Roberto Donadoni (born September 9, 1963 in Cisano Bergamasco)
is an Italian football (soccer) player. He was a cornerstone of
the powerhouse AC Milan teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s
and one of the pioneers of Major League Soccer, where he played
two seasons for the MetroStars. He is currently the manager of
Serie A side Livorno.
Donadoni started his career with Atalanta of Bergamo in 1982. He
transferred to Milan in 1986 and became a mainstay in the team.
Usually playing a left midfield role, Donadoni was a vital cog
in a team that won five Serie A titles, three European Cups,
three European Super Cups, and 2 Toyota Cups. A member of the
Italian national team, he played in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups,
helping Italy to third and second place finishes respectively.
The MetroStars of MLS made him a centerpiece of their franchise
when they signed him in 1996. While with the Metros, he was
recalled to the Italian national team and was widely considered
their best player at Euro 96, at the age of 32. He came back to
MLS, but in the league's first two formative years, Donadoni's
class was often wasted. He still proved a spectacular performer,
being named to the league Best XI in 1996. Unfortunately,
Donadoni's genius could not bring the MetroStars any success as
a club.
He went back to AC Milan after the 1997 MLS season, and promptly
helped them to another Serie A title, his sixth. He ended his
career by playing two games with Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia.
Never a big scorer, Donadoni scored just 21 goals for Milan and
6 for the MetroStars. He added 5 for Italy in 63 caps. After
retiring as a player, he coached Italian clubs Lecco (2001-02),
Livorno (2002-03) and Genoa (2003-04). In 2005, he returned to
head Livorno in mid-season. |
