Giovanni Trapattoni
Template:Short description Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox football biography
Giovanni Trapattoni (Template:IPA; born 17 March 1939), popularly nicknamed "Trap" or "Il Trap", is an Italian former football manager and former player, considered the most successful club coach of Italian football.<ref name="Trapattoni wants Italy deal">Template:Cite news</ref> A former defensive midfielder, as a player he spent almost his entire club career with AC Milan, where he won two Serie A league titles (1961–62 and 1967–68), and two European Cups, in 1962–63 and 1968–69. Internationally, he played for Italy, earning 17 caps and being part of the squad at the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile.
One of the most celebrated managers in football history,<ref name="Greatest Managers, No. 12: Trapattoni">Template:Cite web</ref> Trapattoni is one of only five coaches, alongside Carlo Ancelotti, Ernst Happel, Tomislav Ivić and José Mourinho, to have won league titles in four different European countries; in total, Trapattoni has won 10 league titles in Italy, Germany, Portugal and Austria. Alongside Udo Lattek and José Mourinho, he is one of the three coaches to have won all three major European club competitions (European Cup, UEFA Cup, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup) and the only one to achieve it with the same club (Juventus).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Also, he is the only one to have won all official continental club competitions and the world title, achieving this with Juventus during his first spell with the club.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> He is one of the rare few to have won the European Cup, the Cup Winners' Cup and Intercontinental Cup as both a player and manager.
Regarded as the most famous and consistent disciple of Nereo Rocco,<ref name="Greatest Managers, No. 12: Trapattoni"/> Trapattoni coached his native Italy national team to the 2002 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2004, but could not replicate his club successes with Italy, suffering a controversial early exit in both competitions. Trapattoni was most recently the manager of the Republic of Ireland national football team. He led them to their first European Championships in 24 years, enjoying a successful UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying campaign. This followed narrowly missing out on the 2010 FIFA World Cup, after his team were controversially knocked out by France.
Club career
Born in Cusano Milanino near Milan, Trapattoni had a successful career as a player with AC Milan, playing either as a central defender or as a defensive midfielder with the main task of passing the ball to more creative players such as Giovanni Lodetti and Gianni Rivera. He won two Serie A titles (1961–1962, 1967–1968) and two European Cups (1962–1963, 1968–1969) during his time with Milan, and was one of the stars of the 1963 European Cup Final against Benfica, successfully man-marking Eusébio in the second half.<ref name="il viaggio del Maestro">Template:Cite web</ref> Similarly, in the team's 4–1 victory in the 1969 European Cup Final against Ajax, he drew praise in the Italian media for his defending and ability to nullify the offensive threat of Johan Cruyff.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
After taking a break from the national team, Trapattoni thought he could settle with a mid-table team for one last season instead of being at one club all his life, subsequently moving to Varese and, after a successful season with them, retired from professional football and embarked on a highly successful managerial career two years later.
International career
Trapattoni also played for the Italy national football team between 1960 and 1964, earning 17 caps and scoring 1 goal.<ref name="rsssf_int"/> Most notably, he was part of the squad at the 1962 FIFA World Cup in Chile, although he was unable to play any matches during the tournament after sustaining an injury.<ref>Index of Matches Template:Webarchive FIFA.com, 1962 World Cup</ref><ref name="La mitica storia del Trap">Template:Cite news</ref> He was also part of Italy's squad at the 1960 Summer Olympics.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Trapattoni is also remembered for his performance in Italy's 3–0 friendly victory over Brazil at the San Siro stadium in Milan on 12 May 1963; during the match, he was able to nullify Pelé's impact on the game through his man-marking ability, with the latter asking to be substituted for Quarentinha in the 26th minute of the second half, whom Trapattoni also successfully defended. However, Pelé later stated in 2000 that his performance was due to stomach pains, and that he was forced to play due to contractual obligations; Trapattoni himself also frequently downplayed Pelé's performance during the match, even prior to Pelé's comments, stating: "the truth is that on that day he was half-injured. Tired. I was a good footballer, but let's leave Pelé alone. He was a martian."<ref name="Pelè smonta una leggenda">Template:Cite news</ref>
Style of play
A talented defensive-minded player, Trapattoni was capable of playing both in defence, as a centre-back, and in midfield, as a defensive midfielder, due to his work-rate and ability to win back possession and subsequently distribute the ball forward to his more offensive-minded teammates. Above all, he was known for his excellent man-marking skills.<ref name="Hall of Fame"/>
Coaching career
1974–1986: Early career at AC Milan and Juventus
Trapattoni began coaching at Milan as a youth team coach, before becoming caretaker coach. Trapattoni was caretaker coach from 9 April 1974 to 30 June 1974.<ref name=Milaninterimjob>Template:Cite web</ref> His first match was the 1973–74 European Cup Winners' Cup semi–final first leg against Borussia Mönchengladbach.<ref name="1973–74 season">Template:Cite web</ref> Milan won the match 2–0.<ref name="1973–74 season"/> They got to the final after only losing the second leg 1–0.<ref name="1973–74 season"/> Milan lost the final 2–0 to East German club 1. FC Magdeburg.<ref name="1973–74 season"/> Milan finished seventh in Serie A.<ref name="1973–74 league table">Template:Cite web</ref> He was appointed first team coach in 1975.
