 Costacurta in 2011 | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Alessandro Costacurta[1] | |||||||||||||
| Date of birth | (1966-04-24)24 April 1966 (age 59) | |||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Jerago con Orago, Italy | |||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)[2] | |||||||||||||
| Position | Defender | |||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||
| Asso | ||||||||||||||
| 1979–1986 | AC Milan | |||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 1986–2007 | AC Milan | 458 | (3) | |||||||||||
| 1986–1987 | →Monza (loan) | 30 | (0) | |||||||||||
| Total | 488 | (3) | ||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||
| 1986–1990 | Italy U21 | 8 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 1991–1998 | Italy | 59 | (2) | |||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | Mantova | |||||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||
Alessandro "Billy"Costacurta (born 24 April 1966) is an Italian former professionalfootballer who played as adefender.
Throughout his club career, Costacurta spent over twenty years withAC Milan between 1986 and 2007, as well as a brief season-long spell on loan atMonza. He is best known for his role alongsideFranco Baresi,Paolo Maldini, andMauro Tassotti, forming one of the greatest defences inSerie A andEuropean football during the late 1980s and 1990s, under the success of managersArrigo Sacchi andFabio Capello.[3] He mainly operated as a central defender, and was a leading exponent of the position, receiving international acclaim, winning 7Serie A titles and 5Champions League/European Cup trophies throughout his career, along with many other trophies.[4] Costacurta retired from professional football at the age of 41, on 19 May 2007. In his final match for Milan, he scored a goal from a penalty in a 3–2 defeat against Udinese, becoming theoldest goalscorer in Serie A, a record that was broken byZlatan Ibrahimović in 2023 who also scored from the spot against Udinese aged 41 five months and 15 days.[4][5]
Along with his Milan teammates, Costacurta was also an important member of theItaly national side during the 1990s. He made 59 appearances for Italy, scoring 2 goals, and he participated in two World Cups (in1994 and1998), as well as aEuropean Championship in 1996. With Italy, he managed to reach the1994 World Cup Final,[4] which was lost againstBrazil on penalties.
Alessandro Costacurta was affectionally known to his fans as "Billy",[3] due to his thin physique in his youth, and his notable skill atbasketball (as the local basketball team of Milan,Olimpia Milano, was referred to as "Billy" during the late 1970s, the team's main shirt sponsor).[6] Originally anAC Milan youth side product, during his professional career Costacurta would go on to play for the senior club for over 20 seasons, after a brief spell on loan atMonza inSerie C1 during the 1986–87 season. Costacurta was already a young member of the senior squad during the1985–86 season, but failed to make a single appearance. Before being sent to Monza on loan, Costacurta would make his Milan debut in theCoppa Italia during the1986–87 season, but would not make his Serie A debut with Milan until thefollowing year, underArrigo Sacchi. Costacurta made his firstSerie A appearance on 25 October 1987 againstHellas Verona on the sixth matchday of the season. Milan would go on to win the match 1–0, as well as theSerie A title, but Costacurta received limited playing opportunities that season, due to the presence of the more experiencedFilippo Galli in his position. Overall, Costacurta managed 7 appearances in Serie A, and one appearance in theCoppa Italia that season.[7]
The1988–89 season would see Costacurta gain more playing opportunities and appear more frequently for the club, as he would feature in Milan's 3–1 win overSampdoria in the1988 Supercoppa Italiana. He would make 26 appearances in Serie A that season, and would also win his firstEuropean Cup title after Milan defeatedSteaua București 4–0 at theCamp Nou,Barcelona. Costacurta played the first 74 minutes of the final before being substituted by Filippo Galli.[7]
During the1989–90 Season, Costacurta won his second consecutiveEuropean Cup with Milan, defeating Benfica 1–0 in the final inVienna, and starting the play which led toFrank Rijkaard's match-winning goal.[8] He also featured in Milan'sIntercontinental Cup win in Tokyo overAtlético Nacional, and in theEuropean Supercup victory overJohan Cruyff'sBarcelona. Costacurta also scored his first goal inSerie A during that season, in a 3–1 away defeat to Milanese rivalsInternazionale in theDerby della Madonnina. Milan would also reach theCoppa Italia final that season. InSacchi's final season at the club, Costacurta would become a starting centreback alongsideFranco Baresi, as well as full-backsMauro Tassotti andPaolo Maldini, in Sacchi's four-man defensive line, which is regarded as one of the greatest defences of all time.[a] Costacurta would make 25 appearances in Serie A that season, and he would also win his second consecutiveIntercontinental Cup andEuropean Super Cup trophies.[7]
