| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 27 September 1953 | ||
| Place of birth | Tripoli, Libya | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Playing position | Central Defender, Full back | ||
Considered by many as football’s greatest ever man marker, Gentile’s finest hour came on 11 July 1982 when he produced an immaculate defensive display alongside fellow defender Gaetano Scirea, as Italy defeated West Germany 3-1 to lift the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. Gentile came to international acclaim in the 2nd phase match against the title-holders Argentina, when he man-marked Diego Maradona out of the game by kicking and flooring him constantly throughout the game. In Italy’s next match against the favorites, Brazil, he first performed a violent tackle from behind on Zico and later ripped the Brazilian’s shirt in half during a tussle
Club career:
In 1972–73 he played in Serie B with Varese.
He then moved to Juventus and first played for them in a Coppa Italia match against Ascoli Calcio on 29 August 1973, with his Serie A debut following on 2 December 1973 against Verona. In all he played 414 senior matches for Juventus, including 283 in Serie A. In over a decade in Turin, Gentile won two major European club competitions (1976-77 UEFA Cup and 1983–84 European Cup Winners' Cup), six Serie A championships, and two Coppa Italias.
In 1984 he moved to Fiorentina where he spent three further years in Serie A, and he then played a final season in Serie B with Piacenza before retiring.
International career:
Gentile was capped on 71 occasions by Italy between 1975 and 1984.
He man-marked Diego Maradona in a match at the 1982 World Cup, after which he famously quipped, "Football is not for ballerinas!"