Trapattoni was head coach for Juventus for ten consecutive years, from 1 July 1976 to 30 June 1986.<ref name=Juventusjob>Template:Cite web</ref> Trapattoni won all UEFA and international club competitions during this time (a European record).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
He won the Serie A league title six times (1976–77, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1985–86), the Coppa Italia twice (1978–79 and 1982–83), the European Cup in 1984–85, the Intercontinental Cup in 1985, the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1983–84, the European Super Cup in 1984, and the UEFA Cup in 1976–77.<ref name="treccani">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=espn>Claudio Borghi: "Argentinos perdió la final con Juventus por confiar en su jerarquía", ESPN, 8 Dec 2015</ref>
Apart from winning the European Cup over Liverpool in 1984–85,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Trapattoni came close to conquering the trophy on another occasion, in 1982–83, but Juventus suffered a surprising defeat at the hands of Hamburg in the Athens final, finishing as runners-up.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
During his years managing Juventus, Trapattoni established himself as one of the best managers in football history, well-known and respected among fans and journalists throughout Europe. He was renowned for combining expert man-management with almost unmatched tactical knowledge.<ref name="Trapattoni wants Italy deal"/><ref name="Greatest Managers, No. 12: Trapattoni"/>
1986–1994: Inter Milan and return to Juventus
Trapattoni coached Inter Milan from 1 July 1986 to 30 June 1991.<ref name=Interjob>Template:Cite web</ref> While in charge of Inter, he won the Serie A in 1988–89, the Supercoppa Italiana in 1989 and the UEFA Cup in 1990–91.<ref name="treccani"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
He then managed Juventus for a second time between 1991 and 1994, winning the UEFA Cup in 1992–93.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
1994–1996: Bayern Munich, return to Serie A
Trapattoni became coach of Bayern Munich in the summer of 1994, after the end of his second spell with Juventus.<ref name=Bayernjob>Template:Cite web</ref> However, he left at the end of the 1994–95 season, after complaints that he struggled with German. He reached the semi-finals of the Champions League, but failed to win any silverware.<ref name="Trap’s Bayern rant">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Trapattoni axed as Stuttgart coach">Template:Cite news</ref>
Trapattoni coached Cagliari in the 1995–96 season.<ref name=Cagliarijob>Template:Cite web</ref> His first match was a 1–0 loss to Udinese on 26 August 1995.<ref name="1995–96 season">Template:Cite web</ref> The club's board of directors decided to dismiss him in February 1996, after a string of bad results; Trapattoni was thus fired for the first time in his career.<ref>Trapattoni, un esonero mascherato Template:Webarchive Corriere della Sera, 14 februari 1996</ref> His final match was a 4–1 loss to Juventus.<ref name="1995–96 season"/> Cagliari were in 13th place at the time of his sacking.<ref name="1995–96 league table">Template:Cite web</ref>
1996–2000: Back to Bayern Munich and Fiorentina
Trapattoni returned to manage Bayern again in July 1996.<ref name=Bayernreturn>Template:Cite news</ref> As Bayern manager Trapattoni won the German Bundesliga in 1996–97, the German Cup (DFB-Pokal) in 1997–98 and the German League Cup (DFB-Ligapokal) in 1997. He left Bayern at the end of the 1997–98 season and was replaced by Ottmar Hitzfeld.<ref name=Bayernjob/>
Trapattoni coached Fiorentina from 1998 to 2000. With Trapattoni's expert guidance, Fiorentina made a serious challenge for the title in 1998–99, finishing the season in 3rd place, which earned them qualification to the Champions League, also reaching the 1999 Coppa Italia Final, but losing out to Parma.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The following season was rather disappointing in Serie A, with Fiorentina finishing in 7th place,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but Trapattoni led them to some historic results in the Champions League, beating Arsenal 1–0 at the old Wembley Stadium in the first round,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and defeating defending champions Manchester United 2–0<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and eventual runners-up Valencia 1–0 in Florence in the second round.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They were ultimately eliminated after finishing third in their group behind the latter two sides following a 3–3 draw against Bordeaux in their final second round match.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2000–2004: Italy national team
