Demetrio Albertini (born August 23, 1971) is an Italian former professional football midfielder who spent most of his career with AC Milan of the Italian Serie A, winning five national league championships and one UEFA Champions League title with that club. He also played for FC Barcelona in the Spanish League before retiring.

Also a member of the Italian national team, Albertini was part of the squads that competed at the World Cups of 1994 and 1998, as well as the 1996 and 2000 European Championships.

[edit] Biography

Albertini, born in Besana in Brianza, province of Milan, emerged as a product of AC Milan's youth system, and went on to spend 14 highly successful years with the club after debuting as a 17-year-old in 1989. He spent part of the 1990/91 season on loan at Padova Calcio, but established himself in the Milan side in 1991/92 and went on to make almost 300 appearances for the club, claiming three successive Serie A titles between 1992 and 1994 and further scudetti in 1996 and 1999. In addition, he made 41 Champions League appearances, helping the Rossoneri reach three consecutive finals between 1993 and 1995, lifting the trophy in 1994. He also won three UEFA Super Cups.

Albertini was at Milan from 1988 to 2002, after leaving Milan, Albertini bounced around different teams; he spent 2002–03 on loan to Atlético Madrid, 2003–04 with Lazio,[1] and started 2004–05 with Atalanta [2]before transferring to FC Barcelona in January.[3]

For the Italian national team, Albertini has been capped 79 times, scoring 3 goals. He made his debut on December 21, 1991. He played for his country at the 1994 and 1998 World Cups, Euro 96, and Euro 2000. In 1992 he competed with the national squad at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. He has also captained Italy on 6 occasions.

Albertini's key strengths were his mentality, his vision but most of all his brilliant passing and shooting ability. There were very few players considered as good a long passer as Albertini and many have likened his ability to that of Ronald Koeman.

[edit] Retirement

In December 2005 Albertini announced his retirement from professional football and now hopes to become a full time coach [4]. A Milan vs Barcelona celebration match, featuring great names past and present (such as Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, and Franco Baresi) was played on March 15, 2006. Milan won 4–2 at the San Siro, with Albertini scoring the first goal from a textbook swerving free kick.

[edit] FIGC

On May 18, 2006, following the Italian football scandal involving Juventus F.C. and Luciano Moggi which led to the resignation of Franco Carraro from the Italian Football Federation presidency and the appointment of a temporary commissioner, Guido Rossi, by the National Olympic Committee, Albertini was named vice-commissioner of FIGC.

On September 19, following resignations of Guido Rossi, who was in the meanwhile appointed as chairman of Telecom Italia, Albertini announced his resignations too.

He was manager of AC Milan between February 11 and May 27, 2007.

[edit] External links

• Statistics at FIGC official site (Italian)

v • d • e Italy squad – 1994 FIFA World Cup Runners-up 1 Pagliuca • 2 Apolloni • 3 Benarrivo • 4 Costacurta • 5 Maldini • 6 Baresi • 7 Minotti • 8 Mussi • 9 Tassotti • 10 R. Baggio • 11 Albertini • 12 Marchegiani • 13 D. Baggio • 14 Berti • 15 Conte • 16 Donadoni • 17 Evani • 18 Casiraghi • 19 Massaro • 20 Signori • 21 Zola • 22 Bucci • Coach: Sacchi

v • d • e Italy squad – UEFA Euro 1996 1 Peruzzi • 2 Apolloni • 3 Maldini • 4 Carboni • 5 Costacurta • 6 Nesta • 7 Donadoni • 8 Mussi • 9 Torricelli • 10 Albertini • 11 Baggio • 12 Toldo • 13 Rossitto • 14 Del Piero • 15 Di Livio • 16 Di Matteo • 17 Fuser • 18 Casiraghi • 19 Chiesa • 20 Ravanelli • 21 Zola • 22 Bucci • Coach: Sacchi

v • d • e Italy squad – 1998 FIFA World Cup 1 Toldo • 2 Bergomi • 3 P. Maldini • 4 Cannavaro • 5 Costacurta • 6 Nesta • 7 Pessotto • 8 Torricelli • 9 Albertini • 10 Del Piero • 11 D. Baggio • 12 Pagliuca • 13 Cois • 14 Di Biagio • 15 Di Livio • 16 Di Matteo • 17 Moriero • 18 R. Baggio • 19 Inzaghi • 20 Chiesa • 21 Vieri • 22 Buffon • Coach: C. Maldini

v • d • e Italy squad – UEFA Euro 2000 1 Abbiati • 2 Ferrara • 3 Maldini • 4 Albertini • 5 Cannavaro • 6 Negro • 7 Di Livio • 8 Conte • 9 Inzaghi • 10 Del Piero • 11 Pessotto • 12 Toldo • 13 Nesta • 14 Di Biagio • 15 Iuliano • 16 Ambrosini • 17 Zambrotta • 18 Fiore • 19 Montella • 20 Totti • 21 Delvecchio • 22 Antonioli • Coach: Zoff