Alessandro Costacurta
Billy Costacurta
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Who is this?
Alessandro "Billy" Costacurta (born 24 April 1966) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a defender. Throughout his club career, Costacurta spent over twenty years with AC Milan between 1986 and 2007, as well as a brief season-long spell on loan at Monza. He is best known for his role alongside Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, and Mauro Tassotti, forming one of the greatest defences in Serie A and European football during the late 1980s and 1990s, under the success of managers Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello. He mainly operated as a central defender, and was a leading exponent of the position, receiving international acclaim, winning 7 Serie A titles and 5 Champions League/European Cup trophies throughout his career, along with many other trophies. Costacurta retired from professional football at the age of 41, on 19 May 2007. In his final match for Milan, he scored a goal from a penalty in a 3–2 defeat against Udinese, becoming the oldest goalscorer in Serie A, a record that was broken by Zlatan Ibrahimović in 2023 who also scored from the spot against Udinese aged 41 five months and 15 days. Along with his Milan teammates, Costacurta was also an important member of the Italy national side during the 1990s. He made 59 appearances for Italy, scoring 2 goals, and he participated in two World Cups (in 1994 and 1998), as well as a European Championship in 1996. With Italy, he managed to reach the 1994 World Cup Final, which was lost against Brazil on penalties.
Career
- 1966Born
- 1986Joined AC Milan
- 1986Joined AC Monza
- 1986Joined Italy national under-21 football team
- 1991Joined Italy men's national association football team
Trivia
- •Place of birth: Jerago con Orago
- •Citizenship: Italy
- •Known as: association football player, association football coach
- •Sport: association football
- •Spouse: Martina Colombari
What happened recently
Costacurta discusses Milan’s new core and the futures of Leao and Maignan: “Will take years”
Costacurta: ‘Leao has never been a leader, Milan aren’t losing a Kaka or Shevchenko’
Costacurta criticises ‘mistake’ of sacking Maldini: “Many bad decisions were made”
Christian Pulisic faces criticism from AC Milan icon Costacurta after equaling career
Why former AC Milan defender Alessandro Costacurta thinks it wasn’t Bastoni’s fault alone that Italy was out of World Cup qualification
Costacurta on Milan: "They're a dangerous side – just imagine if their strikers were playing too..."
Costacurta: "Inter will win the Scudetto; the defeat to Bodo was harder to take than the Derby. Milan need someone like Baresi. Bastoni? Let’s leave him alone – he has to get us to the World Cup."
Costacurta’s comparison with 1994 Italy World Cup legend as Atalanta shock Dortmund
Alessandro Costacurta thinks Inter loss affected some Juventus players last night
Christian Pulisic under fire again as another Milan great echoes Fabio Capello’s harsh verdict: Alessandro ...
Costacurta insists responsibility is on Leao, Pulisic and Nkunku to ‘improve’ performances
‘Aren’t a Scudetto competitor’ – Costacurta gives harsh evaluation of Milan squad
Costacurta worried by Milan’s slow build-up play: “27 passes in 5 minutes and 20 seconds”
Costacurta gives thoughts on De Winter signing and reveals concerns about striker links
Alessandro Costacurta calls for more time for Thiago Motta to build a strong team
Awkward moment AC Milan legend, 58, left writhing in agony after ‘tearing muscle’ in embarrassing moment on live TV
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