Roberto Boninsegna
{{Short description|Italian footballer (born 1943)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Roberto Boninsegna
| image = Roberto Boninsegna - Rotterdam, 1974 (cropped).jpg
| caption = Boninsegna in Rotterdam, 1974
| full_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1943|11|13|df=y}}
| birth_place = Mantua, Italy
| height = 1.78 m
| position = Striker
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Inter Milan
| years1 = 1963–1964
| clubs1 = Prato
| caps1 = 22
| goals1 = 1
| years2 = 1964–1965
| clubs2 = Potenza
| caps2 = 32
| goals2 = 9
| years3 = 1965–1966
| clubs3 = Varese
| caps3 = 28
| goals3 = 5
| years4 = 1966–1969
| clubs4 = Cagliari
| caps4 = 83
| goals4 = 23
| years5 = 1967
| clubs5 = → Chicago Mustangs (American tour)
| caps5 = 9
| goals5 = 10
| years6 = 1969–1976
| clubs6 = Inter Milan
| caps6 = 197
| goals6 = 113
| years7 = 1976–1979
| clubs7 = Juventus
| caps7 = 58
| goals7 = 22
| years8 = 1979–1980
| clubs8 = Verona
| caps8 = 14
| goals8 = 3
| totalcaps = 443
| totalgoals = 186
| nationalyears1 = 1967–1974
| nationalteam1 = Italy
| nationalcaps1 = 22
| nationalgoals1 = 9
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalCountry|{{ITA}}}}
{{MedalSport|Men's Football}}
{{MedalCompetition|FIFA World Cup}}
{{Medal|RU|1970 Mexico|}}
}}
Roberto Boninsegna ({{IPA|it|roˈbɛrto ˌboninˈseɲɲa, ˌbɔ-}} born 13 November 1943) is an Italian former professional footballer who mainly played as a forward. After retiring, he worked as a football manager.{{citation needed|date=December 2020}} 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. 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.nasljerseys.com/Rosters/Mustangs_Rosters.htm|title=NASL Chicago Mustangs Roster|access-date=24 April 2019}} 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
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. He transferred to Juventus FC in 1976 in exchange for Pietro Anastasi, and he played three seasons for the club, winning two Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia, and an UEFA Cup.{{cite web|url=http://www.tuttojuve.com/gli-eroi-bianconeri/gli-eroi-in-bianconero-roberto-boninsegna-69903|title=Gli eroi in bianconero: Roberto BONINSEGNA|publisher=Tutto Juve|language=it|author1=Stefano Bedeschi|date=13 November 2013|access-date=22 March 2016}} 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.
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, 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. With the national side, he took part in two World Cups, the first in 1970, and the second in 1974. In total, he managed 9 goals for Italy in 22 appearances.{{cite web|url=http://www.figc.it/nazionali/DettaglioConvocato?codiceConvocato=190&squadra=1|title=Boninsegna, Roberto|publisher=FIGC|language=it|access-date=22 March 2016}}
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/storie-che-emozionano/17-06-2015/italia-germania-4-3-brutta-partita-che-fece-storia-120203571793.shtml|title=Italia-Germania 4-3: la brutta partita che fece la storia|publisher=La Gazzetta dello Sport|language=it|author1=Diego Mariottini|date=17 June 2015|access-date=7 November 2017}} 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; he came off for Rivera in the final minutes of the game.
Style of play
File:Morini Boninsegna 1973-74.jpg.]]
