Roma, but his father, a Lazio fan, turned down the offer.
• He began his youth career with Lazio in 1985, playing as a striker and midfielder before becoming a defender.
• Nesta scored the decisive goal in the second leg of the 1998 Coppa Italia final against AC Milan.
• He won three consecutive Serie A Defender of the Year awards between 2000 and 2002.
• Nesta left Lazio with a backlog salary of €2 million, half of which were converted into shares of the club.