In July 2000, Trapattoni took charge of the Italy national football team after the resignation of Dino Zoff.<ref name=Italyjob>Template:Cite web</ref> He led the team to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, qualifying undefeated to that tournament.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Prior to the tournament, Trapattoni was surrounded by controversy after he omitted fan favourite Roberto Baggio – who had recently recovered from injury – from Italy's final 23-man squad, as he believed that the player was not yet fully fit.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Italy were drawn in Group G of the tournament with Ecuador, Croatia and Mexico. They won their first match, beating Ecuador 2–0,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but then suffered a surprise 2–1 defeat at the hands of Croatia.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In their final group game, Italy drew 1–1 with Mexico, securing qualification to the Round of 16 with a second-place finish in their group, where they faced tournament co-hosts South Korea.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Italy lost 2–1 and were eliminated from the World Cup, conceding an equaliser two minutes from full-time and losing in extra time with Ahn Jung-Hwan scoring the golden goal. The game was highly controversial with members of the Italian team, most notably Trapattoni and forward Francesco Totti, suggesting a conspiracy to eliminate Italy from the competition.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Trapattoni even obliquely accused FIFA of ordering the official to ensure a South Korean victory so that one of the two host nations would remain in the tournament.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The most contentious decisions were an early penalty awarded to South Korea (saved by Gianluigi Buffon), a golden goal by Damiano Tommasi ruled offside, and the sending off of Totti, who received a second yellow card for an alleged dive in the penalty area, all ruled by the referee Byron Moreno.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Following the team's exit, Italy were criticised in the Italian and International press for their poor performance and ultra-defensive playing style under Trapattoni, who also came under fire in the Italian media for his tactics, which included initially refusing to play two of the team's star playmakers – Alessandro Del Piero and Francesco Totti – alongside one another during the tournament, and substituting a forward – Del Piero – for a holding midfielder – Gennaro Gattuso – in the second half of Italy's round of 16 match, in order to attempt to defend their 1–0 lead against South Korea.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Italy went on to secure qualification for UEFA Euro 2004 easily, but once again failed to impress at the tournament itself. They were drawn in Group C with Denmark, Sweden and Bulgaria. They drew 0–0 with Denmark and 1–1 with Sweden, beating Bulgaria 2–1 in their final group game. This led to an unexpected early exit from the tournament, despite Italy being undefeated. Denmark and Sweden drew in the group's final match, eliminating Italy who finished in third place of Group C, on account of goal difference. More specifically, Sweden, Denmark and Italy all finished with five points, with each team having defeated Bulgaria but drawn their two other games. As all results between the three teams in question were draws, both the points won in these games and the goal difference accrued in these games still left the teams undivided. The decisive tiebreaker was therefore the goals scored during the games between one another: Italy, having scored the fewest goals of the three teams, were therefore eliminated.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Trapattoni later said: "Sweden against Denmark, I remember the game. Do you know what Johansson [the then UEFA president Lennart Johansson] said? 'If this game finishes in a draw, we will open an investigation' Do you know if he made the investigation? I'm still waiting for the investigation." These comments came eight years later, in 2012.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Marcello Lippi replaced Trapattoni on 15 July 2004.<ref name=Italyjob/>
