Top facts about Stefano Tacconi, Juventus Keeper in 1980s

Stefano Tacconi, who was born on 13 May 1957, is an Italian former football player, who played as a goalkeeper. He is the only Italian stopper to have won all international club competitions, an honour he achieved during his spell at Juventus. 

At international level, he was mostly used as a back-up keeper behind the great Walter Zenga, which earned him the nickname "the best back-up keeper in the world". Tacconi was a member of the Italy national teams that took part at the 1988 Summer Olympics, UEFA Euro 1988, and the 1990 FIFA World Cup.

Top facts about Stefano Tacconi, Juventus Keeper in 1980s

Stefano Tacconi, born in Perugia on 13 May 1957, began playing in Spoleto  and then at the age of 18 moved to Inter Primavera. He was sent on loan between 1976 and 1979 to Spoleto, Pro Patria and Livorno. Then Stefano Tacconi was sold by the Inter Milan to Sambenedettese in Serie B, but the following year in the summer of 1980, he moved to Avellino in Serie A.

In this club, he remained for three seasons (105 total appearances) and in 1983 he made the big leap to Juventus. In nine seasons in black and white, he played in 382 games and won many trophies: two league titles, an Italian Cup, a European Championship, a Cup Winners' Cup, a Uefa Cup, a European Super Cup and an Intercontinental Cup. 

In 1992 he moved to Genoa where he ended his career three years later. In the Italy national team his rivalry with Walter Zenga was well-known. Stefano Tacconi was also his reserve keeper at the 1988 European Championships and at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy. Tacconihad only seven appearances with the blue shirt of Italy and all of the matches were friendly games. He went onto the pitch six times as a substitute in the national team.

Quick information about Stefano Tacconi

• Date of birth:

  13 May, 1957

• Place of birth:

  Perugia  

• Age:

  64

• Height:

  1,92 metres

• Citizenship:

    Italy

• Position:

  Goalkeeper

• Foot:

  right

• Current status:

   Retired

• Date of retirement:

  1 July, 1995

• Former International:

   Italy national team

• International games/Goals:

   7/0

Contract expires: 

-

Stefano Tacconi club career

One of the

top facts about Stefano Tacconi

is that he got his first important experience at Spoleto football club. After this, he drew the attention of 

and had his first brief spell as a professional player with Pro Patria and Livorno before he joined Sambenedettese.

Stefano Tacconi then managed to play in Serie A with Avellino in the 1980–81 season; he stayed there for three seasons before joining the giant Italian club Juventus in 1983, ahead of Luciano Bodini, as a replacement for his well-known predecessor Dino Zoff, who had retired at the end of the previous season.

With Giovanni Trapattoni's Juventus team, Stefano Tacconi achieved great domestic and international achievements, as he lifted two scudetti in 1984 and 1986, the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1984, the 1984 European Super Cup, the European Champion Clubs' Cup in 1985 and the 1985 Intercontinental Cup the same year against 

 on penalty kicks. Then, throughout the 1985–86 season he was kept on the bench.

In 1989-90 season, Stefano Tacconi and Juventus went on to win a UEFA Cup and a Coppa Italia double; the next season, he was chosen as the club's captain, though Juventus lost out on the 1990 Supercoppa Italiana to 

 winners Napoli.

During this period, Juventus were one of the greatest teams in the world, and Stefano Tacconi was also considered as one of the best stoppers in the world.

After a ten-year professional working relationship with Bianconeri , Stefano Tacconi transferred to Genoa C.F.C. in 1992. Unluckily, the club was relegated to Serie B at the end of season. Finally, Tacconi retired from professional career in 1994.

Stefano Tacconi international career

One of the

top facts about Stefano Tacconi

is that in spite of his performances and achievements with La Vecchia Signora, Tacconi was not able to find much opportunity in the Italian national team under manager Azeglio Vicini, due to the presence of several other admirable goalkeepers, such as Giovanni Galli at first, and Walter Zenga – his apparent professional career rival – in particular, as well as the emerging goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca, consequently. Accordingly, Stefano Tacconi was regularly Walter Zenga's reserve for the Italy national team.

Stefano Tacconi made his first senior international appearance in a 3–1 victory over Argentina on 10 June 1987, in Zürich. In the late 1980s, he was selected by coach and former keeper 

 as the starting stopper for the Under-23 Italian Olympic team which reached the semi-finals in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, finally finishing in fourth place.

Stefano Tacconi was Walter Zenga's reserve during Euro 1988, where

managed a semi-final finish, and at the 1990 FIFA World Cup on home soil, where Italy finished in third place after a tragic semi-final defeat on penalty kicks to defending champions Argentina.