Under Capello's Milan, Costacurta continued to be a permanent member of the starting line-up, and he won four Serie A titles (including three consecutive titles in1991–92,1992–93 and1993–94, as well as another title in1995–96), aChampions League title in1994, anUEFA Super Cup in 1994, as well as three consecutiveItalian Supercups in1992,1993 and1994.[17] Milan also managed to reach three consecutive Champions League finals between1992–93 and1994–95. However, Costacurta missed the 1994 Champions League final win over Barcelona on 18 May because of a suspension, having been sent-off in the semi-final match againstMonaco. Costacurta also helped Milan to win the 1991–92 Serie A title undefeated, as Milan went on an Italian record of 58 matches unbeaten. He also played a key role in Milan's defensive line in the 1993–94 title, by only conceding 15 goals all season, as Milan finished the season with the best defence in Italy.[7]
Following Capello's departure after the 1995–96 title win, as well as the aging and retirement of certain key players, Milan faced dark times in their history. Milan were defeated in the1996Italian Supercup final by1995–96 Coppa Italia winnersFiorentina, and the1996–97 and1997–98 seasons were negative, as Milan failed to qualify forEurope on both occasions. These fruitless seasons saw Milan undergo several managerial changes, including Tabárez, and the unsuccessful returns of Sacchi and Capello. However, Costacurta, through his joint leadership in defense alongside Maldini, would help Milan reach the1998 Coppa Italia final, losing out toLazio despite 2–0 lead on aggreagate. With the arrival ofAlberto Zaccheroni during the1998–99 season, Costacurta continued to be a key member of the starting line-up, and featured in Zaccheroni's new three-man defense alongside Maldini andLuigi Sala; during this time he usually played in the middle of the back three. Costacurta was also named Milan's vice-captain that season, behind Maldini, following the retirement of Baresi and Tassotti. At the end of the season, Milan managed to capture their 16thScudetto win, and Costacurta's sixth in total, finishing ahead of Lazio by a single point. However, the next two seasons would see Milan undergo yet another trophy drought. Milan would lose the1999 Supercoppa Italiana toParma, and would finish in third place in1999–2000, and in a disappointing sixth place, outside of the Champions League spots, in2000–01. Milan also suffered early eliminations in the first and second round of Champions League during those two seasons, and Zaccheroni would be sacked midway through the 2000–01 season, and replaced withCesare Maldini as a temporary caretaker.[7]
For the2001–02 season,Fatih Terim was appointed as Milan's coach, but after the first eight matches, and negative results, Costacurta's former Milan teammateCarlo Ancelotti was appointed manager. Ancelotti guided Milan to a fourth-place finish in Serie A, which allowed them to clinch the final UEFA Champions League qualifying spot, and ultimately qualify for the next season's Champions League. Ancelotti also helped Milan to their best everUEFA Cup finish that season, reaching the semi-finals. Ancelotti's arrival and several new signings would bring about a new era of European and Italian dominance for Milan, and Costacurta would form part of another excellent defence, which included players such as Maldini,Alessandro Nesta,Jaap Stam andCafu.[7]
At the end of the season, in 2002, Costacurta's contract was expiring – he therefore decided to leave the club at age 36 following their American exhibition tour in the summer to pursue a Master's in Economics in the United States.[18] However, Milan lacked defenders in their squad due to injuries, andAdriano Galliani recalled Costacurta to renew his contract the night before the second leg of their crucialUEFA Champions League playoff match against Czech sideSlovan Liberec.[19] Milan qualified with difficulty, winning 1–0 in Milan, but being defeated 2–1 in the away match, progressing only on away goals. Milan finished third inSerie A that season, and Costacurta won his first everCoppa Italia with the club, overcomingRoma in the final. Under Ancelotti, Costacurta would be employed at both centre-back and right-back during this season.[20] Despite difficulties encountered in qualifying, Milan reached theChampions League final that season, in the first everall-Italian final against Serie A rivalsJuventus. On 28 May 2003, Milan captured the Champions League after defeating Juventus 3–2 on penalties following a 0–0 draw after extra time. Costacurta started the match at right back, and was substituted in the 65th minute, coming off forRoque Júnior. This was Costacurta's fourth career Champions League title.[20]
