When it comes to Italian goalkeepers, everyone immediately thinks of Gianluigi Buffon, who defends the gates of the national team and Juventus, has long been recognized as the best goalkeeper in the world more than once. However, in Italy there were other goalkeepers: either before Buffon, or caught in his shadow. Angelo Peruzzi - this is the goalkeeper who at first was one of the leading in Italy, but then fell into the shadow of the rising to the top of Buffon. But how was the career of this player? Angelo Peruzzi managed to play in different clubs, in some of them he did not achieve much success, in others he became practically a legend. In general, it was one of the most successful Italian goalkeepers of its time.
Carier start
Angelo Peruzzi entered big football in 1988, when at the age of eighteen he signed his first professional contract with the Italian club Roma, of which he was a pupil. The year before, he had made his debut appearance for the main team, and in the 88/89 season he had already spent as many as twenty matches, one of which even in an international tournament. However, then the club was experienced Franco Tancredi, and most importantly - the Romans signed Giovanni Cervone. Therefore, a young and promising goalkeeper was sent for rent to the smaller club Verona. There, Peruzzi became the main goalkeeper and spent a very successful season, playing in thirty games. Returning from the lease, the goalkeeper still ended up on the bench - for the whole year he played only five matches. This did not suit him, and everyone saw that the player was incredibly talented, so it was decided to sell it. Naturally, the buyer was found almost immediately, and in 1991 the 21-year-old goalkeeper moved to Juventus, Turin.
Climbing in Juventus
Not immediately Peruzzi Angelo got a place in the club's main squad - for the first season he went on the field only 12 times - six in the championship and six in the cup. Then the club management gave preference to another young goalkeeper - Fabio Marcioro. But as early as next year, Peruzzi proved that he was worthy exclusively of the main team, so he immediately played 45 matches for Juventus - everyone knew right away that it was with this player that the future of the team. After that, Peruzzi Angelo spent six more equally successful seasons at the Turin club, but then decided to leave him to move to Inter Milan.
Unsuccessful transition to Inter
Naturally, the 29-year-old goalkeeper, for whom a lot of money was paid - 19 million euros, got a place in the starting lineup. He played 37 matches in an Inter shirt, but was unhappy at this club. Therefore, his stay there turned out to be extremely short - a year later, Angelo Peruzzi, whose biography was still far from over, left the club in Milan to move to the Roman “Lazio”. For his transfer, Inter received 18 million euros, that is, one million euros less than it paid a year earlier.
The last stage in Lazio
A goalkeeper with such a big name, of course, did not have to fight for a place at the base. After all, it was Angelo Peruzzi. He missed goals extremely rarely through his own fault, and everyone knew how strong he was. However, his fame rolled precisely in this 2000, when Gianluigi Buffon shone in Parma. But this does not mean that Peruzzi did not work for the team - he played another full seven seasons for Lazio.
Team appearances
For the Italian national team, Peruzzi spent 32 matches - this is not so much, but this figure can be fully explained by the serious competition that prevailed in the goalkeeper camp before the appearance of Gianluigi Buffon. This may seem surprising, but the debut for the 25-year-old Peruzzi in 1995 was not a friendly, but an official qualifying match with Estonia. At the 1996 European Championships , Angelo was the main goalkeeper of the Italian national team and played all three group matches before Italy unexpectedly flew out after the group stage, losing to the Czechs and failing to wrest the victory from the Germans. Unfortunately, this was the last major goalkeeper tournament - he continued to participate only in friendly and qualifying games. The last match for the national team Peruzzi spent ten years later, in 2005 - it was the qualification for the 2006 World Cup, and the Italians beat the Slovenes. The goalkeeper was present at the World Championships, but only as a substitute.
Trophies
Career Angelo Peruzzi can be called very successful, as he collected a lot of trophies. Together with Juventus, he three times became the champion of Italy, once won the Cup and twice the Super Cup of Italy. Moreover, in 1993 he won the UEFA Cup, and then in 1996 the most prestigious club trophy in the world - the Champions League. Following this, Juventus was able to win both the UEFA Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup. Later, together with Lazio, Peruzzi won the Italian Super Bowl in 2000 immediately after joining the club, and then in 2004 he became the champion of Italy. As for the national team, here Peruzzi won the gold of the World Championship - just the very last in 2006, where he was present as a reserve.