Antonio Benarrivo

Benarrivo started playing with the professional football team of his city, Brindisi, in Serie C1, during the 1986–87 season. After three seasons playing in Apulia, he went to play for Padova in Serie B, where he remained for two years, attracting much attention from larger Italian clubs. In 1991, Benarrivo was bought by Parma under Nevio Scala; that year, he would help his new team to qualify for the UEFA Cup in his first year in Serie A. He quickly became one of the strongest players of the Emilian side, which achieved notable domestic and European successes over the next decade. In his first year in the highest division, Bennarivo won the 1992 Italian Cup, and the following year, during the 1992–93 season, he won the 1993 Cup Winners' Cup. He reached a second consecutive Cup Winners' Cup final during the 1993–94 season and was defeated, although he was able to capture the European Supercup with the club in 1993. The series of thrilling triumphs he endured during his time at Parma, which culminated in the UEFA Cup victory during the 1994–95 season, as well as another Coppa Italia final, were not quite replicated in Serie A, however. Although Parma managed to navigate the top spots of the table during these seasons, they were not able to beat the dominant Milan and Juventus sides to the Serie A title, with their best finish coming during the 1996–97 season, where they finished the league in second place, qualifying for the 1997–98 UEFA Champions League; they also managed a…

Benarrivo played with the national team a total of 23 times, and for a period, he was the starting right-back for the Italians. He made his debut on 22 September 1993 under manager Arrigo Sacchi, in a 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Estonia. He took part in the 1994 FIFA World Cup with Italy, where they reached the final only to lose out to Brazil on penalties. Benarrivo was a key member of the starting line-up for the 1994 World Cup, also featuring in the final defeat, and demonstrating his tactical versatility as he alternated between playing on the right and the left flanks. During the tournament, he notably won a penalty in extra time during the round of 16 match against Nigeria, from which Roberto Baggio subsequently scored, sending the Italians to the quarter-finals. Benarrivo played with the national side until 1997, making his final appearance on 29 October, against Russia.

Although he was usually deployed on the right, Benarrivo was comfortable playing on both flanks. An energetic offensive full-back, he was known for his attacking prowess, despite rarely scoring, and was sometimes employed as a wing-back, or as a makeshift wide midfielder, due to his pace, stamina, offensive capabilities, technique, crossing accuracy and ability to cover the flank both offensively and defensively. These attributes led him to be considered one of the best players in his position during the 1990s.

Parma

Coppa Italia: 1991–92, 1998–99, 2001–02 Supercoppa Italiana: 1999 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1992–93 UEFA Cup: 1994–95, 1998–99 UEFA Super Cup: 1993 Italy

FIFA World Cup runner-up: 1994