2004–2008: Benfica, Stuttgart, and Red Bull Salzburg
On 5 July 2004, Trapattoni was named as new coach of Benfica.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He led them to the 2004–05 Portuguese league title, which was the club's first in 11 years.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Benfica also reached the Portuguese Cup final that season, but lost to Vitória de Setúbal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Benfica also lost 1–0 to rivals Porto in the 2004 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Trapattoni resigned after the end of the 2004–05 season, saying he wanted to be closer to his family (in the north of Italy).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Trapattoni returned to management in the German Bundesliga in June 2005, by signing at VfB Stuttgart.<ref name=Stuttgartjob>Template:Cite news</ref> However, during his 20 games at the helm, Stuttgart produced poor results. Denmark internationals Jon Dahl Tomasson and Jesper Grønkjær openly criticised their coach, claiming he was afraid to attack. Trapattoni immediately responded by dropping both players to the bench. With the atmosphere in the team worsening, he was sacked after just seven months, on 9 February 2006, reportedly for "not fulfilling the ambitions of the club".<ref name=Stuttgartsacking>Template:Cite news</ref> He was replaced as manager by Armin Veh.<ref name=Stuttgartsacking/>
In May 2006, Red Bull Salzburg announced they had signed Trapattoni as their new manager and Director of Football, along with one of his former players, Lothar Matthäus, who was to serve as Trapattoni's co-manager. Trapattoni initially cast doubt on this report, claiming he had not signed any contract. But three days later, both he and Matthäus signed and made their hirings official. As he had done with Benfica in Portugal two years before, Trapattoni managed to deliver instantly, winning the league title after a long period of failures for the club; he secured the 2006–07 Austrian Bundesliga, which was Salzburg's first in 10 years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> At the end of the season, the club's board of directors unanimously decided to dismiss Matthäus, and Thorsten Fink became Trapattoni's assistant manager.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2008–2013: Republic of Ireland national team
On 11 February 2008, Trapattoni "agreed in principle" to take over the Republic of Ireland manager's job,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> but finished the season with Red Bull before taking up the Irish position on 1 May. Former Ireland midfielder Liam Brady was expected to be part of the Italian's backroom staff,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> while Marco Tardelli was confirmed as Trapattoni's assistant manager.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Trapattoni signed Brady back in 1980 for Juventus from Arsenal for just over £500,000. Red Bull Salzburg confirmed, on 13 February 2008, that at the end of the 2007–08 season, Trapattoni would be leaving the club to take over as the Republic of Ireland manager.<ref>Template:Cite web Template:Dead link</ref> Manuela Spinelli became Trapattoni's interpreter because of her ability to speak both Italian and English, she became a familiar sight alongside him during most interviews.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> She also appeared on The Late Late Show without Trapattoni.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Trapattoni's first game in charge, a friendly against Serbia on 24 May 2008, ended in a 1–1 draw. His second, another friendly, against Colombia five days later, meant his first victory with the national side, 1–0. This was followed by a 1–1 draw with Norway, his first competitive win against Georgia and a draw with Montenegro in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification.
Trapattoni's first defeat came in a friendly against Poland on 19 November 2008, a 3–2 loss at Croke Park.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He also managed to claim a 1–1 away draw against 2006 FIFA World Cup champions Italy, that he had managed himself from 2000 to 2004, thanks to a late equaliser from Robbie Keane. He finished the qualifying campaign unbeaten, becoming only the third Irish manager to do so, qualifying for a playoff place for the 2010 World Cup.
