Roberto Boninsegna

Roberto Boninsegna ({{#invoke:IPA|main}}; born 13 November 1943) is an Italian former professional footballer who mainly played as a forward. After retiring, he worked as a football manager.Template:Citation needed As a player, he played for the Italy national side at two World Cups, reaching the final in 1970.

Club career

Born at Mantua, Boninsegna started his career in Serie B (the second tier of Italian professional football) with Prato in 1963–64 season. He transferred to Potenza, who was Serie B team in 1964–65 season. He also played for Varese in 1965–66 and Cagliari between 1966 and 1969, helping the club to a second-place finish during the 1968–69 Serie A season alongside Luigi Riva.<ref name=storiedicalcio/> During the summer of 1967, Cagliari came to the United States to play in the United Soccer Association as the Chicago Mustangs; Boninsegna led the club in scoring with 11 goals in nine matches.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Boninsegna gained a status as an efficient striker with Inter Milan and the Italy national team in the 1970s, playing alongside Sandro Mazzola. In Serie A, he totaled 171 goals in 281 games, and was top goalscorer in Italy during the 1970–71 and 1971–72 Serie A seasons, with Inter.

File:Roberto Boninsegna - 1960s - US Cagliari.jpg

Boninsegna scoring for Cagliari in the late 1960s

After moving to Inter in 1969, he also won the 1970–71 Serie A title with the club, and reached the 1972 European Cup Final, only to be defeated by Ajax.<ref name=storiedicalcio/><ref name=Boninsegna70/> He transferred to Juventus FC in 1976 in exchange for Pietro Anastasi,<ref name="BONINSEGNA, Roberto Enciclopedia dello Sport (2002)"/><ref name=storiedicalcio/> and he played three seasons for the club, winning two Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia, and an UEFA Cup.<ref name=Boninsegna70/><ref name=tuttojuve.com>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After leaving Juventus in 1979, he finished his career with Verona, retiring from professional football at the end of the 1979–80 Serie B season.<ref name=storiedicalcio/>

International career

Boninsegna made his debut for Italy on 18 November 1967, in an away UEFA Euro 1968 qualifying match against Switzerland, which ended 2–2,<ref name=storiedicalcio/> although he was not called up for the final tournament, which Italy ended up winning on home soil under manager Ferruccio Valcareggi, with whom he would have several disagreements throughout his international career.<ref name=Boninsegna70/> With the national side, he took part in two World Cups, the first in 1970, and the second in 1974.<ref name=storiedicalcio/> In total, he managed 9 goals for Italy in 22 appearances.<ref name=storiedicalcio/><ref name=figc>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Boninsegna was a member of the Italian side that reached the final of the 1970 FIFA World Cup in Mexico, scoring two goals throughout the tournament. In the epic semi-final match against West-Germany, he scored a goal, and later set up Gianni Rivera's match-winning goal in extra time, which allowed Italy to advance to the final after a 4–3 victory.<ref name=Boninsegna70/><ref name=tuttojuve.com/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He scored Italy's only goal (though at the time it was an important equaliser) in the final against Brazil, which Italy ultimately lost 4–1;<ref name=tuttojuve.com/> he came off for Rivera in the final minutes of the game.<ref name=Boninsegna70/><ref name=figc/>

Style of play

File:Morini Boninsegna 1973-74.jpg

Boninsegna (right) playing for Inter Milan in 1974 against his iconic rival, the juventino and future teammate Francesco Morini.

As a player, Boninsegna was a powerful, agile and acrobatic striker, who was known for his accurate finishing ability and intelligence in the penalty area. He was a prolific goalscorer, who excelled in the air, despite not being particularly tall or imposing physically.<ref name="BONINSEGNA, Roberto Enciclopedia dello Sport (2002)">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="CM">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was also gifted with pace, stamina, technical ability, opportunism and outstanding consistency, which enabled him to become one of the top Italian forwards of his generation.<ref name=storiedicalcio>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Despite his talent, he was criticised on occasion for being a selfish player, although he was also capable of creating chances for teammates.<ref name=Boninsegna70>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He was also well known for his on the field rivalry with Juventus defender Francesco Morini, who later became his teammate.<ref name="treccani">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Career statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition<ref>Single source here, if player is inactive. If player has not retired, move source next to "Updated" template.</ref>

Club	Season	League
		Division	Apps	Goals
Prato	1963–64	Serie B	22	1
Potenza	1964–65	Serie B	32	9
Varese	1965–66	Serie A	28	5
Cagliari	1966–67	Serie A	34	9
	1967–68	Serie A	19	5
	1968–69	Serie A	30	9
	Total		83	23
Chicago Mustangs	1967	United Soccer Association	9	11
Inter Milan	1969–70	Serie A	30	13
	1970–71	Serie A	28	24
	1971–72	Serie A	28	22
	1972–73	Serie A	27	12
	1973–74	Serie A	29	23
	1974–75	Serie A	29	9
	1975–76	Serie A	26	10
	Total		197	113
Juventus	1976–77	Serie A	29	10
	1977–78	Serie A	21	10
	1978–79	Serie A	8	2
	Total		58	22
Verona	1979–80	Serie B	14	3
Career total			443	186

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year<ref name=figc/>

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Italy	1967	1	0
	1968	0	0
	1969	0	0
	1970	7	3
	1971	6	4
	1972	3	1
	1973	0	0
	1974	5	1
	Total	22	9

Honours

Inter Milan

• Serie A: 1970–71<ref name=tuttojuve.com/>

Juventus

• Serie A: 1976–77, 1977–78<ref name=tuttojuve.com/>
• Coppa Italia: 1978–79<ref name=tuttojuve.com/>
• UEFA Cup: 1976–77<ref name=tuttojuve.com/>

Italy

• FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1970<ref name=tuttojuve.com/>

Individual

• Serie A top scorer: 1970–71, 1971–72<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Coppa Italia top scorer: 1971–72<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• United Soccer Association top scorer: 1967<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2023<ref name="2023-SerieAHoF">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

External links

• Template:In lang Roberto Boninsegna at Inter.it