In total, Stefano Tacconi made seven appearances for Italy from 1987 to 1991, all in friendly games, conceding only two goals. The keeper played his last match for the national side on 13 February 1991, keeping a clean sheet in a 0–0 friendly home draw with Belgium, in Terni.

Stefano Tacconi style of play

While not principally agile, Tacconi was an influential and athletic keeper, who was known for his reliability and shot-stopping skill, as well as his ability to produce important saves, in particular in decisive matches.

A spoken and impressive presence in goal, Stefano Tacconi was also known for his management, temper, and strong personality, and often called out defenders for their errors.

Although he was initially not known for his ability to come out and collect crosses, and performed better between the posts, he improved upon this aspect of his game in his later career, with the help of Zoff, and often came off his line to claim high balls that were coming straight at him, although he still remained less inclined to collect deliveries from wider areas.

Tacconi was also known for his skill at saving penalty kicks. Although he had a good goal kick, Tacconi was not principally skilled with his feet, and struggled to adapt his game due to the introduction of the back-pass rule, and was even critical of the new rules. Also, he was also not particularly skilled at playing as a sweeper-keeper in zonal marking systems.

Stefano Tacconi after retirement from professional career

One of the

top facts about Stefano Tacconi

is that after retiring from professional football, he had several unacceptable experiences in politics.

In 1999, he was on Alleanza Nazionale's lists for the European parliamentary elections, but was unsuccessful to earn a seat. In 2005, Stefano Tacconi controversially tried to stand for president of Lombardy as a candidate for New Italian Social Movement, an extreme right-wing party, but could not gather enough votes to legalise his candidacy.

In 2006, he put in for a city councilman position in Milan again within Alleanza Nazionale, supporting winner Letizia Moratti for mayor, but gained only 57 personal preferences (votes) and was not elected to the office.

In August 2008, when he was 51 years old, Tacconi accepted an offer from FC Arquata, a Seconda Categoria amateur team based in Arquata del Tronto, Marche, to make a return into active football as a keeper.

Stefano Tacconi made his debut on April 24, 2010 in the 4-2 victory of his team over Montalto. Finally, he obtained the Promotion with the team, which was the first time in the history of Arquata.

Stefano Tacconi, cinema and television

In the cinema, in 1990 an autobiographical medium-length film called Ho parato la luna was produced by Ornella Barreca. Tacconi's role as a young man was held by the then 19-year-old Davide Micillo, at the time third Juventus goalkeeper.

In 2008 he participated in a cameo in the film Love, lies & soccer by Luca Lucini, playing along with other former football players. On television, in 2003 he participated in the reality show The Island of the Famous on Rai 2, being eliminated in the second episode with 54 per cent of the votes. He is occasionally a columnist on various national sports broadcasts.

Stefano Tacconi controversial job in China

One of the top facts about Stefano Tacconi is that his intention to work in China became controversial in his private life. Her wife wrote a letter about it and the former keeper reacted.

Stefano Tacconi replied to the letter from his wife Laura Speranza. The answer appeared on the pages of the weekly Di Più, and received the outburst of the ex-footballer's wife. 

Stefano Tacconi’s woman accused her husband of not having informed her of a work in China. It was an offer that could lead the great former keeper to coach the goalkeepers of a Chinese football club. 

Laura Speranza wrote to Stefano that if he were to accept that proposal she would leave him and for this reason she asked him publicly to reconsider. But Stefano Tacconi seems inflexible and wanted to let the public know in his letter,"If the job offer that I am expecting actually arrives on my desk, I will sign that proposal without even thinking about it. I will not ask you for your opinion; I will not ask you to decide for me. I will just leave. And if our marriage ends, it will mean that even before the departure there were cracks that neither of us had seen ", wrote Stefano Tacconi.

"At the age of almost 64, I decided to have a new career, to take care of our family", added Tacconi. In the magazine, the former goalkeeper also recalled the time he refused accepting a job offer in Japan to stay in Italy along with his family. "At the time Laura got pregnant with our first son Andrea and I did not feel like leaving. I gave up for our love. But if I had left for Japan today I would not have the regret of having thrown away an experience abroad that almost all of my colleagues have done so at the end of their career ,"he recalled.

Stefano Tacconi then continued to say to his wife: "Put it well in mind: if they give me the opportunity to leave, I will leave. It will cost what it costs. And if you want to leave me, you will be free to do so. I love you, but I ask you to let me have more liberty than you have allowed me to have until now". 

Stefano Tacconi and risk of disability

One of the top facts about Stefano Tacconi is that he reveal a shocking truth about himself. The former goalkeeper said, “They operated on my back, it was a serious problem that made me fear. Now I would like to go to work in China”. 

