Roberto Tricella
{{short description|Italian footballer}}
{{BLP sources|date=September 2009}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Roberto Tricella
| image =
| height = 1.83 m
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1959|3|18}}
| birth_place = Cernusco sul Naviglio, Italy
| currentclub =
| position = Defender
| years1 = 1977–1979 | caps1 = 5 | goals1 = 0 | clubs1 = Internazionale
| years2 = 1979–1987 | caps2 = 255 | goals2 = 3 | clubs2 = Verona
| years3 = 1987–1990 | caps3 = 80 | goals3 = 2 | clubs3 = Juventus
| years4 = 1990–1991 | caps4 = 23 | goals4 = 0 | clubs4 = Bologna
| totalcaps = 363 | totalgoals = 5
| nationalyears1 = 1984–1987 | nationalcaps1 = 11 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalteam1 = Italy
}}
Roberto Tricella ({{IPA|it|roˈbɛrto triˈtʃɛlla}}; born 18 March 1959) is an Italian former footballer who played as a defender. He was most frequently deployed as a sweeper throughout his career.{{cite web|url=http://www.calcio-giocato.com/protagonisti/il-verona-di-bagnoli.php|title=Il magico Verona di Osvaldo Bagnoli|language=Italian|accessdate=6 January 2015}} Tricella played for Italian clubs Internazionale, Verona, Juventus, and Bologna, winning a Coppa Italia with Inter, a Serie A title with Verona, and a Coppa Italia-UEFA Cup double with Juventus. At international level, he represented the Italy national football team at the 1984 Summer Olympics, and at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
Club career
Tricella was born at Cernusco sul Naviglio, near Milan. During his club career he played for Inter (1977–79), Hellas Verona (1979–87), Juventus (1987–90), and Bologna (1990–92). With Inter, he made his Serie A debut, also winning the 1977–78 Coppa Italia. He later moved to Serie B club Hellas Verona, and during the 1984–85 Serie A season, he notably captained Osvaldo Bagnoli's Verona to an historic Serie A victory, the only league victory in the club's history.{{cite web|url=http://www.larena.it/stories/555_hellas/248369_papa_wojtyla_disse_a_tricellacos_giovane_gi_capitano/?refresh_ce&scroll=0#|title=Papa Wojtyla disse a Tricella: così giovane, già capitano?|work=L'Arena.it |language=Italian|accessdate=6 January 2015 |author1=Vambrosi }}{{cite web|url=http://storiedicalcio.altervista.org/blog/bagnoli_osvaldo.html|title=BAGNOLI Osvaldo: il Mago della porta accanto|work=Storie di Calcio|date=22 November 2015 |language=Italian|accessdate=25 February 2017}} He later transferred to Juventus in 1987, as an intended replacement for Gaetano Scirea, and during his final season with the club, he briefly served as the club's captain in 1989, and was able to capture a Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup double, under manager Dino Zoff.{{cite web|url=http://ilpalloneracconta.blogspot.ca/2008/03/roberto-tricella.html|title=Il Pallone Racconta: Roberto TRICELLA|publisher=Il Pallone Racconta|language=Italian|accessdate=6 January 2015}}{{cite web|url=http://www.tuttojuve.com/gli-eroi-bianconeri/gli-eroi-in-bianconero-roberto-tricella-44221|title=Gli eroi in bianconero: Roberto TRICELLA|publisher=Tutto Juve|author1=Stefano Bedeschi|language=Italian|date=18 March 2014|accessdate=30 January 2016}}
International career
Tricella earned 11 caps for the Italy national team from 1984 to 1987, and he was included in Italy's 1986 FIFA World Cup squad under Enzo Bearzot, although he did not play in the tournament, serving as Gaetano Scirea's backup in the libero role. Under Bearzot's successor, manager Azeglio Vicini, he also received little space due to the presence of Franco Baresi on the team. He also competed for Italy at the 1984 Summer Olympics, where the team finished in fourth place after a semi-final defeat.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/tr/roberto-tricella-1.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200418013405/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/tr/roberto-tricella-1.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=18 April 2020|title=Roberto Tricella Biography and Statistics|publisher=Sports Reference|accessdate=28 October 2009}}{{cite web|url=http://www.figc.it/nazionali/DettaglioConvocato?codiceConvocato=1025&squadra=1|title=Nazionale in cifre: Tricella, Roberto|website=figc.it|publisher=FIGC|language=Italian|accessdate=22 April 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180718234745/http://www.figc.it/nazionali/DettaglioConvocato?codiceConvocato=1025&squadra=1|archive-date=18 July 2018|url-status=dead}}
Style of play
A tenacious but fair defender, Tricella was known for his ability to time his challenges, as well as his ability to defend opponents in one on one situations, due to his mobility. He was also capable of starting quick attacking plays after winning back possession courtesy of his tactical intelligence, range of passing, and elegance on the ball. Although he was also capable of playing as a centre-back, he was most frequently deployed as a sweeper throughout his career, and stood out for his more modern interpretation of the role, which saw him often advance with the ball and launch counter-attacks with long passes, rather than simply clearing the ball away in the mold of a more traditional sweeper.{{cite web |url=http://www.hellastory.net/verona/schede/roberto_tricella/ |title=Roberto Tricella |publisher=hellastory.net |language=Italian |accessdate=10 September 2018 }}
Honours
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{TuttoCalciatori|tricella_roberto}}
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20180718234745/http://www.figc.it/nazionali/DettaglioConvocato?codiceConvocato=1025&squadra=1 Profile at FIGC.it] {{in lang|it}} {{dead link|date=March 2019}}
{{Italy Squad 1984 Summer Olympics}}
{{Italy Squad 1986 World Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tricella, Roberto}}
Category:Footballers from Cernusco sul Naviglio
Category:Italian men's footballers
Category:Italy men's international footballers
Category:Olympic footballers for Italy
Category:Footballers at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Category:1986 FIFA World Cup players
Category:Hellas Verona FC players
Category:Bologna FC 1909 players
Category:UEFA Europa League–winning players