In September 2009, he signed a new contract with Ireland that would have seen him continue as manager until UEFA Euro 2012.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the first leg of the World Cup playoff in Croke Park on 14 November 2009, France won 1–0 with a goal by Nicolas Anelka.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In the second leg in Paris, on 18 November 2009, a goal from Robbie Keane levelled the aggregate scores at 1–1 in the first half. In extra time, however, a William Gallas equaliser put France through 2–1 on aggregate.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Replays of the French goal showed that Thierry Henry had twice used his hand to control the ball and was in an offside position before crossing for Gallas to head home.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In May 2011, he managed Ireland as they won the Nations Cup, after a 1–0 win against Scotland.<ref name="secures title">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Later that year he managed the Ireland national team to UEFA Euro 2012 qualification, following a 5–1 aggregate play-off win against Estonia.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Trapattoni was rewarded with a new two-year contract by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His success was praised by, among others, Dietmar Hamann.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Ireland exited UEFA Euro 2012 at the group stage, after losing to eventual finalists Spain and Italy. Early in 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification, Ireland suffered a 6–1 defeat to Germany at home with a severely depleted team available.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On 29 May 2013, Trapattoni's Ireland side faced off against England for the first time in eighteen years at Wembley Stadium in a match which ended 1–1. Trapattoni parted ways with the Republic of Ireland national team on 11 September 2013 by mutual consent, after a defeat by Austria effectively ended their chances of qualification for the 2014 World Cup.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Vatican City
Trapattoni has managed the Vatican City national football team who are not a member of either FIFA or UEFA.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His first match as manager was played on 23 October 2010 when Vatican City faced a team composed of Italian financial police. Previously, at the age of 71, Trapattoni was quoted as saying "When I retire, I would like to become coach of the Vatican."<ref name="Vatikan-Auswahl">Template:Cite web</ref>
S. Pietro e Paolo Desio
In 2015, Trapattoni was symbolically appointed S. Pietro e Paolo Desio's manager during the related patronal feast.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Personal life
Trapattoni was born in a cascina a corte in Cusano Milanino near Milan, and comes from a working-class background. His father Francesco, a native of Barbata near Bergamo, worked in a silk factory and as a farmer, and died when Trapattoni was 18;<ref name="RealIlTrap">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Veneta">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Viazzo">Template:Cite web</ref> his mother Romilde was a homemaker. He had one brother and three sisters;<ref name="Viazzo"/> one of them, Romilda, became a Roman Catholic nun at 20 and died in January 2013 at the age of 83.<ref name="amico">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Trapattoni met Paola Miceli in the summer of 1960 in Grottaferrata, during the Rome Olympics. The two began a relationship and married at San Nilo Abbey in Grottaferrata on 3 June 1964.<ref name="amico"/> They had a son, Alberto, and a daughter, Alessandra, and later became grandparents and great-grandparents.<ref name="RealIlTrap"/><ref name="Veneta"/><ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Dead linkTemplate:Cbignore</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Miceli died on 29 December 2022, following a long illness.<ref name="Veneta"/><ref name="amico"/>
A devout Roman Catholic, Trapattoni regularly attends Regina Pacis Church in his hometown of Cusano Milanino whenever he is home<ref name="RealIlTrap"/> and is a cooperator of Opus Dei.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He has been on pilgrimage to Lourdes and Fátima.<ref name="Veneta"/>
Health
In August 2010, Trapattoni was admitted to a hospital in Dublin, one day before Ireland's friendly with Argentina. It was initially believed that the shellfish he had eaten before arriving in the country was to blame for him feeling unwell.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He underwent surgery in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital on 11 August,<ref>"Trapattoni to undergo surgery" Template:Webarchive. RTÉ Sport. 11 August 2010.</ref> missing the Argentina game.<ref>"Giovanni Trapattoni to undergo surgery and will miss Argentina game". The Guardian. 11 August 2010.</ref> In January 2011, Italian media reported that he was at home recovering from a mild stroke he suffered during a surgery on 28 December 2010, which had caused him partial paralysis. In a statement released through the FAI, Trapattoni confirmed that he did have scheduled surgery in Italy over Christmas, but disproved the rumours about a stroke.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Style of management
