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Gianluca Signorini
Personal information
Date of birth	17 March 1960
Place of birth	Pisa, Italy
Date of death	6 November 2002 (aged 42)
Place of death	Pisa, Italy
Height	1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Centre back, libero
Senior career*
Years	Team
1978–1979	Pisa
1979–1980	Pietrasanta
1980–1981	Prato
1981–1983	Livorno
1983–1984	Ternana
1984–1985	Cavese
1985–1987	Parma
1987–1988	Roma
1988–1995	Genoa
1995–1997	Pisa
Managerial career
1998	Pisa (caretaker)
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gianluca Signorini (17 March 1960 – 6 November 2002) was an Italian footballer, who played as a defender. He made more than 200 appearances for Genoa C.F.C.^[1]

Career

Born in Pisa, Signorini started his career playing for his home team, Pisa S.C. of Serie C1, and successively for Pietrasanta, Prato, Livorno, Ternana and Cavese before joining A.C. Parma, with Arrigo Sacchi as coach. He quickly became a key player for Parma, helping the club to Serie B promotion in 1986, winning the Serie C1 title.^[2] He was successively signed by Nils Liedholm's A.S. Roma, and then to Genoa in 1988, after personal requests by coach Francesco Scoglio; during his first season with the club, he immediately helped the team to Serie A promotion by winning the 1988–89 Serie B title.^[3] In total, he played seven seasons for Genoa, all seven years as team captain; a hard defender and a fan favourite, he is remembered as one of the last (and best) Italian sweepers. In his later years at the club, he was a vital member of the Genoese "dream team" which managed to reach the semi-finals of the 1991–92 UEFA Cup, and became the first Italian team to beat Liverpool F.C. on their Anfield Road home turf; he also helped the team to a fourth-place finish during the 1990–91 Serie A season, the club's best league finish since the end of the Second World War.^[1]

He left Genoa in 1995, aged 35, to join his hometown club Pisa, then in Serie D, and retired two years later.^[4] He played 210 Serie A matches with 6 goals.

Retirement and illness

After having ended his playing career, Signorini started a managing career working for Pisa, and serving as joint caretaker manager during their 1997–98 Serie C2 campaign,^[4] However, he soon discovered he was suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, an illness that slowly forced immobility, paralyzing all his muscles. He died on 6 November 2002, in his Pisa home. In his honour, the #6 jersey, worn by Signorini during his time for the rossoblu club, was retired.^[1]^[5]

Style of play

A large, tough, elegant, and physically strong player, Signorini is regarded as one of Italy's best and last true sweepers; his talent, technical ability, and tactical intelligence as a central defender had a strong influence on Franco Baresi's playing style.^[1]^[6]^[7]

Personal life

Signorini was married to Antonella; together they had four children.^[6] On 17 May 2009, one of Signorini's sons, Andrea, a footballer himself, made his Serie A debut with Genoa, thus continuing the legacy of his father and former rossoblu captain.^[8]

Honours

Club

Parma^[2]

Serie C1: 1985–86

Genoa^[3]

Serie B: 1988–89

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Calcio, morto Signorini, bandiera del Genoa" [Football, Signorini dead, symbol of Genoa]. Il Corriere della Sera (in Italian). 6 November 2002. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
^ ^a ^b "Stagione 1985/86" (in Italian). Storia del Parma Calcio. Archived from the original on 10 March 2016. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
^ ^a ^b LORENZO MANGINI (30 January 2008). "Stessa maglia, stesso ruolo Il mito di Signorini continua" (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
^ ^a ^b "Il Pisa Calcio dal 1994 ad oggi" (in Italian). Pisa Calcio. Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. Retrieved 19 February 2008.
^ Filippo Grimaldi (6 November 2007). "Genoa e Signorini Una serata speciale" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
^ ^a ^b MARCO TRAVAGLIO (11 January 2001). "Il dramma di Signorini da mesi semiparalizzato" (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
^ "Franco Baresi (II)" (in Italian). magliarossonera.it. Retrieved 31 March 2016.
^ "Gasperini: "Resto al Genoa"" (in Italian). Pianeta Genoa. 17 May 2009. Retrieved 17 May 2009.