Nicola Berti

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Nicola Berti
File:Nicola Berti.jpg
Nicola Berti with Inter during the 1991-92 season
Personal information
Full name Nicola Berti
Date of birth (1967-04-14) 14 April 1967 (age 57)
Place of birth Salsomaggiore Terme, Italy
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Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1982–1985 Parma 28 (0)
1985–1988 Fiorentina 80 (8)
1988–1998 Internazionale 229 (29)
1998–1999 Tottenham Hotspur 21 (3)
1999–2001 Alavés 51 (5)
2001–2002 Northern Spirit 19 (2)
Total 428 (47)
International career
1988–1995 Italy 39 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Nicola Berti (born 14 April 1967, in Salsomaggiore Terme) is an Italian former footballer whose career spanned three decades. Despite his initial lack of notable technical ability (a skill which he developed with time), he was a versatile, tenacious, tactically intelligent, and hard tackling midfielder, who was effective in the air. He was known in particular for his pace, stamina, determination, work-rate, and passing range, which made him capable of playing anywhere in midfield.[1][2] He was regarded as a linchpin for Internazionale and the Italy national football team during the late 1980s and the early 1990s, notably reaching the final of the 1994 FIFA World Cup with Italy, and finishing in third place in the 1990 edition on home soil.[3]

Club career

Berti started his career as a seventeen-year-old with Parma. In his debut season the club won the 1983–84 Serie C1 championship under manager Arrigo Sacchi, and gained promotion to Serie B.[4] After three seasons at Fiorentina he was signed by Internazionale in 1988 for £3.6m.[4]

In his first season at the club, Berti was part of a team which won the 1988–89 record breaking Scudetto[4] by an 11-point margin, losing only twice, and setting a Serie A points record. Berti himself contributed seven league goals in Serie A that season from midfield.[3]

While at Inter, Berti was part of a team which won the UEFA Cup three times. He scored himself in both the 1991 UEFA Cup Final and the 1994 UEFA Cup Final.[3]

In January 1998, Berti joined Tottenham Hotspur on a free transfer. With Spurs in danger of relegation upon his arrival midway through the 1997–98 season, Berti helped the club to a 13th-placed finish in the Premier League. After George Graham replaced Christian Gross as manager of Tottenham, Berti was allowed to leave the club and join Deportivo Alavés on a free transfer.[3]

He later had a season in Australia, with Northern Spirit.[3]

International career

After playing for Italy's under 21 team at both the 1986 and 1988 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championships under manager Cesare Maldini (reaching the final in 1986), Berti made his debut for the senior team against Norway in 1988, under Azeglio Vicini. He scored his first goal, against Scotland on his third appearance for the Azzurri.[3][5]

He was included in the squad for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, where he played four matches, wearing the number 10 shirt, including the third place playoff versus England which Italy won 2–1; in the final minutes of the match, he scored from a Roberto Baggio cross, but the goal was incorrectly ruled offside.[6] In the 1994 World Cup under Arrigo Sacchi, Berti was more established and played in every match on the way to and including the final; he notably started the play which led to Roberto Baggio's last-minute match winning goal in the quarter-finals, against Spain, with a trademark long pass, after winning back possession.[7] He represented Italy on 39 occasions in total, scoring three goals, between 1988 and 1995.[3][8]

International goals

Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first.[5]
# Date Venue Opponent Result Competition
1. 22 December 1988 Stadio Renato Curi, Perugia  Scotland 2–0 Friendly match
2. 25 March 1989 Praterstadion, Vienna  Austria 2–0 Friendly match
3. 26 April 1989 Stadio Erasmo Iacovone, Taranto  Hungary 4–0 Friendly match

Honours

Club

Parma[3]
Inter[3]
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.[3]

International

Italy[3]

Orders

Cavaliere OMRI BAR.svg
5th Class/Knight: Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 1991[9]

External links

References

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