Alessandro Costacurta is surely one of the most ambitious and successful footballers from Italy. Toweringly present in the defense for AC Milan and the Italy national team, Costacurta played volleyball over twenty active years and won several trophies, including titles in local leagues, European honors, and, even Wold Cup glory. Acclaimed for his calmness, tactical intelligence, and leadership, Costacurta is, without doubt, treasured as one of the best defenders of his generation.
Early Life and Career
Alessandro Costacurta was born on April 24, 1866, in Besana in Brianza. Soccer training began with AC Milan youth, one of the most famed clubs of Italy. In 1986, he got judged fit to play and participated in first-team football in 1987, coached by the legendary Arrigo Sacchi.
AC Milan Career (1986–2007)
The majority of Costacurta’s club career had been spent inside the ranks of AC Milan, where he made just more than 600 appearances within reso of appearance. His era lasted with the salvation of the club; the 90s and 90s were known records for trophy collection in Milan.
Defensive Partnership
The other is Costacurta with colleagues Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini, whose combination constituted one of the top defenses this era ever witnessed and who were nearly impossible for opponents to break down. Costacurta’s cleverness fit well by reading in between moves combined with Baresi’s leadership and Maldini’s versatility fueled whatever defense commanded respect in the world.
Trophies and Titles
Club Trophies
Having spent his career at AC Milan, Costacurta claimed a large number of national and international titles:
Serie A: 7 (1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004, 2005)
Coppa Italia: 1 (2003)
Champions League: 5 (1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007)
UEFA Cup Winners: 2 (1990, 1994)
UEFA Super Cup: 5 (1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007)
Intercontinental Cup: 3 (1989, 1990, 2003)
FIFA Club World Cup: 1 (2007)
Costacurta was particularly prominent at Milan during five of its Champions League campaigns, and that is enough for him to be hailed as one of the in the club’s history.
Individual Honors
While Costacurta was neither a prolific scorer nor a particularly flamboyant player, he steadily earned individual acclaim through the years: he featured regularly in the Serie A Team of the Year and in the European Team of the Year. On top of that, he won acclaim for consistency, leadership, and the ability to maintain top performance even into his 40s.
National Career: Italy (1991-2007)
Costacurta also enjoyed a brilliant international career with Italy, donning the Italian national team jersey and earning 126 caps in total. He was included in the 1994 FIFA World Cup squad for that year, which made it all the way to the final where they lost to Brazil on penalties. Costacurta was a brilliant defender, one of the greats in Italian history, but an international career somewhat eclipsed by the players who were brighter stars in Italy’s defence: Baresi, Maldini, etc.
More Noteworthy Achievements
Runner-Up in the 1994 FIFA World Cup: Italy, in the finals, were beaten by Brazil.
Semi-Finalist in the 2000 UEFA European Championship.
Winner of the FIFA World Cup 2006. Costacurta was in Italy’s squad during the qualifying rounds and earlier stages of the tournament, notwithstanding not appearing in the final rounds.
With a staggering 126 appearances for the national team, Costacurta’s experience and leadership contributed much toward giving Italian soccer its glittering success.
Goals and Assists
Costacurta was not renowned for his goal-scoring as a central defender, though he has a fair number of goals to show for himself in this regard, with quite a few of the late arrivals into the box quite respectably scored from set-piece situations. Quantitatively speaking, throughout his career with Milan, Costacurta is credited with 40 official goals, most of them in Serie A.
In terms of assists, Costacurta was generally uncharacteristic in providing assists for an ordinary build-up play as his role was mainly that of disrupting opposition attacks and organizing the defense. However, at times, from his position when on the defensive, that he played deep passes could forage into key passes and initiate backward attacks.
Memorable Goals
Goal v. Juventus (1994): A memorable goal for Costacurta came in a Serie A match against Juventus, where he scored a key goal for Milan’s triumphant 3-0.
Goal in the 2003 UEFA Champions League Final: Headed by Costacurta, that all-important goal which saw their win over Juventus in the UEFA Champions League final had iconic significance in Milan’s European history.
Playing Style Costacurta was a complete central defender. He was intelligent, strong and an exceptional leader. His qualities included: Tactical awareness: Costacurta was very good at reading the game. He did not rely on speed and physical strength to control the opposition but instead perfect positioning. Despite possessing average pace and strength, Costacurta would always know how to intercept a pass or neutralize an attacker. Leadership: Costacurta was also a vocal leader and would use his experience to advice his colleagues. His experience often saw him calm the teammate under pressure and inspire them to often find a late goal. Passing ability: While not a ball playing defender, Costacurta was still a reliable passer of the ball. He was very good at launching passes from deep, switching the play and breaking the opposition press. Retirement and Legacy Costacurta retired from professional football in 2007, aged 41 and having told reporters he was ending his career and ready to start a new life. In his final season, Costacurta served under Ancelotti as a part of the backroom. Three days after hanging up his boot as a player on 15 June, Costacurta was officially named among the coaching staff of Serie A giants. He has since remained involved in football as a TV football pundit and commentator, a career he has done over the past several years, even while a player. Playing for Italy, Costacurta was a member of one of the greatest defenses in the history of Italian footballing. Costacurta ended his career as one of the most decorated footballers in history and his careers at Milan and Italy will long be remembered. Despite not being a prolific scorer, his defensive masterclasses, experience and determination have made him a legend at San Siro Stadium and the country of Italy. Costacurta leaves the game with seven Serie A winners’ medals and five Champions League winners’ medals, culminating in one of the most decorated careers ever in any league. His decorated career and pure elegance as a defender have cemented his legacy as the finest Italian defender of the game.
