Roberto Boninsegna

Roberto Boninsegna

Boninsegna (Rotterdam, 1974)
Personal information
Full name	Roberto Boninsegna
Date of birth	(1943-11-13) 13 November 1943 (age 73)
Place of birth	Mantua, Italy
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position	Striker
Youth career
	Internazionale
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1963–1964	Prato	22	(1)
1964–1965	Potenza	32	(9)
1965–1966	Varese	28	(5)
1966–1969	Cagliari	83	(23)
1967	→ Chicago Mustangs (American tour)	9	(10)
1969–1976	Internazionale	197	(113)
1976–1979	Juventus	58	(22)
1979–1980	Verona	14	(3)
National team
1967–1974	Italy	22	(9)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Roberto Boninsegna (Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto ˌbɔninˈseɲɲa] born 13 November 1943 in Mantua) is an Italian former football player, who mainly played as a forward. After retiring, he worked as a football manager. As a player, he represented the Italian national side at two World Cups, reaching the final in 1970.

As a player, Boninsegna was a powerful, agile and acrobatic striker, who was known for his accurate finishing ability. He was a prolific goalscorer, who excelled in the air, despite not being particularly tall or imposing physically. 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. Because of his jumping ability and his power and accuracy with his head, the Italian sports journalist Gianni Brera gave him the nickname "Bonimba". Despite his talent, he was criticised on occasion for being a selfish player, although he was also capable of creating chances for team mates.

Boninsegna started his career in Serie B (the second tier of Italian professional football) with Prato in 1963–64 season. He transferred to FC Potenza, who was Serie B team in 1964–65 season. He also played for Varese in 1965–66 and Cagliari between 1966–1969, helping the club to a second-place finish during the 1968–69 Serie A season alongside Luigi Riva. Boninsegna gained a status as an efficient striker with Internazionale Milano F.C. and the Italian national football 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. 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 F.C. in 1976 in exchange for Pietro Anastasi, and he played 3 seasons for the club, winning two Serie A titles, a Coppa Italia, and an UEFA Cup. 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.