Top Facts about Giuseppe Signori, Forgotten Italian Striker

Giuseppe "Beppe" Signori is an Italian former professional football player who played as a striker.

One of the

top facts about Giuseppe Signori

is that he played for several teams in Italy during his professional career, and also had spells in Greece and Hungary with Iraklis Thessaloniki and MFC Sopron respectively.

Giuseppe Signori won the Serie A top-scorer award three times and is one of the top ten scorers in Serie A history, although he never managed to receive a winners medal in professional football.

At international level, Signori played for Italy 28 times between 1992 and 1995, scoring 7 goals, and took part at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the final match.

Top Facts about Giuseppe Signori, Forgotten Italian Striker

Although he could not win any trophy during his career, Giuseppe Signori won the Serie A top scorer award in the 1990s and was part of the Italy side that finished as runners-up at the 1994 World Cup. He retired in 2004.

Now, let’s have a look at the top facts about Giuseppe Signori.

Giuseppe Signori at a glance

• Date of birth:

  17 February, 1968

• Place of birth:

  Alzano Lombardo  

• Age:

  53

• Height:

  1,71 metres

• Citizenship:

   Italy

• Position:

  Attack - Centre-Forward

• Foot:

  Left

• Player agent:

  Oscar Damiani

• Current status:

   Retired

• Date of retirement:

  1 July, 2006

Contract expires:

-

Giuseppe Signori professional club career

Giuseppe Signori was born in theregion of Alzano Lombardo, Bergamo. As a teenager he played in the youth system of Internazionale, but was finally released after being told by the team that he was too short to flourish as a professional football player. 

Giuseppe went on to make his professional apperance for Leffe in 1984–86), followed by Piacenza in 1986–87 and 1988–89, Trento in 1987–88, Foggia in 1989–92, Lazio in 1992–97, Sampdoria from (January to June 1998, and 

in 1998–2004.

Giuseppe Signori then played two short spells abroad: first in Greece in 2004 with Iraklis Thessaloniki; and then in October 2005 he signed a one-year deal with Hungarian team MFC Sopron to finish his professional career.

The best years of Giuseppe Signori's career came at

, where he was the top goal scorer in Serie A three times, in 1993, 1994, and 1996. The last title was shared with Igor Protti.

In 1998, he was sold for an unrevealed fee to Sampdoria after being used more sparingly by the Lazio coach Sven-Göran Eriksson. At Bologna, Signori helped the team to qualify for the 1998-99 UEFA Cup by winning the 1998 UEFA Intertoto Cup that season. Bologna managed to reach the semi-finals of both the UEFA Cup and the Coppa Italia that season.

One of the

top facts about Giuseppe Signori

is that he netted 188 goals in Italy's top division, the ninth highest in the history of the Italian league, alongside 

 and Alberto Gilardino.

Between 17 May 1992 and 28 February 1993, Giuseppe Signori netted in a record 10 successive away matches in Serie A, 1 in 1991–92 with Foggia, and 9 in 1992–93 with Lazio. Alongside Cristiano Ronaldo,  Signori holds the records for most successive away matches with at least one goal in a single season (9 goals), which he set during the 1992–93 season with Lazio.

Signori ended his professional career with 188 Serie A goals in 344 matches, which is the joint-ninth most in the league’s history.

He averaged a goal every 0.55 matches, and only Gunnar Nordahl and Giuseppe Meazza can claim a better striker rate in the top 10.

Giuseppe Signori international career

Giuseppe Signori was not able completely to repeat his achievement at the Italy national team, somewhat due to dissimilarities between him and national coach Arrigo Sacchi, who preferred to play him in the midfield, as a left winger, only using Signori as a forward on occasion, both as a striker and as a supporting forward.

One of the

top facts about Giuseppe Signori

is that he played for the Italy national side 28 times from 1992 to 1995, scoring seven goals. The only major competition Signori played in was the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where he played six times as Italy finished in second place, but he did not play in the final match against Brazil, as Italy were beaten on penalty shootouts after a 0–0 draw after extra time.

In spite of the fact that he failed to score during the World Cup, Giuseppe Signori assisted Dino Baggio's match-winning goal against Norway in Italy's second group game, and 

's match-winning goal in the 87th minute of the quarter-final game against Spain.

Giuseppe Signori style of play

Giuseppe Signori was a quick, hard-working, and diminutive left footed forward, who was a creative goal scorer, due to his influential and precise shot, which drew regular comparisons with Luigi Riva in the Italian media.

As he was a flexible striker, during the early years of his professional career he was used as a left winger or as a second striker, where his speed, brilliant technique, and precise crossing and passing skill were put to good use; in this position, he was known for his skill to cut in from the left side and consequently score by placing the ball at the far post with his left foot.

Also, Giuseppe Signori was an exceptionally perfect set piece and penalty-kick taker, and was noted for his tendency to take set pieces and penalties without taking a run-up. When taking penalties, he often watched the goalkeepers' movements, and tried to send them the wrong first by waiting for them to dive before shooting the ball.

Giuseppe Signori scored 44 penalty kicks from 52 attempts, making him one of the best penalty takers in Serie A history, and the fifth most prolific spot kick taker of all time in Serie A.

Along with Siniša Mihajlović, he is one of two footballers to have scored a hat-trick from free kicks in Serie A, an achievement which he managed with Lazio in a 3–1 home victory over Atalanta on 10 April 1994. 

In training sessions, in order to improve his accuracy from free kicks, he used to practise by trying to curl the ball over artificial walls that were up to two metres in height, and that were located closer to the ball than regulation distance. 