In the following season, Milan were defeated in the2003 Supercoppa Italiana by Juventus on penalties. Milan defeatedPorto 1–0 in the2003 UEFA Super Cup final, but lost on penalties toBoca Juniors in the2003 Intercontinental Cup final. Costacurta missed the decisive penalty in the shootout. However, Milan won the2003–04 Serie A title with a record 82 points, with Costacurta, then aged 37, winning his seventh league title with Milan (onlyVirginio Rosetta,Giuseppe Furino,Giovanni Ferrari andGianluigi Buffon have more Serie A titles, with eight titles each). In 2004, Costacurta was elected 50th in theUEFA Golden Jubilee online poll, which celebrated the best European footballers from the past 50 years.[21]
Costacurta began the2004–05 Serie A season winning his fifthSupercoppa Italiana after Milan defeated Lazio. Milan would finish the season in second place in a closely fought title race against Juventus. Milan would also suffer a huge disappointment in theUEFA Champions League. Milan reached the2005 Champions League final inIstanbul as heavy favourites overLiverpool. At half-time, Milan were leading 3–0, but Liverpool made a second half comeback, scoring three goals to tie the match and send it into extra time. Liverpool ended up winning the title in the resulting penalty shootout in what became known as "The Miracle of Istanbul".[7]
Milan reached the semi-finals of the2005–06 UEFA Champions League, only to be eliminated disappointingly by eventual champions Barcelona. Milan also finished second in Serie A behind Juventus that season, for the second consecutive season. However, both teams were found to be guilty of being involved in the2006 Italian match-fixing scandal, and received point deductions. Juventus were relegated toSerie B, and Milan ended up finishing in third place, while theScudetto was assigned to Internazionale. Costacurta was set to retire from Milan at the end of the2005–06 season, but later signed a one-year extension at age 40.[22] On 21 November 2006, he became the oldest footballer ever to play in the Champions League, in Milan's 1–0 loss toAEK Athens, at 40 years and 211 days, topping the previous record held by Belgian goalkeeperDany Verlinden at 40 years and 116 days. Costacurta's record was later broken byMarco Ballotta, who on 11 December 2007, played a match at age 43 years and 253 days for Lazio againstReal Madrid.[23]
Costacurta began hisfinal professional season with the club at age 40. During the season, he won his fifthUEFA Champions League title with Milan. On 7 May 2007, at age 41, he announced his retirement, effective at the end of the2006–07 season. He remained with the club as a second assistant to manager Carlo Ancelotti for a short time afterwards. He made his final home start in Milan's 3–2 loss toUdinese on 19 May 2007, converting a penalty that marked his first Serie A goal since the1991–92 season (15 years after his left-footed volley against Roma on 3 November 1991), and left the pitch near the end of the match to a standing ovation. With this goal, he became the oldest goalscorer in Serie A, at the age of 41 years and 25 days, surpassing the previous record held bySilvio Piola,[24] who inNovara–Milan, on 7 February 1954, scored a goal at 40 years, six months and nine days.[5] Costacurta also became the oldest outfield player to play in a Serie A match. The only players to have played in a match at a more senior age were goalkeepersMarco Ballotta (44 years and 38 days),Alberto Fontana (41 years and 297 days),Francesco Antonioli (41 years and 243 days) andDino Zoff (41 years and 76 days). After the match, Costacurta's Milan teammates entered the pitch wearing a replica of his jersey as a tribute.[7]
With Milan, Costacurta won theScudetto seven times and the European Cup/UEFA Champions League five times, in1989,1990,1994,2003 and2007, although he did not feature in the squad for the 1994 and 2007 finals. Costacurta also won aCoppa Italia, five Supercoppa Italiana, fourUEFA Supercups and twoIntercontinental Cups with Milan. He also managed to reach three more UEFA Champions League finals, wherein Milan lost toMarseille in1992–93,Ajax in1994–95 andLiverpool in the2004–05, with a total of eight finals reached and five won. He also reached two more consecutive Intercontinental Cup finals, where Milan were defeated 3–2 bySão Paulo in1993 and 2–0 byVélez Sársfield (where Costacurta was sent off in the 85th minute) in1994, as well as losing out on the1993 UEFA Super Cup to Parma under Fabio Capello, and the2003 Intercontinental Cup to Boca Juniors under Carlo Ancelotti. Costacurta made 662 appearances for Milan throughout his career (458 in Serie A, 78 in the Coppa Italia, 108 in European Competitions, 5 appearances in the Intercontinental Cup final, 6 in the Italian Super Cup final, and 7 in the UEFA Super Cup final). He only scored three goals in Serie A, with his first coming in a 3–1 defeat in the Milan–Inter derby on 13 March 1990. The second came in a 4–1 over Roma at the San Siro, on 3 November, where he scored the fourth goal of the match, and his final goal was scored in a 3–2 defeat to Udinese on the final match of his career. Costacurta is the third highest appearances holder for Milan in official matches, with 662 caps; only Franco Baresi (719) and Paolo Maldini (902) have managed more appearances.[7][17]