“A year and a half ago I risked going in a wheelchair. Many famous and non-famous friends have died. I would like to mentally regain my freedom. I do not know how long I still have to live”. 

This is the shocking story of Stefano Tacconi, former Juventus and National team goalkeeper, who was a guest at “Pomereo 5” to reply to the letter from his wife, Laura Speranza. 

Stefano Tacconi added, “Clearly I hope to die as late as possible. I had a back problem. There were no choices. Either I was undergoing surgery or I was in danger of ending up in a wheelchair. Old age caused me some disc problems; it was quite a serious problem. I am 64 years old and I am also starting to think about the future because some fears have come upon me”.

At that time, Stefano Tacconi's dream was to go to work in China. Hence the criticised his wife Laura due to their disagreement about going to China. 

Stefano Tacconi memory of Heysel tragedy and Italy 90

One of the top facts about Stefano Tacconi is that he was one of the Juventus players at Heysel stadium at the final match of European Championship in 1985. He was also the reserve keeper of Walter Zenga in FIFA World Cup 1990 in Italy.

He said to “Le lunatiche”, “We did not want to play, the police forced us to do so. At Italy 90, I thought that Vicini would send me on the pitch for penalty kicks, but someone would have saved him"

Inside the locker room there was a bit of everything: those who lost blood, those who were injured, we gave first aid, also lending shoes to those who had lost them, it was what we could do. It was a surreal atmosphere. Boniperti said we should not have played, but then a law enforcement general ordered us to play the match and I think it was right because otherwise much more would have happened.

We entered the field while we were very angry, because in any case they had taken away the dream of that final match, we were sure to win but they took away the joy of cheering. I understand the criticisms, but even here it was the police who asked us to come out with the cup to keep the fans happy inside the stadium. They did not have to go out because the hooligans had not yet been evacuated from the stadium.

Regarding the work of Dino Zoff Stefano Tacconi pointed out that Zoff always said to him “I don't have to give you advice, I have to train you”, because he knew very well that a goalkeeper is different from the other in character and personality.

Considering the former president of Avellino Antonio Sibilia Stefano Tacconi said that he inspired fear, fear, with him you had to go straight, if the game went bad, between the first and the second half we all went to the bathroom knowing that he would go down to the locker room and insult those who played bad, sticking him to the wall.

When Beniamino Vignola and I were sold to Juventus, we approached him, who still owed us a prize of 5 million lire each. Vignola was in front of me and when he asked for them, Avellino Antonio Sibilia replied in the face. When he touched me I just told him, "Commendatore! I have just come to greet you".

Stefano Tacconi also talked about Agnelli and

. He said that with Boniperti felt both love and hate. He never was able to manage me as he wanted, according to the Juventus style. I told journalists what I thought and many times was fined by the club.

Once, after the final of the Intercontinental Cup he fined me 10 million for saying: "With the arrival of Silvio Berlusconi, they would all try to run away at the end of the championship with helicopters". But, Agnelli cut in half the fine. The reason was that he would say the same things about Silvio Berlusconi.

Moreover, Stefano Tacconi spoke about his memories of the FIFA 1990 World Cup in Italy. It was before the Italy-Argentina penalty kicks. For a minute I believed that manager Azeglio Vicini's madness was so much that he would put me on the field. I thought that I would have saved a few penalties. But it was a great world championship; we were a great team with a great dressing room. The proof is that all 22 of us still talk with each other today and we did the chat "Magic nights", we chat continuously, we send each other photos, pictures and various things. Nicola Berti and Aldo Serena, are the most active people of that squad and Ciro Ferrara instead is the specialist in sending different photos.

Stefano Tacconi personal life

On 13 May 2011, Tacconi married long-time partner Laura Speranza, with whom he has four children. Together for more than thirty years, the couple have four children whose names are Andrea, Virginia,Vittoria and Alberto.

Also, one of the top facts about Stefano Tacconi is that he has a diploma as a cook, which he put to good use at the end of his professopnal football career by becoming an entrepreneur in a restaurant. 

Stefano Tacconi honours

Juventus

• Serie A in 1983–84, 1985–86

• Coppa Italia in 1989–90

• European Cup in 1984–85

• European Cup Winners' Cup in 1983–84

• UEFA Cup in 1989–90

• European Super Cup in 1984

• Intercontinental Cup in 1985

• Supercoppa Italiana in 1990 (Runner up)

International

Italy

• FIFA World Cup in 1990 (Third place)

Individual

• Premio Nazionale Carriera Esemplare "Gaetano Scirea" in 1993

Orders

• 5th Class / Knight: Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana in 1991

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