Romeo Benetti

Lore & Background

Benetti won the 1967–68 Serie B title with Palermo. He started his Serie A career in 1968 with Juventus, making 24 appearances and scoring a goal during his first season. He joined Sampdoria on loan the next season. His breakthrough came in the 1970–71 Serie A season after joining AC Milan in 1970, helping the club to three consecutive second-place finishes in the league between 1970 and 1973. At Milan he won the 1972–73 European Cup Winners' Cup and two Coppa Italia trophies (1971–72 and 1972–73), later being named club captain. He scored a memorable long-range goal in the Milan Derby in March 1973. In 1976 he returned to Juventus and won the 1976–77 and 1977–78 Serie A titles, the 1976–77 UEFA Cup, and the Coppa Italia in 1978–79. He transferred to Roma in 1979, remaining until 1981, winning two more consecutive Coppa Italia titles before retiring.

In Their Own Story

The San Mames stadium in Bilbao roared as Juventus faced Athletic Bilbao in the UEFA Cup final. Romeo Benetti, the tireless midfielder who had joined the club that summer, fought for every ball in the center of the pitch. His relentless work rate and physical presence helped Juventus control the midfield, allowing the team to secure the 1-0 victory that delivered the club's first European trophy. Four days later, back in Italy, Benetti and his teammates celebrated again as they clinched the Serie A title with 51 points, one ahead of Turin, completing a historic double that would define the 1976–77 season.

Reader's Guide

Benetti won 55 caps for Italy between 1971 and 1980, scoring 2 goals. He debuted on 25 September 1971 against Mexico. He was in the Italian squads for the 1974 FIFA World Cup, the 1978 FIFA World Cup (where he wore the number 10 shirt and scored a goal from outside the area in a 3–1 victory over Hungary), and UEFA Euro 1980 on home soil, where Italy finished fourth. His final international appearance was in the third-place match, a penalty shoot-out defeat to Czechoslovakia after a 1–1 draw; Benetti scored his penalty. He was voted into Italy's all-time world cup team by PlanetWorldCup.com. Nicknamed Panzer, El Tigre, and Roccia, Benetti was a tenacious, mobile, athletic, complete midfielder known for physical strength, stamina, charisma, determination, consistency, leadership, and his trademark moustache. He initially played as a winger but usually played as a central or defensive midfielder, epitomising catenaccio. He was known for goal-scoring from distance and also possessed good technique and distribution, enabling him to function as a deep-lying playmaker. In 2007, he was voted number 30 in Football's 50 Greatest Hardmen by The Times.

Did You Know?

• Benetti scored a memorable long-range goal in the Milan Derby against Inter in March 1973.
• He wore the number 10 shirt for Italy at the 1978 FIFA World Cup.
• Benetti scored his penalty in the shoot-out in his final international appearance, a third-place match at Euro 1980.
• He was nicknamed Panzer (tank), El Tigre (the tiger), and Roccia (rock).