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.{{cite web|url=http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/roberto-boninsegna_%28Enciclopedia-dello-Sport%29/|title=BONINSEGNA, Roberto|publisher=Treccani: Enciclopedia dello Sport (2002)|language=it|access-date=23 December 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://www.calciomercato.com/news/sconcerti-a-cm-giusta-la-vittoria-di-riva-ma-rivera-e-al-suo-liv-217354|title=Riva il migliore per i lettori di CM. Sconcerti: 'Ma Rivera era al suo livello'|publisher=Calciomercato.com|language=it|author1=Mario Sconcerti|date=28 March 2016|access-date=13 February 2017}} 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.{{cite web|url=http://www.storiedicalcio.altervista.org/roberto_boninsegna.html|title=Roberto Boninsegna|publisher=Storie di Calcio|language=it|access-date=23 December 2014}} Because of his jumping ability and his power and accuracy with his head, the Italian sports journalist Gianni Brera gave him the nickname "Bonimba".{{cite web|url=http://www.cremonaoggi.it/2013/01/19/%E2%80%9Cecco-perche-brera-mi-ha-chiamato-bonimba%E2%80%9D/|title=Ecco perchè Brera mi ha chiamato Bonimba|publisher=Cremona Oggi|language=it|date=19 January 2013|access-date=23 December 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223204407/http://www.cremonaoggi.it/2013/01/19/%E2%80%9Cecco-perche-brera-mi-ha-chiamato-bonimba%E2%80%9D/|archive-date=23 December 2014}} Despite his talent, he was criticised on occasion for being a selfish player, although he was also capable of creating chances for teammates.{{cite web|url=http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/12-11-2013/boninsegna-festeggia-70-anni-solo-inter-ma-quanti-tradimenti-201558655707.shtml|title=Boninsegna festeggia 70 anni: "Solo Inter, ma quanti tradimenti"|publisher=La Gazzetta dello Sport|language=it|author1=Alberto Cerruti|date=13 November 2013|access-date=23 December 2014}} He was also well known for his on the field rivalry with Juventus defender Francesco Morini, who later became his teammate.{{cite web|url=http://www.treccani.it/enciclopedia/roberto-boninsegna_(Enciclopedia-dello-Sport)/|title=BONINSEGNA, Roberto|publisher=Treccani: Enciclopedia dello Sport (2002)|language=it|author1=Fabio Monti|access-date=7 November 2017}}
Career statistics
=Club=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competitionSingle source here, if player is inactive. If player has not retired, move source next to "Updated" template. | ||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League | ||
|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals |
| Prato
|22 | 1 | |
| Potenza
|Serie B |32 | 9 | |
| Varese
|28 | 5 | |
| rowspan="4"|Cagliari
|Serie A |34 | 9 | |
| 1967–68
|Serie A |19 | 5 | |
| 1968–69
|Serie A |30 | 9 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!83 | 23 | |
| Chicago Mustangs (loan)
|summer 1967 |9 | 10 | |
| rowspan="8"|Inter Milan
|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 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!197 | 113 | |
| rowspan="4"|Juventus
|Serie A |29 | 10 | |
| 1977–78
|Serie A |21 | 10 | |
| 1978–79
|Serie A |8 | 2 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!58 | 22 | |
| Verona
|Serie B |14 | 3 | |
| colspan="3"|Career total
!443 | 186 |
=International=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | |||
| National team | Year | width="40"|Apps | width="40"|Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="9"|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
Juventus
Italy
- FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1970
Individual
- Serie A top scorer: 1970–71, 1971–72{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/italtops.html|title=Italy - Serie A Top Scorers|author1=Roberto Di Maggio|author2=Igor Kramarsic|author3=Alberto Novello|date=11 June 2015|website=RSSSF|access-date=2 December 2015}}
- Coppa Italia top scorer: 1971–72{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/italcuptops.html|title=Italy - Coppa Italia Top Scorers|author1=Roberto Di Maggio|author2=Davide Rota|date=4 June 2015|website=RSSSF|access-date=15 June 2015}}
- United Soccer Association top scorer: 1967{{cite web|url=http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1967.html|title=The Year in American Soccer - 1967|publisher=US Soccer History Archives|author1=Steve Holroyd|author2=David Litterer|date=15 August 2008|access-date=10 February 2017}}
- Italian Football Hall of Fame: 2023{{Cite web |date=6 November 2024 |title=Hall of Fame del calcio italiano: tra i premiati De Rossi, Spalletti e Shevchenko |url=https://www.corrieredellosport.it/news/calcio/italia/2024/11/06-134993649/hall_of_fame_del_calcio_italiano_tra_i_premiati_de_rossi_spalletti_e_shevchenko |access-date=11 November 2024 |website=Corriere dello Sport |language=it}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{in lang|it}} [http://archivio.inter.it/cgi-bin/giocatori-scheda?codice=G0084&L=it Roberto Boninsegna] at Inter.it
{{S-start}}
{{S-sports}}
{{Succession box|title=Serie A Top Scorer |before=Gigi Riva | |after=Paolo Pulici
Gianni Rivera
Giuseppe Savoldi |years=1970–71 & 1971–72}}
{{S-end}}
{{Italy Squad 1970 World Cup}}
{{Italy Squad 1974 World Cup}}
{{Serie A top scorers}}
{{Italian Football Hall of Fame}}
{{Coppa Italia top scorers}}
{{Cagliari Calcio}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Boninsegna, Roberto}}
Category:Footballers from Mantua
Category:Italian men's footballers
Category:Italy men's international footballers
Category:Cagliari Calcio players
Category:1970 FIFA World Cup players
Category:1974 FIFA World Cup players
Category:United Soccer Association players
Category:SSD Varese Calcio players
Category:Hellas Verona FC players
Category:Chicago Mustangs (1967–68) players
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:UEFA Europa League–winning players
Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States