Between 1986 and 1990, Costacurta made eight appearances with theItalian under-21 side, participating in twoEuropean Championships in1988, where Italy reached the quarter-finals, and in1990, where Italy reached the semi-finals.[25]
A mainstay in theItaly national team throughout the 1990s, Costacurta played for his country in three major tournaments: the1994 and1998 World Cups, as well asEuro 1996. He received his first senior call-up underAzeglio Vicini on 22 December 1990, but he made his debut for the senior team on 13 November 1991, at age 25, in a 1–1 draw againstNorway inGenoa. He later became a regular first-team member under his former Milan coachArrigo Sacchi, who replaced Vicini in 1991 after Italy failed to qualify forEuro 1992 in Sweden. Costacurta scored his first goal for Italy on 4 June 1992 from a penalty in a 2–0 against theRepublic of Ireland during Italy'sU.S. Cup run, where they finished in second place to thehost nation in the friendly tournament.[25]
Costacurta was a starting member in Italy's defensive line at the 1994 World Cup. He helped Italy reach the final,[26] putting in strong defensive performances alongside Milan teammate Paolo Maldini, in particular following fellow Milan centre-back Franco Baresi's injury, and fellow Milan right-back Mauro Tassotti's suspension. He notably helped a ten-man Italy to keep a clean sheet in their second group match against Norway.[27] However, after missing out on the1994 Champions League final through suspension, he also missed the1994 World Cup final loss on penalties toBrazil, again due to suspension, after receiving a yellow card in the semi-final match againstBulgaria.[28] Costacurta started inEuro 1996 for Italy, as they were eliminated in the first round, in a group with the two eventual finalists, theCzech Republic andGermany.[29]
Costacurta was once again a key member of Italy's defence in the 1998 World Cup under manager Cesare Maldini, starting in all five of Italy's matches and helping the team to keep three clean sheets.[25] Italy were eliminated in the quarter-final to hosts and eventual championsFrance on penalties once again after a 0–0 draw following extra time, even though Costacurta converted Italy's third penalty.[30] Despite Dino Zoff's intention to use him in the Italy squad for theEuro 2000 qualifying campaign,[31] Costacurta retired from international duty in 1998, with 59caps and two goals, after Italy's elimination from the World Cup.[25]
Costacurta is regarded by many pundits, managers and players as one of the greatest defenders in history; he formed some of the most formidable defensive units of all time during his extensive career at Milan, alongsidePaolo Maldini,Franco Baresi, andMauro Tassotti in particular, but also other top defenders such asFilippo Galli,Christian Panucci,Alessandro Nesta,Cafu andJaap Stam.[17][32][33] Costacurta was a tactically versatile defender who excelled anywhere along the backline, which allowed him to have a long and highly successful career, both at club level and with the national side, winning many trophies. Although he was primarily played as a man–markingcentre-back (or "stopper," in Italian) alongside Baresi throughout his career, he also occasionally played as asweeper, as afull-back on either flank, and even as adefensive midfielder.[3][32][33][34][35][36][37][38]
Costacurta was a complete, hard-working and experienced defender who was also gifted with good distribution andcrossing ability, as well as a solid technique and first touch, which he developed further as his career progressed, despite not initially being the most naturally skilful player on the ball; this enabled him to be comfortable in possession, carry the ball forward into midfield, and start attacking plays from the back-line. He was a tenacious yet disciplined defender with fast reactions who was known in particular for his exceptional tactical intelligence as well as his timing and strong, precise tackling ability.[7][17][34][36][39][40][41][42] He was also quick-thinking, mobile, effective in the air, and had an outstanding ability to read the game and anticipate plays, despite his lack of notable pace, physical strength or athletic attributes, due to his slender build.[7][36][43][44][45] He was an extremely precise and attentive footballer who excelled both at man marking as well as in azonal marking system, due to his excellent positional and organisational sense, communication, awareness and his ability to play the offside trap effectively.[33][34][39][43][46][47] Despite being a defender, he was an accuratepenalty taker who often took penalties for his team in shoot-outs.[48][49][50][51][52] He also stood out for his class, leadership and professionalism on the pitch, as well as his longevity throughout his career.[35][39][43] In July 2014, compatriot and 2006 Ballon d'Or winnerFabio Cannavaro described Costacurta as the best defender with whom he had ever played.[43] In 2015,The Telegraph included him at number two in their list of "The top 20 most under-rated footballers of all time."[33]