In addition to his goalscoring and skill as a football player, he was also known for his leadership and attitude; though, despite his ability, he was also known to be injury prone. 

Giuseppe Signori after retirement

One of the top facts about Giuseppe Signori is that after he worked as a Serie A football commentator for RAI Radio1, he served as director of football of Ternana Calcio in 2008 and 2009.

Giuseppe Signori betting scandal

One of the top facts about Giuseppe Signori, which is a dark side in his life, is that on 1 June 2011, he was arrested in connection with a football betting scandal, alongside other former football players such as Stefano Bettarini and Mauro Bressan. 

At first, he was placed under house arrest, until it was cancelled two weeks later. On 9 August 2011, it was declared that Signori had been banned from any football-related activity for five years. On 23 February 2021, the Italian former player was acquitted due to a "lack of evidence". Then, on 1 June 2021, FIGC's President Gabriele Gravina forgave Giuseppe Signori to be able to return to football activity.

Giuseppe Signori penalty and free-kick secret

As mentioned, Giuseppe Signori was an excellent penalty taker. Regarding the secret of his penalty kicks, he said, “There’s no right or wrong way to shoot penalties,” he told Libero. “I shot from a standstill because you don’t need the power, only the precision. And there was a secret…I forced the keeper to decide before me. He would hold one knee lower than the other, an unconscious movement but a decisive nuance because he showed me that he would push with that leg and he would go the other way.”

Giuseppe Signori told the Gazzetta dello Sport in 2004 about how he excelled in free-kicks, “As a youngster, I always kicked for power because I had a stronger shot than my peers.”

He added, “Today, I must privilege accuracy. I practise with dummies up to two metres high, so I’m forced to raise the ball a lot.”

Giuseppe Signori refusal in 94 World Cup

While Giuseppe Signori is forgotten partly due to his failure to win trophies, another important reason for his absence from the memories of football fans is his unsatisfactory spell in international football. Giuseppe Signori’s international career at his national team was unfortunately short, and his lack of appearance and goals often unfairly tarnishes his playing character.

The reason for Giuseppe Signori’s lack of experience at the international stage was not talent. Actually, Italy coach Arrigo Sacchi chose the striker for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, and started the Lazio man during the tournament. His hard-working displays and mystifying dribbling abilities began to win the hearts of Italian supporters worldwide.

Though, what began as a great story for Giuseppe Signori would not end with a fairy-tale ending. And it was completely Signori’s own fault.

Problems arose between player and coach when Giuseppe Signori rejected to play as a winger for the semi-final match against Bulgaria. Arrigo Sacchi preferred to use him in this role to take advantage of his pace and dangerous left foot, as his previous coaches had at Piacenza and Leffe. Nevertheless, persuaded that he should play only as an attacker, Signori did not concede to his coach.

As a result, “Beppe” sat on the bench and watched the FIFA World Cup final match, the most significant game he would ever have the opportunity to be involved in. Giuseppe did that because of his own inflexibility.

After 1995 he never played for his country's national team again, having played only 28 international games and netting only 7 goals.

Signori later admitted that he regretted his refusal to play where Arrigo Sacchi asked him. His own mistake cost him the opportunity to be remembered far more broadly than he is, and in a much better light.

Giuseppe Signori transfer fialure

Parma tried to sign him for around £10million fee in the summer of 1995 but almost instantly Lazio supporters revolted.

While the team were on a summer tour of Brazil, about 4,000 fans set off smoke bombs at the Lazio offices and also spilled plenty of Parmalat milk, which is a symbol of Parma’s involvement in the potential move.

Giuseppe Signori said, “I want to stay in Rome,” Signori announced from across the Atlantic. “I just bought a house, I have a little girl, I know everyone…I repeat to avoid misunderstandings: I want to stay.”

“Arsenal and Newcastle have made the best offers but I can’t deny that Manchester United and Chelsea have also made advances,” Signori told Corriere dello Sport in January 1997. “They offered me a contract of five billion lire a year [£2m]. It’s a mind-boggling amount,” Signori added.

Giuseppe Signori sponsor

One of the top facts about Giuseppe Signori is that he was sponsored by Diadora and used to squeeze his feet into boots that were too small for him, saying that this improved his touch and accuracy on the ball.

Giuseppe Signori family

Viviana Natale and Giuseppe Signori have been married for 24 years since 28 December 1996. They have 2 children, whose names are Denise (26) and Greta (22).

His first daughter, Denise was born on 6 February 1995 in Rome. They also have another daughter, Greta, who was born in Bologna on 18 March 1999. Both girls have dark hair and eyes like their mother.

During the 94 World Cup, Viviana found out she was pregnant. She told Signori just before the match between Italy and Norway. Giuseppe had the best match of his life that day. The Washington Post called his appearance in that match as the most inspired by anyone in the first round and his coach at Lazio, Zdenek Zeman, said it was the greatest match Giuseppe Signori had ever played.

Giuseppe Signori honours

Leffe

• Campionato Interregionale in 1984-85 (Group B)

Piacenza

• Serie C1 in 1986-87

Foggia

• Serie B in 1990–91

Bologna

• UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1998

International

Italy

• FIFA World Cup (Runner up) in 1994

Individual

• Serie A Top Scorer in 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96 (shared with Igor Protti)

• Coppa Italia top scorer in 1992–93, 1997–98

• Guerin d'Oro in 1993

• Premio Nazionale Carriera Esemplare "Gaetano Scirea" in

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