Claudio Gentile

Claudio Gentile was born in Libya to parents from Noto, who in turn grew up in Libya during the years of Italian colonization. He played in the alleys of Tarabulus (Tripoli) with Arab companions and other children of colonists. It was there that Gentile acquired the grit and competitive edge that distinguished him throughout his professional football career.

Gentile made his professional football début in 1972 in Varese, after a season in Serie D in Arona. In 1973 he moved to Juventus F.C., where he was coached by Giovanni Trapattoni. A solid defender and considered one of the true “villains,” which was brought out while in Italian school, Gentile spent a decade in a Juventus jersey, and was the mainstay of the national team that won the World Cup in Spain in 1982. A relentless scorer, Gentile contributed to six Italian titles (1975, 1977-78, 1981-82, 1984), two Italian Cups (1979, 1983), a UEFA Cup (1977), a European Cup Winners’ Cup (1984) and a European Super Cup (1984).

Making his national team début in Roma on 19 April 1975 against Poland, Gentile earned 71 caps, until 1984. He played for Italy in two World Cup tournaments and was a member of the Italian team in the 1982 final. Gentile ended his playing career after three seasons with Fiorentina (1984-87) and one with Piacenza (1987-88).

From 2000-06, Gentile coached the Under-21 national team, leading them to the semi-finals of the 2002 European Championships and winning in 2004, and then capturing the bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athina, their first Olympic medal since the 1936 Berlin gold. In 2006, after being eliminated in the first round of the European Championships, Gentile was replaced by Pierluigi Casiraghi.

In an interview granted to Gazzetta dello Sport in September 2013, Gentile revealed that in the summer of 2006, before being replaced at the helm of the Under-21 team, he had been offered a great coaching job, but the Italian Football Association asked him to wait, which he did. And when he was dismissed from coaching the Under-21 team, the other job had disappeared, so he sued the federation and was also forced to decline any other job offers while the lawsuit was ongoing. In 2014 he signed a two-year deal with FC Sion. In December 2017, the Italian Olympic Committee awarded Gentile with the Collare d’Oro for sporting merit.