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Alessandro Nesta

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Alessandro Nesta
Personal information
Full name Alessandro Nesta
Height 6'2 (187 cm)
Position(s) Centre Back
Team information
Current team
 AC Milan
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of October 11 2006

Alessandro Nesta (born March 19, 1976 in Rome), is an Italian footballer. He plays centre back for AC Milan in Serie A. He has previously played for S.S. Lazio. With amazing tackling skills and game reading ability, he is widely considered one of the best defenders in the world.

Playing career

Nesta had a happy childhood gowing up in the Cinecittà area of Rome. He attended "Margherita Bosco" primary school where he first started playing football. Fernando, Alessandro's older brother, was advised to play a sport because of a back problem, and enrolled at the local football club. Young Alessandro threw a tantrum till his father gave in and he was enrolled as well, thus marking the beginning of his career. Alessandro Nesta was first discovered by Francesco Rocca (Currently U-17 coach for Italy) a scout for A.S. Roma, but Nesta's father, a Lazio fan turned down the offer.

In 1985, he joined Lazio's youth academy, where he rose through the ranks playing in various positions, including striker and midfielder before settling in defence. His international career first showed signs of growth when he played for the Italian national Under-15 and Under-16 sides. In 1993, he joined Lazio's first-team squad.

In 1996, Nesta was a member of the Italian Under-21 team that defeated Spain to win the European Under-21 Championship, picking up the award for best defender in the tournament along the way. He made his full international debut for Italy against Moldova on October 5, 1996. In 1997, he was given the captaincy of Lazio. It was in the 1997-98 season that Lazio won the Coppa Italia (Italian Cup), beating A.C. Milan in the final, with Nesta amongst the goal-scorers. In May 1998 he lost the UEFA Cup final with Lazio against Inter. This was followed however by a series of trophy wins including a Cup Winners' Cup and European Super Cup in 1999 and a rare Championship and Italian Cup double in 2000, not to mention two Italian Super Cup victories.

Just before the 2002-03 season Lazio was forced to sell Nesta because of serious financial problems to A.C. Milan. With Milan he has won the Scudetto (Italian Championship), Coppa Italia, Champions League and the European Super Cup.

Nesta has appeared over 70 times for the Italian national team and has been a mainstay in it since the late 1990s. He played for his country in (edit conflict × 96), the 1998 FIFA World Cup, Template:Ec2, the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Template:Ec2 and the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

He was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004. On the June 7, 2006, edition of Pardon the Interruption, ESPN analyst Tommy Smyth proclaimed Nesta as the top defender and one of the top five players for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Other players in Smith's top five included Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi, Petr Cech, and Thierry Henry.

He was injured early on in the 2006 World Cup, in the group match against the Czech Republic, and played no further part in Italy's eventual triumph.

Rumors since the beginning of the 2006-2007 season have been ciruculating regarding a possible return to Lazio as he has yet to renew his contract with his current club Milan, which could allow him to leave on a free transfer in 2007.

Personal

Nesta is engaged to Gabriela Pagnozzi (daughter of Raffaelle Pagnozzi, General Secretary of CONI). She is a specialist in economics and was working for "Casa Italia", the headquarters of the Azzurri, during the 1998 World Cup at France. He was injured after the World Cup game against Austria, Gabriela took care of him, and this is how this love story began. "I can say, I got the injury and her in France then. And the injury has gone, she has stayed with me." The two of them live together in Milan. Their newborn daughter, Sofia, was born October 19, 2006.

Honours

Notes

  1. ^ Source: FIFA World Cup official site
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