Alessandro Nesta playing for AC Milan in 2010. Author goatling. Wikimedia Commons

Top 10 Fascinating Facts about Alessandro Nesta


 

Alessandro Nesta is a remarkable player with a long list of achievements. He is a former professional football manager and former player from Italy. He is also celebrated as one of the best center backs of his generation and the greatest defender of all time. Find out the top facts about Alessandro Nesta and his storyline in this article.

1. He Was Blessed With An Ability To Read The Game Perfectly

Alessandro Nesta. Author Francis Bourgouin. Wikimedia Commons

He was best known for his pace, artistic tackles, elegance on the ball, distribution and tight marking of opponents. The former Italian international was a complete and dominant defender, who was influential both at club and international level. Blessed with excellent balance, ball, skills, vision and passing, he was often intimidating to the opponents and could easily allowed him to bring the ball out of the defense and start plays from the back after winning back possession; these abilities led him to be compared to former Milan captain Franco Baresi.

2. He Is Regarded As The Best Center-Back And The Greatest Defender Of All Time

Defender Alessandro Nesta of the Montreal Impact during a Major League Soccer game. Author Original: md.faisalzaman. Wikimedia Commons

Loved by his fans, Nesta boasts a personal best of a four-time Serie A Defender of the Year and a four-time member of the annual UEFA Team of the Year. In 2004, he was named as one of the Top 100 greatest living footballers as part of FIFA’s 100th anniversary celebration. In 2021, he was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame. This qualifies him to be regarded as one of the best center backs of his time and the greatest defender of all time.

Read more here

3. He Loved Football From A Very Early Age

A young Nesta wearing Lazio’s first kit. Unknown Author. Wikimedia Commons

He loved football from a very early age. At the age of 9 years old when most kids have not identified what they want to do in life, he already had the ability to convince his father to let him play football as well. At such a young age Alessandro had a great passion for football. To achieve this, he played football almost every day and dreamed of one day becoming a professional footballer. His father had other ideas and was very hesitant and protective. However, the young lad deviced a tactic of crying and begging his father which finally paid off when he was allowed to join his older brother on the pitch. He quickly proved his worth and within a short made his way to the Italian national youth team as well.

4. He Won All That There Is As A Player

 Alessandro Nesta won all that there is as a player, and he did it with class. He belongs to a breed of defenders that made defending an art, executing slide tackles with the utmost timing and grace.

The list of accomplishments is long: a World Cup champion, two-time Champions League winner and three-time Serie A winner. He is a member of the FIFA 100, but most importantly he is remembered as one of the greatest defenders of all time.

More stories here

5. He Left A Big Gap At His Last Club That Is Yet To Be Filled

Since Nesta left Milan in 2012, the whole operation has stopped working at the back. No player has been able to fit in his shoes. Even in his late 30s, hampered by injuries, Nesta was a crucial member of Milan’s back line and a starter in the big matches. He gave Lionel Messi fits in his last Champions League appearance. In the 2012 Champions League quarter-final, Nesta made a picture-perfect tackle on Messi inside the penalty area. The Argentinian was so upset that he beat the ground in fury.

 

6. Nesta Ended His Career On A Winning Note

The former defender’s final season at Milan started by winning the 2011 Supercoppa Italiana on 6 August 2011, when they defeated city rivals Internazionale 2–1 in Beijing. On May 10, in a press conference the Italian footballer declared his retirement from Serie A at the end of the season. Overall during his ten seasons with Milan he collected 325 caps and scored 10 goals.

7. He Was Also A Successful Coach

On 31 August 2015, the footballer became the first head coach of the newly formed club Miami FC, at the North American Soccer League (NASL. He helped the team finish in his first season, not bad afterall. His star continued to shine in the following season when his boys finished first place as the spring and fall champions of the 2017 NASL season.

Read more interesting stories here

8. He Made Over 400 Serie A Appearances In A 20-Year Career

He made over 400 Serie A appearances in a 20-year career spread between Lazio and AC Milan, winning domestic and European honors with both clubs. Later in his career, he played in Major League Soccer (MLS) for the Montreal Impact, and for Chennaiyin of the Indian Super League.

9. He Played A Remarkable 78 Times For His Country

The great defender had a remarkable international career for his country that spanned for a decade from his debut in 1996, earning 78 caps in total. Notably, he competed at the 1996 Olympics, three UEFA European Championships, and three FIFA World Cups. As an achievement, Nesta was a member of the Italian team that won the 2006 World Cup, and he also represented the Italian side that reached the final of Euro 2000.

10. He Was Able To Maintain A High Level Of Performance Even When Faced With Injuries

Despite being dogged by injuries towards the end of his career, his defensive intelligence enabled him to maintain a consistently high level of performance even with lack of playing time, as he lost his pace and stamina. Due to his ability to lead from the back and organize his teammates, he excelled in a zonal marking system, but was also known for his tight marking of opposing players. This is a characteristic that is lacking in many players of today who ought to learn from this man.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Planning a trip to Paris ? Get ready !


These are Amazon’s best-selling travel products that you may need for coming to Paris.

Bookstore

  1. The best travel book : Rick Steves – Paris 2023 – Learn more here
  2. Fodor’s Paris 2024 – Learn more here

Travel Gear

  1. Venture Pal Lightweight Backpack – Learn more here
  2. Samsonite Winfield 2 28″ Luggage – Learn more here
  3. Swig Savvy’s Stainless Steel Insulated Water Bottle – Learn more here

Check Amazon’s best-seller list for the most popular travel accessories. We sometimes read this list just to find out what new travel products people are buying.