Roberto Bettega
Encyclopedia
Roberto Bettega is an Italian
former footballer. Bettega was regarded as a player of noteworthy intelligence and at his prime was one of the most feared strikers . Bettega is mostly remembered for his time at his hometown club Juventus. He was nicknamed La penna bianca ("White Feather") for his appearance and technical skills.
In December 2009 Bettega was officially appointed deputy director-general of Juventus. His role will be to act as an intermediate between the players and coaching staff and the upper echelons of the club, as well as taking an active involvement in all of the Old Lady's transfer dealings.
, Bettega joined the Juventus' Primavera squad in 1961 as a midfielder. Bettega spent the 1968-69 campaign on the bench. At the age of 19 Bettega was loaned to the Varese F.C. in Serie B
. Under Nils Liedholm
, the coach of Varese, Bettega hit 13 goals to help the side finish top and gain promotion to Serie A
.
Nils Liedholm said of Bettega, "He allies tremendous athletic strength with impressive technical skills. He is particularly strong in the air, and can kick the ball with either foot. All he needs is to build up experience, and then he will certainly be a force to be reckoned with."
Back at Juventus, Bettega made his Serie A debut away to Catania
on 27 September 1970. He scored the winning goal. Bettega ended the season with 13 goals in 28 matches. The following season, he scored 10 goals in only 14 matches.
He scored a goal against Fiorentina
on 16 January 1972, but this was to be his last for a while because he was forced out of the game with a lung infection and the initial stages of tuberculosis
. However, he wasn't out for long, returning on 24 September of the same year. He led the team to their second successive league title that season. With the arrival of Giovanni Trapattoni
in 1976 as coach, Bettega found himself becoming the main frontman of the bianconeri; the former player to take this position, Pietro Anastasi
, moved to Internazionale in the summer of that year.
for a match against Finland
. He went on to play in the 1978 FIFA World Cup
. He would surely have led the team into the 1982 tournament, but that dream came to an end when Bettega suffered knee ligament damage in a collision with an opposing goalkeeper during a 1981 European Cup
match against Anderlecht
. Missing out on the '82 tournament was even more painful for Bettega, since Italy won the tournament that year.
Bettega finally regained full fitness and took to the pitch for the 1982-83 season. He retired from playing in Europe after Juventus lost the 1983 European Cup Final against Hamburg
in Athens
.
Bettega played two summers in the NASL
with the Toronto Blizzard
, helping the team finish runner-ups both seasons.
In total, Bettega made 326 league appearances for Juventus and scored 129 goals and enjoyed a highly successful career, winning seven league titles between 1972 and 1982, the 1977 UEFA Cup
and two Coppa Italia
. He also won the Capocannoniere
(Serie A top scorer) in the 1979-80
season.
, who asked him to be vice-president. In late December 2009 Juventus have communicated through their official website that Bettega is their new general vice-chaiman.
|1969/70||Varese
||Serie B
||30||13||0||0||colspan="2"|-||30||13
|-
|1970/71||rowspan="13"|Juventus
||rowspan="13"|Serie A
||28||13||3||2||11||6||42||21
|-
|1971/72||14||10||4||1||5||4||23||15
|-
|1972/73||27||8||8||1||7||2||42||11
|-
|1973/74||24||8||5||2||2||0||31||10
|-
|1974/75||27||6||10||3||10||1||47||10
|-
|1975/76||29||15||3||2||4||1||36||18
|-
|1976/77||30||17||4||1||12||5||46||23
|-
|1977/78||30||11||4||2||7||2||41||15
|-
|1978/79||30||9||9||2||2||0||41||11
|-
|1979/80||28||16||4||0||8||1||40||17
|-
|1980/81||25||5||8||3||4||3||37||11
|-
|1981/82||7||5||4||2||3||1||14||8
|-
|1982/83||27||6||7||1||6||1||40||8
|-
|1983||rowspan="2"|Toronto Blizzard
||rowspan="2"|NASL
||16||2||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||16||2
|-
|1984||23||8||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||23||8
356||142||73||22||81||27||510||191
39||10||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||39||10
395||152||73||22||81||27||549||201
|}
|-
|1975||2||0
|-
|1976||7||8
|-
|1977||5||6
|-
|1978||12||3
|-
|1979||2||0
|-
|1980||10||1
|-
|1981||3||1
|-
|1982||0||0
|-
|1983||1||0
|-
!Total||42||19
|}
who also started his career in the Juventus system and was the captain of the Primavera team. He is now playing in the Serie C1
.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
former footballer. Bettega was regarded as a player of noteworthy intelligence and at his prime was one of the most feared strikers . Bettega is mostly remembered for his time at his hometown club Juventus. He was nicknamed La penna bianca ("White Feather") for his appearance and technical skills.
In December 2009 Bettega was officially appointed deputy director-general of Juventus. His role will be to act as an intermediate between the players and coaching staff and the upper echelons of the club, as well as taking an active involvement in all of the Old Lady's transfer dealings.
Early career
Born in TurinTurin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Bettega joined the Juventus' Primavera squad in 1961 as a midfielder. Bettega spent the 1968-69 campaign on the bench. At the age of 19 Bettega was loaned to the Varese F.C. in Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
. Under Nils Liedholm
Nils Liedholm
Nils Liedholm was a Swedish football midfielder and coach. Il Barone , as he is affectionately known in Italy, was renowned for being part of Sweden's "Gre-No-Li" trio of strikers along with Gunnar Gren and Gunnar Nordahl at A.C. Milan and the Swedish national team...
, the coach of Varese, Bettega hit 13 goals to help the side finish top and gain promotion to Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
.
