Stefano Borgonovo

Born in Giussano, Province of Monza and Brianza, Borgonovo began his professional career with Como Calcio, making his debut at 17 in a Serie A match against Ascoli Calcio, and reaching the semi-final of the 1985–86 Coppa Italia with the club. After a loan spell at S.S. Sambenedettese Calcio he established himself as a key player, and in 1986 moved to AC Milan, who immediately loaned him back to Como. After two years Borgonovo was sent on loan again, this time to ACF Fiorentina, where he had the most successful season of his career, scoring 14 league goals in 30 appearances while playing alongside attacking partner Roberto Baggio under coach Sergio Santarini. The two forwards would form an important friendship, and their prolific goalscoring exploits that season (together they scored 29 of Fiorentina's 44 Serie A goals that season) would earn the attacking pair the nickname "B2", as both their surnames began with the letter B; together, they helped Fiorentina to qualify for the UEFA Cup. One of his most memorable performances with Fiorentina came in a 4–3 win over Giovanni Trapattoni's Inter Milan side on 12 February 1989, in the last match of the first round; Inter were in first place, and were unbeaten in the league at the time. With Fiorentina trailing 3–2, Borgonovo first scored a goal to tie the match, and subsequently also netted the match-winner in the 85th minute, after hiding behind Inter defender Riccardo Ferri, and suddenly running to intercept Giuseppe Bergomi's…

Borgonovo was a quick, agile, opportunistic, and intelligent striker, with an eye for goal. As a forward, he predominantly relied on his positional sense inside the penalty area – as well as his acceleration, and fast reactions – to score goals, despite not possessing significant pace over longer distances. These attributes, along with his ability to understand the game and predict where defenders would be, helped him compensate for his relatively small stature and slender physique, and allowed him to create space for himself and anticipate opponents inside the box, enabling him to be prolific in front of goal throughout his career. In addition to his goalscoring ability, he was also a creative and lively player, with good mobility, link-up play, and technique, who was capable of playing off his team-mates, and was even deployed in a more supporting role as a second striker on occasion; however, his preferred and most effective role was as an out-and-out attacker, alongside a more withdrawn, creative playmaker.

Borgonovo married Chantal, and the couple had four children. On 5 September 2008, it was revealed he was suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. To raise funds and awareness of the disease, he started his own foundation and a testimonial match was organized by his former clubs Florentine and Milan. The game, played on 8 October 2008 at Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence in front of a crowd of 30,000 people, was attended by several former stars of the two clubs – he himself attended despite his serious condition, with former Fiorentina teammate Roberto Baggio at his side. In his 2010 autobiography Carlo Ancelotti: The Beautiful Games of an Ordinary Genius: The Life, Games, and Miracles of an Ordinary Genius, Carlo Ancelotti spoke of his former team-mate's illness, saying: "Stefano was my team-mate, and he has a problem. We need everyone to help him because maybe there is a solution for this illness, but we have to be fast because his condition is not good. He cannot move, he can just speak with his eyes. He scored in the semi-final of the European Cup in 1990 against Bayern, and was a good striker inside the box. He was not so quick but very clever. He is a good guy, very funny, likes to joke, even now, but he has a very dangerous illness." Borgonovo wrote an autobiography, Attaccante nato (Born striker), while only able to make use of his eyes to control a computer to write it. In the book, amongst other things, he talked about his stance against drugs, saying: "My…

A.C. Milan European Cup: 1989–90 European Super Cup: 1989 Intercontinental Cup: 1989 Individual

Fiorentina Hall of Fame Premio Nazionale Speciale Carriera Esemplare "Gaetano Scirea": 2013 (posthumous)