Template:Blockquote Considered one of the greatest and most successful managers of all time, Trapattoni is highly regarded for his man-management, motivational and organisational abilities, as well as his tactical acumen, being referred to in international media as "the King of Catenaccio"<ref>Trapattoni, el 'rey del catenaccio', encaja siete goles en casa Template:Webarchive Sport.es, 25 March 2008</ref> or the "Old Fox".<ref>Estonian boss Ruutli wary of wily ‘old fox’ Trapattoni Template:Webarchive Cathal Derva, Independent.ie, 11 November 2011</ref> He is known in particular for his direct management style and use of rigorous, innovative tactics, while his teams are usually known for their mental strength, organisation, and use of prepared set plays; Trapattoni was the main author and practitioner of the zona mista style of play (or gioco all'italiana), which was regarded as an evolution of the more traditional and defensive-minded catenaccio system, which had been popularised in Italy by one of his major influences as a manager, Nereo Rocco; Rocco's tactics mainly focussed on sitting back and defending, and subsequently scoring on counter-attacks with few touches after winning back the ball. The zona mista tactical system came to be known as such as it instead drew elements from both man-marking strategies – such as Italian catenaccio – and zonal marking systems – such as the Dutch total football; this tactical system dominated Italian football from the mid-1970s until the late 1980s, which saw the emergence of Arrigo Sacchi's high-pressing, offensive minded zonal marking system.<ref name="Trapattoni wants Italy deal"/><ref name="Greatest Managers, No. 12: Trapattoni"/><ref name="treccani"/><ref name="trapADNkronos">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="schema">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="santone">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="A Career of 2 Halves">Template:Cite web</ref>
Although Trapattoni was known for his defensive minded approach as a manager, his teams often made use of a ball–playing sweeper or libero – with good technique, vision, and an ability to read the game – who was responsible both for defending and starting attacking plays from the back, as well as a creative and skilful offensive playmaker in midfield behind the forwards.<ref name="alfabeto">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="tattica-la-juventus-di-giovanni-trapattoni">Template:Cite web</ref> As such, his teams were known for their defensive strength and playing style, as well as their ability to score from counter-attacks.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2014, Trapattoni attributed his success and tactical intelligence as a manager to his time playing in midfield throughout his playing career, which allowed him to understand both the offensive and defensive phases of the game.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Throughout his career, he used several different formations, including a 4–4–2, a 4–3–1–2, 4–2–3–1, 3–4–1–2, and a 3–5–2, as well as his fluid zona mista system; the latter system made use of a sweeper, a man-marking centre-back – or stopper –, two full-backs, a defensive midfielder, a regista or attacking midfielder, a second striker, and two wingers behind a lone striker or centre-forward, although players would often switch positions in this system, with only the stopper having a fixed role.<ref name="cambia">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="breathless">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During the latter part of his first spell with Juventus, Trapattoni also deployed striker Paolo Rossi out of position on occasion, either as supporting forward, or as centre-forward, but in a role known as a centravanti di manovra in Italian football jargon (similar to the modern false 9 role). The position utlised the offensive attributes of the club's new midfield signings Zbigniew Boniek and Michel Platini, with Rossi frequently holding up the ball or creating space for his teammates' runs with his movement of the ball.<ref name="Rossi-tuttojuve">Template:Cite web</ref>
Trapattoni was noted throughout his career for his ideological confrontations with more attack-minded managers he faced, most famously Johan Cruyff, a rivalry that started in their playing days, with Trapattoni remembering that, in order to stop Cruyff in a match between Italy and the Netherlands, he had to resort to "dirty" tactics, such as pulling at his shirt.<ref name="schema"/><ref name="santone"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Trapattoni's tactics throughout his long and successful managerial career focused on some of the following themes:<ref name="marti"/><ref>Mario Sconcerti, "Gli anni Settanta e il ritorno della Juventus" in Storia delle Idee del Calcio, 2014 Baldini & Castoldi s.r.l, Template:ISBN</ref><ref>Giovanni Trapattoni with Bruno Longhi, Non dire gatto: La mia vita sempre in campo, tra calci e fischi (Autobiography), 2015 RCS Libri S.p.A., Template:ISBN</ref><ref>Analisi Tattica: la Juventus di Giovanni Trapattoni Template:Webarchive Asso Analisti, 28 June 2019</ref>
- "A coach must train [the players] with simplicity and establish clear rules when building the team. This simplicity can be expressed through the formulation of a strategy with patterns and tactics based on the following principles: never haggle and delay excessively, pass the ball in depth to verticalise as quickly as possible, control the pace of the game, limit risks, mark behind the ball, use on-field tactical communication to help your players, be alert to the [opposing] team's weaknesses and strengths
- "The tactics must focus on the pressure to recover the ball and then quickly develop the offensive action"
- Ball possession is not important in itself and sometimes it can be counter-productive "like a person who talks too much". It is better "to have 0% of the possession and 100% of the goals".
- Strong emphasis on training the team in set pieces and dead-ball situations
- Instead of looking for space in the wings, as many managers do, it is more effective to look to exploit spaces behind the opposing team's backline through quick "vertical play" (Template:Lang). By inviting the opponent's pressing, the team can then easily exploit the spaces and gaps behind the opponent's defence
- The central area of the pitch, towards which statistically most of the possession is directed, needs to be very well-covered. There, the aim is to cripple the opponent's game and prevail on crucial second balls, thus easily creating "vertical and violent offensive transitions"
- Strikers must be trained to become clinical finishers or "killers" in the mould of Paolo Rossi or Filippo Inzaghi
- Tactical discipline is necessary, but the special genius of standout players should also be encouraged and harnessed to the fullest, with Trapattoni citing his use of Michel Platini and Roberto Baggio as primary examples.
