Gianluigi Lentini

Torino

1986–1992: Hometown hero and team success

Born in Carmagnola, Piedmont, to Sicilian parents, Lentini grew up playing in the Torino youth system. After occasional appearances for the senior side, he spent the 1988–89 season on loan with Serie B club Ancona. He returned to Torino the following year and scored six goals as they won the Serie B title and were promoted to Serie A. Under new coach Emiliano Mondonico and the transfer outlay by owner Gian Mauro Borsano to acquire Rafael Martín Vázquez to compliment a team containing Lentini and other academy products Luca Marchegiani and Giorgio Bresciani, Torino won the Mitropa Cup in 1991 and finished in fifth place. In the following year, following the arrivals of Enzo Scifo and Walter Casagrande, Torino reached the 1992 UEFA Cup final (with Lentini integral in the semi-final second leg victory over Real Madrid) and finish in third-place in Serie A; he also extended his contract until June 1995. However, Torino's financial difficulties (and protest regarding a proposed transfer to city rivals Juventus) led to Lentini signing for Milan on a reported four year contract for a then-world record transfer fee of 18.5 billion Italian lire (an estimated €14 million by fixed exchange rate) in 1992; Borsano reportedly pocketed an estimated 7.5 billion lire (€3.7 million) from the transfer.

Milan

1992–1994: Initial success and car crash

Lentini became a key component for Milan during the…

Lentini initially made two appearances with the Italy national under-21 football team between 1987 and 1990, making his debut on 29 November 1989; he was a member of the squad that reached the semi-finals of the 1990 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, under manager Cesare Maldini, eventually finishing the tournament in third place. Whilst at Torino, he gained his first senior cap for the Italy national football team, in an international friendly in Terni against Belgium on 13 February 1991, which ended in a 0–0 draw. He later become a regular member of Arrigo Sacchi's Italy side during the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign, although he would miss out on the final tournament due to his inconsistent performances following his serious car crash in August 1993. He was capped on 13 occasions in total, making his last appearance on 6 November 1996.

"He was a really big talent… Fast, strong, physical. Really good." During his prime, Lentini was considered a highly talented prospect, known for his pace, mobility, work-rate, physical strength, intelligence and leadership. Although he was usually deployed as a left winger, he was capable of playing on either flank. He was highly regarded for his creativity, his excellent technical ability, agility, speed, balance, and his dribbling skills, as well as his crossing ability, which made him an extremely effective attacking threat on the wing, and allowed him to beat opponents in one on one situations and subsequently provide assists for his teammates.

Lentini was married to Alexandra Carlsson, a model from Sweden; their son, Nicholas, was born in 1996. Nicholas plays as a goalkeeper.