After his retirement, in2007–08 Costacurta was a member of Carlo Ancelotti's coaching staff at Milan as a technical assistant, while earning his own coaching badges. At the end of the season, he successfully earned his badges and various Italian media reported that he was pursuing a managerial role of his own. However, he refused a position atPisa offered by new club owner Luca Pomponi immediately after the completion of his takeover of the club, citing his need to remain at Milan in order to stay at home and take care of his son while his wife was on tour with the theater.[53]
On 27 October 2008, Costacurta was unveiled as new coach of Serie B promotion candidatesMantova, then 13th in the table, following the dismissal of previous boss Giuseppe Brucato.[54] However, his time at Mantova proved to be unsuccessful, as he failed to improve Mantova's results and ultimately leading him to tend his resignation from the coaching post following a 1–0 loss toVicenza that left his club only four points above the relegation zone.[55]
In 2010 he was hired bySky Italia as a footballpundit, becoming one of the main sports personalities from the TV channel and being featured in many of the channel's shows.[56]
Costacurta is married to formerMiss ItaliaMartina Colombari, and has one son, Achille.[57]
Costacurta is known for his vocal criticism of homophobia and discrimination against women. In a 2012 interview with Italian newspaperIl Corriere della Sera, he stated that footballers should be allowed to be open about their sexuality.[6]
On 26 July 2021, his mother, Margherita Beccegato, died in a car accident at the age of 87.[58]
| Club | Season | League | Coppa Italia | Europe[b] | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| AC Milan | 1986–87 | Serie A | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1987–88 | Serie A | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | 8 | 0 | |||
| 1988–89 | Serie A | 26 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 0 | |
| 1989–90 | Serie A | 26 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 1 | |
| 1990–91 | Serie A | 25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 0 | |
| 1991–92 | Serie A | 30 | 1 | 6 | 0 | – | – | 36 | 1 | |||
| 1992–93 | Serie A | 31 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 48 | 0 | |
| 1993–94 | Serie A | 30 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 47 | 0 | |
| 1994–95 | Serie A | 27 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 40 | 0 | |
| 1995–96 | Serie A | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | – | 40 | 0 | ||
| 1996–97 | Serie A | 30 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 0 | |
| 1997–98 | Serie A | 29 | 0 | 8 | 0 | – | – | 37 | 0 | |||
| 1998–99 | Serie A | 29 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | – | 32 | 0 | |||
| 1999–2000 | Serie A | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 0 | |
| 2000–01 | Serie A | 18 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | – | 29 | 0 | ||
| 2001–02 | Serie A | 21 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 0 | – | 31 | 0 | ||
| 2002–03 | Serie A | 18 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 10 | 0 | – | 33 | 0 | ||
| 2003–04 | Serie A | 22 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 0 | |
| 2004–05 | Serie A | 14 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 22 | 0 | ||
| 2005–06 | Serie A | 15 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 21 | 0 | ||
| 2006–07 | Serie A | 3 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 11 | 1 | ||
| Total | 458 | 3 | 78 | 0 | 116 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 663 | 3 | ||
| Monza (loan) | 1986–87 | Serie C1 | 30 | 0 | – | – | 1[c] | 0 | 31 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 488 | 3 | 78 | 0 | 116 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 694 | 3 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 1991 | 2 | 0 |
| 1992 | 8 | 1 | |
| 1993 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1994 | 14 | 1 | |
| 1995 | 5 | 0 | |
| 1996 | 6 | 0 | |
| 1997 | 11 | 0 | |
| 1998 | 8 | 0 | |
| Total | 59 | 2 | |
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | Win % | GF | GA | GD | ||||
| Mantova |  | 27 October 2008 | 9 February 2009 | 13 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 30.77 | 15 | 19 | –4 |
| Total | 13 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 30.77 | 15 | 19 | –4 | |||
AC Milan[17]
Italy[17]
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