In popular culture
Trapattoni is a popular figure in Italy for his original press conference speeches and trademark quotes, one of the most famous being "don't say cat until you've got it in the bag".<ref name="Greatest Managers, No. 12: Trapattoni"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During his managerial stints abroad, his sense of humour, coupled with his difficulties with the local language, won him a significant amount of popularity with both fans and the press. A press conference which took place on 10 March 1998 while he was in charge of German club Bayern Munich has become known among German fans: in a speech riddled with grammar mistakes and involuntary neologisms, most famously using Template:Lang (German uses the verb Template:Lang ['to be'] and not Template:Lang ['to have'] to express 'I have finished'/'I am done') and Template:Lang ('weak like a bottle empty'),<ref name="Trap’s Bayern rant"/><ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Cbignore</ref><ref>Template:YouTube Template:Dead link</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> he soundly attacked many of his players, including Mehmet Scholl, Mario Basler and Thomas Strunz, whose last name sounds like Template:Lang in Trapattoni's native Milanese dialect of Lombard, a swear word equivalent to Italian Template:Lang ('asshole' or 'piece of shit').<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In a 2011 interview, Trapattoni himself explained his famous outburst thus:
He is also known for the two-fingered whistle he uses to capture the attention of his players during games<ref name="independent1">Template:Cite news</ref> and for bringing a bottle of holy water during 2002 FIFA World Cup games when he was in charge of the Italy national team.<ref name="independent1" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He kept the same tradition while in charge of Benfica.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Career statistics
Player
Club
<ref>Template:NFT player</ref>
| Club performance | League | Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Italy | League | Coppa Italia | Europe | Total | ||||||
| 1957–58 | AC Milan | Serie A | — | 2 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1958–59 | — | — | — | — | ||||||
| 1959–60 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| 1960–61 | 30 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 31 | 1 | |||
| 1961–62 | 32 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 33 | 0 | |||
| 1962–63 | 30 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 40 | 0 | ||
| 1963–64 | 28 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | 31 | 1 | |||
| 1964–65 | 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 0 | ||
| 1965–66 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 21 | 1 | ||
| 1966–67 | 23 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 28 | 0 | |||
| 1967–68 | 24 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 42 | 0 | ||
| 1968–69 | 22 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 32 | 0 | ||
| 1969–70 | 20 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 22 | 0 | |||
| 1970–71 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 0 | — | 22 | 0 | |||
| 1971–72 | Varese | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 13 | 0 | ||
| Country | Italy | 284 | 3 | 37 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 351 | 3 | |
| Total | 284 | 3 | 37 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 351 | 3 | ||
International
<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
| Italy national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 1960 | 1 | 0 |
| 1961 | 5 | 0 |
| 1962 | 2 | 0 |
| 1963 | 6 | 1 |
| 1964 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 17 | 1 |
International goal
- Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 9 June 1963 | Praterstadion, Wien, Austria | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
Manager
| Team | From | To | Record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| AC Milan | 8 April 1974<ref name=Milaninterimjob/> | 30 June 1974<ref name=Milaninterimjob/> | |||||||||
| AC Milan | 2 October 1975 | 30 May 1976 | |||||||||
| Juventus | 1 July 1976<ref name=Juventusjob/> | 30 June 1986<ref name=Juventusjob/> | |||||||||
| Inter Milan | 1 July 1986<ref name=Interjob/> | 30 June 1991<ref name=Interjob/> | |||||||||
| Juventus | 1 July 1991<ref name=Juventusjob/> | 30 June 1994<ref name=Juventusjob/> | |||||||||
| Bayern Munich | 1 July 1994<ref name=Bayernjob/> | 30 June 1995<ref name=Bayernjob/> | |||||||||
