Filippo Galli

For the Italian singer, see Filippo Galli (bass).

Filippo Galli

Personal information
Date of birth	(1963-05-19) May 19, 1963
Place of birth	Monza, Italy
Height
Position(s)	Defender
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1981–1982	Milan	0	(0)
1982–1983	→Pescara (loan)	28	(2)
1983–1996	Milan	217	(3)
1996–1998	Reggiana	54	(2)
1998–2001	Brescia	93	(2)
2001–2002	Watford	28	(1)
2002–2004	Pro Sesto	38	(1)
International career
1984–1987	Italy U-21	7	(0)
Managerial career
2006–2008	Milan Primavera
2008–2014	Milan youth system
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Filippo Galli (born May 19, 1963 in Monza) is a former Italian football player, who played as a defender. A composed, tactically versatile player, with excellent technique, distribution, and man-marking ability, who also excelled at reading the game, he was often used as a right-back, centre-back, and as sweeper but was often called on to fill in at any defensive position. He is mostly remembered for his lengthy and successful spell with A.C. Milan, where he played alongside Baresi, Maldini, Costacurta, Tassotti, and Panucci, forming a legendary defensive line-up under managers Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello, which was known as The Invincibles. He was a member of the AC Milan first squad coaching staff, as a technical assistant of former manager Leonardo Araújo.

Career

Club

Born in Monza, Galli played for A.C. Milan from 1983 to November 1996, after initially being a member of the club's youth sector. He made his Milan debut in Serie A on 18 September 1983, in a 4–2 home win over Verona. During his 13 seasons with the club, he enjoyed many domestic and international successes under managers Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello, winning five Serie A titles, three European Cups, two Intercontinental Cups, three European Super Cups, and four Italian Super Cups; he also scored 4 goals for the club in 325 appearances: 3 in Serie A, in 217 appearances, and 1 in the Coppa Italia, with his final goal coming against Brescia on 4 September 1991. He was initially an important member of the starting line-up alongside legendary team-mates Franco Baresi, Mauro Tassotti, and Paolo Maldini, most notably during Milan's 1987–88 Serie A triumph, during which Milan only conceded 12 goals in 30 league games, finishing with the best defence in Italy. However, due to injuries, and the emergence of Alessandro Costacurta in his position, he began to find less space in the starting line-up, and was usually used as a substitute in later years, although he was still able to contribute to important victories with the club, notably helping Milan to keep a clean-sheet with a dominant defensive performance, as they defeated Barcelona 4–0 in the 1994 UEFA Champions League Final.

Before joining the Milan senior side, Galli initially made his professional debut whilst on loan with Pescara during the 1982–83 season. Following his time with Milan, he was sold to Reggiana in 1996, another Serie A team. After two seasons with Reggiana, he moved to Brescia for two seasons, helping the club to Serie A promotion, and successively, at the age of 38, spent a season at Watford whilst Gianluca Vialli was manager, scoring once against Walsall.

International

Galli never played for the Italy senior team, although he was capped for the Italy under-21 side on 7 occasions between 1984 and 1987, and he took part with Italy at the 1984 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, where they reached the semi-final. He was also a member of Italy's squad at the 1984 Summer Olympics, where they managed a fourth-place finish.

After retirement

Galli retired in 2004, aged 41, after two seasons with minor Serie C2 club Pro Sesto. Following his retirement, he began a coaching career, and he was initially responsible for the A.C. Milan youth system. In August 2008, he began working for the first team, and he became Carlo Ancelotti's assistant-coach, alongside his former team-mate Tassotti. Galli also worked as a pundit on occasion. In September 2012, he began the coaching course in Coverciano.

Honours

Club

Milan

• Serie A Winner (5): 1987–88, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96; Runner-up (2): 1989–90, 1990–91.
• Coppa Italia Runner-up (2): 1984–85, 1989–90.
• Supercoppa Italiana Winner (4): 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994; Runner-up (1): 1996.
• UEFA Champions League Winner (3): 1988–89, 1989–90, 1993–94; Runner-up (2): 1992–93, 1994–95.
• UEFA Super Cup Winner (3): 1989, 1990, 1994; Runner-up (1): 1993.
• Intercontinental Cup Winner (2): 1989, 1990; Runner-up (2): 1993, 1994.

Individual

• A.C. Milan Hall of Fame

References

• AC Milan Roll of Honour

External links

• Filippo Galli career statistics at Soccerbase
• (Italian) FIGC
• Player career at FootballPlus