Roberto Donadoni is one of the professional footballers who, after the end of his sports career, continues his work as a coach. Unfortunately, the talented midfielder, who has a large number of various titles and victories in the Italian national team and the clubs for which he had to play, has no achievements as a coach.
Getting to know football
Roberto Donadoni's birthday is September 9th. He was born in 1963 in a small Italian town near Bergamo. The parents of the future star were engaged in farming. At their disposal was a small plot for farming and a barn. In addition to Roberto, the family had three more children: two older brothers and a sister.
When the boy was 9 years old, he was accepted into the yard team, competing with equivalent boyish amateur teams. Here he established himself well, and 3 years after the start of classes, parents buy the boy the real Adidas boots.
The beginning of a professional career
Despite the fact that Roberto Donadoni, whose growth at the age of fourteen was a little more than 140 cm, did not reach the standards according to statistics, some coaches of the Atlanta youth club drew attention to him. In order to get to the team’s daily training, the guy had to travel more than 19 km on a regular bus every day, after which he walked almost a kilometer to the stadium. In the event that he did not have time for a six-hour flight, the next one had to wait until 21:00.
Such inconveniences could not discourage the young man from his love of sport number one, and at the age of nineteen he made his debut in the first team. He was able to quickly reserve his place in the first team, and next year, together with the club, which won first place in Serie B, transferred to the Italian Serie A.
Roberto Donadoni holds the first match in the Super League against the football club Internazionale Milan. It ends with a draw 1: 1. After the end of its debut season, the club is in tenth place and receives the unofficial title of the most stubborn team (Atlanta reduced the result of the match to a draw more than others - 18 times). Next season, the team rises to 8th place in the ranking of the country.
Rossoneri
In the football career of Roberto Donadoni, a ray of happiness is lit. This is manifested as the conclusion of an expensive contract with the professional club "Inter". As a retreat, we can highlight the fact that he was a fan of this particular team from childhood.
The contract with this club at one time was recognized as very scandalous, as a young, promising midfielder had already agreed to move to Turin Juventus, but suddenly after a proposal from the Milanese leadership he changed his mind and joined the Rossoneri.
It was in the shirt of this club that Roberto Donadoni, whose biography was instantly associated with Milan, was able to win almost all the club trophies of the Old World available at the turn of the time.
Professional achievements
As part of Milan's Inter, Roberto was able to make his own contribution to winning each of the cups and championships won by the club. Over the 10 years he spent as part of the red-black team, the team was able to win the following titles:
- five-time champion of Italy;
- four-time winner and winner of the Cup of the country;
- three-time winner of the European Champions League;
- three-time winner of the European Super Cup;
- two-time winner of the Intercontinental Cup;
- four-time winner of the Super Bowl of the country.
In addition, in the 1999-2000 season, he becomes the champion of Saudi Arabia. But in the national team of his own country, he could not achieve the desired result:
- 1988 - bronze medalist of the European Championship;
- The year 1990, which became Roberto Donadoni's debut in appearances for the national team at the World Championships, ended with just a victory in the match for third place;
- 1994 - the first World Cup held in the United States, Roberto remembered his defeat in the final from the Brazilians and an honorable second place.
World travel
Roberto Donadoni, whose photo is most familiar to most in the red-black uniform of Inter or in the blue shirt of the Italian national team, managed to play on several continents during his professional career. In 1996-97, the football player acted as a midfielder for the club, representing New York's MetroStars. For 49 matches held on the field, he scores 6 goals against opponents, which is a good result for the midfielder.
Shortly before the end of his professional career, Roberto receives an invitation from the Asian football club Al Attihad, which is the city of Jeddah. The successful finale for the once stellar opornik in this team did not work. Maybe the fact is that due to local traditions, family problems arose with his wife. The second option, which nevertheless made itself felt about the year and the injuries sustained over the entire football career. As a result, Roberto Donadoni was unable to score a single goal during the season spent in the club's jersey from Jeddah and did not even create scoring chances.
Italy national team
The progress of the promising midfielder in the team was obvious. Having made his debut against the Greeks and made more than one solo passage to their goal during the match, Roberto received very flattering reviews from people who are good at football. Already in the next match, a month later, passing with the Swiss, he was able to prove himself not only as a player capable of exacerbating. It was in this game that Roberto opened his score to the goals for the national team. It happened on November 15, 1986. In total, he spent 63 matches for the national team and scored 5 goals.
A family
Roberto Donadoni, whose personal life is not much different from the average Italian, is married and has one child, a boy born in 1989. He was named Andrea.
The wife of a professional football player can be compared with the Russian Decembrists. The couple should have moved to Saudi Arabia immediately after the wedding, as the husband signed a contract with the local club for one year. The first few months, the newlyweds had to live separately. The fact is that, according to the laws of this Asian country, a woman cannot appear in society without a black cloak, and also be in public institutions at the same table with a man, even if he is her legal spouse.
Interesting Facts
Coincidence or not, but after the first Atlanta club lost his right midfielder, he flew back to Serie A. This happened the next season after Roberto Donadoni left. Interesting facts related to his professional career as a player do not end there.
After the 1990 World Cup , held in Italy, Roberto's performance was considered unlucky for some time. The fact is that after the penalty shoot-out appointed by the referee of the semi-final meeting between the national team and the Argentines, Roberto, speaking under this number, could not beat the goalkeeper. Sergio Goicochea repelled his shot, and the subsequent ball by Diego Maradona was accurate. Thus, after the championship number 17, none of the Italian players took, considering him unhappy.
At the moment, the gray-haired midfielder, holding the position of coach, has extended the contract with Bologna until 2018. Prior to that, he had already managed to lead several clubs of the Italian Serie A and the national team of his country, but, unfortunately, could not achieve his own results obtained as a player.