| Cagliari | 1 July 1995<ref name=Cagliarijob/> | 13 February 1996<ref name=Cagliarijob/> | |||||||||
| Bayern Munich | 1 July 1996<ref name=Bayernreturn/> | 30 June 1998<ref name=Bayernjob/> | |||||||||
| Fiorentina | 1 July 1998 | 30 June 2000 | |||||||||
| Italy | 6 July 2000<ref name=Italyjob/> | 15 July 2004<ref name=Italyjob/> | |||||||||
| Benfica | 5 July 2004 | 31 May 2005 | |||||||||
| VfB Stuttgart | 17 June 2005<ref name=Stuttgartjob/> | 9 February 2006<ref name=Stuttgartsacking/> | |||||||||
| Red Bull Salzburg | May 2006 | 30 April 2008 | |||||||||
| Republic of Ireland | 1 May 2008 | 11 September 2013 | |||||||||
| Career totals | |||||||||||
Honours
Player
Club
AC Milan<ref name="treccani"/>
- Serie A: 1961–62, 1967–68
- Coppa Italia: 1966–67
- European Cup: 1962–63, 1968–69
- European Cup Winners' Cup: 1967–68
- Intercontinental Cup: 1969
Manager
Club
Juventus<ref name="treccani"/>
- Serie A: 1976–77, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1985–86
- Coppa Italia: 1978–79, 1982–83
- European Cup: 1984–85
- UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1983–84
- UEFA Cup: 1976–77, 1992–93
- European Super Cup: 1984
- Intercontinental Cup: 1985
Inter Milan<ref name="treccani"/>
- Serie A: 1988–89
- Supercoppa Italiana: 1989
- UEFA Cup: 1990–91
Bayern Munich<ref name="treccani"/>
Benfica<ref name="treccani"/>
Red Bull Salzburg<ref name="treccani"/>
International
Republic of Ireland<ref name="secures title"/>
Individual
- AC Milan Hall of Fame<ref name="Hall of Fame">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Seminatore d'Oro: 1976–77, 1985
- Premio l'Allenatore dei Sogni: 1992
- Panchina d'Oro: 1997
- Champions of Europe plaque: 2006<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Philips Manager of the Year Award: 2012<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2012<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- ESPN 12th Greatest Manager of All Time: 2013<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- France Football 12th Greatest Manager of All Time: 2019<ref name="Top6FF">Template:Cite web</ref>
- World Soccer 19th Greatest Manager of All Time: 2013<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Greatest XI">Template:Cite web</ref>
- FourFourTwo 14th Greatest Manager of All Time: 2023<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
See also
- List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winning managers
- List of UEFA Cup and Europa League winning managers
- List of UEFA Cup Winners' Cup winning managers
- List of football managers with the most games
- List of Intercontinental Cup winning managers
- List of UEFA Super Cup winning managers
- Zona mista
References
External links
- Template:FIFA player
- Trapattoni's German website Template:In lang
- Template:YouTube
- FAI Profile
- UEFA Profile
- Profile and Statistics on the FIGC website
- Republic of Ireland Record
- Template:Soccerway coach
- Template:NFT coach
Template:Navboxes Template:Navboxes Template:Navboxes Template:Authority control
- Pages with broken file links
- 1939 births
- Living people
- Footballers from the Metropolitan City of Milan
- Italian Roman Catholics
- Italian men's footballers
- Men's association football defenders
- AC Milan players
- SSD Varese Calcio players
- Serie A players
- UEFA Champions League–winning players
- Olympic footballers for Italy
- Italy men's international footballers
- Footballers at the 1960 Summer Olympics
- 1962 FIFA World Cup players
- Italian football managers
- AC Milan managers
- Juventus FC managers
- Inter Milan managers
- FC Bayern Munich managers
- Cagliari Calcio managers
- ACF Fiorentina managers
- Italy national football team managers
- S.L. Benfica managers
- VfB Stuttgart managers
- Republic of Ireland national football team managers
- FC Red Bull Salzburg managers
- Serie A managers
- Bundesliga managers
- Primeira Liga managers
- Austrian Football Bundesliga managers
- UEFA Champions League–winning managers
- UEFA Europa League–winning managers
- 2002 FIFA World Cup managers
- UEFA Euro 2004 managers
- UEFA Euro 2012 managers
- Italian expatriate football managers
- Italian expatriate sportspeople in Germany
- Italian expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
- Italian expatriate sportspeople in Austria
- Italian expatriate sportspeople in Ireland
- Expatriate football managers in Germany
- Expatriate football managers in Portugal
- Expatriate football managers in Austria
- Expatriate association football managers in the Republic of Ireland
- 20th-century Italian sportsmen