Nils Liedholm said of Bettega, "He allies tremendous athletic strength with impressive technical skills. He is particularly strong in the air, and can kick the ball with either foot. All he needs is to build up experience, and then he will certainly be a force to be reckoned with."
Back at Juventus, Bettega made his Serie A debut away to Catania
Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and based in Catania, Sicily. The club has spent much of its history in Serie B, gaining promotion to Italy's top league Serie A five times...
on 27 September 1970. He scored the winning goal. Bettega ended the season with 13 goals in 28 matches. The following season, he scored 10 goals in only 14 matches.
He scored a goal against Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
on 16 January 1972, but this was to be his last for a while because he was forced out of the game with a lung infection and the initial stages of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. However, he wasn't out for long, returning on 24 September of the same year. He led the team to their second successive league title that season. With the arrival of Giovanni Trapattoni
Giovanni Trapattoni
Giovanni Trapattoni , sometimes known as "Trap" or "Il Trap", is an Italian football coach and former player, considered the most successful club coach in the history of Serie A. As a player he was part of Italy's squad at the 1962 FIFA World Cup....
in 1976 as coach, Bettega found himself becoming the main frontman of the bianconeri; the former player to take this position, Pietro Anastasi
Pietro Anastasi
Pietro Anastasi , nicknamed Petruzzu 'u turcu by fans, was an Italian footballer, playing in the striker role.Anastasi was born in Catania, Sicily. During his career he played for Massiminiana, Varese, Juventus, Internazionale and Ascoli...
, moved to Internazionale in the summer of that year.
Professional career
In 1975, Bettega got his first call-up to the Italian national teamItaly national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
for a match against Finland
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
. He went on to play in the 1978 FIFA World Cup
1978 FIFA World Cup
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
. He would surely have led the team into the 1982 tournament, but that dream came to an end when Bettega suffered knee ligament damage in a collision with an opposing goalkeeper during a 1981 European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
match against Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
. Missing out on the '82 tournament was even more painful for Bettega, since Italy won the tournament that year.
Bettega finally regained full fitness and took to the pitch for the 1982-83 season. He retired from playing in Europe after Juventus lost the 1983 European Cup Final against Hamburg
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
.
Bettega played two summers in the NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
with the Toronto Blizzard
Toronto Blizzard (NASL)
The Toronto Blizzard were a professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that played in the North American Soccer League.-History:The Toronto Metros joined the NASL in 1971. Their home field was Varsity Stadium....
, helping the team finish runner-ups both seasons.
In total, Bettega made 326 league appearances for Juventus and scored 129 goals and enjoyed a highly successful career, winning seven league titles between 1972 and 1982, the 1977 UEFA Cup
1977 UEFA Cup Final
The 1977 UEFA Cup Final was played on May 4, 1977 and May 18, 1977 between Juventus F.C. of Italy and Athletic Bilbao of Spain. Juventus won 2-2 on away goals. This is the only triumph for an Italian side in an official European tournament without foreigner players in its first team squad.-First...
and two Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
. He also won the Capocannoniere
Capocannoniere
The Capocannoniere is the name given to the highest goalscorer in Italian football. The Serie A title is currently held by Antonio Di Natale.-SERIE A:...
(Serie A top scorer) in the 1979-80
Serie A 1979-80
The 1979/1980 Serie A season was the 50th edition of Serie A, the top-level football competition in Italy. The championship was won by F.C. Internazionale Milano.-Final classification:-References:...
season.
Coaching career
However, he later returned to the club on the request of Umberto AgnelliUmberto Agnelli
Umberto Agnelli was an Italian entrepreneur and politician. His brother was Gianni Agnelli.He served as a CEO of Fiat from 1970–1976 and senator of the Italian Republic, from 1976 to 1979, and was the honorary chairman of the Juventus soccer team, the past president of the Italian Football...
, who asked him to be vice-president. In late December 2009 Juventus have communicated through their official website that Bettega is their new general vice-chaiman.
Statistics
|-|1969/70||Varese
A.S. Varese 1910
A.S. Varese 1910 is an Italian football club from Varese, founded 22 March 1910. It currently plays in Serie B, ranked one division below Serie A in the Italian football league.-History:...
||Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
||30||13||0||0||colspan="2"|-||30||13
|-
|1970/71||rowspan="13"|Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
||rowspan="13"|Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
||28||13||3||2||11||6||42||21
|-
|1971/72||14||10||4||1||5||4||23||15
|-
|1972/73||27||8||8||1||7||2||42||11
|-
|1973/74||24||8||5||2||2||0||31||10
|-
|1974/75||27||6||10||3||10||1||47||10
|-
|1975/76||29||15||3||2||4||1||36||18
|-
|1976/77||30||17||4||1||12||5||46||23
|-
|1977/78||30||11||4||2||7||2||41||15
|-
|1978/79||30||9||9||2||2||0||41||11
|-
|1979/80||28||16||4||0||8||1||40||17
|-
|1980/81||25||5||8||3||4||3||37||11
|-
|1981/82||7||5||4||2||3||1||14||8
|-
|1982/83||27||6||7||1||6||1||40||8
|-
|1983||rowspan="2"|Toronto Blizzard
Toronto Blizzard
The Toronto Blizzard were a professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada that played in the North American Soccer League.-History:The Toronto Metros joined the NASL in 1971. Their home field was Varsity Stadium....
||rowspan="2"|NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
||16||2||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||16||2
|-
|1984||23||8||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||23||8
356||142||73||22||81||27||510||191
39||10||colspan="2"|-||colspan="2"|-||39||10
395||152||73||22||81||27||549||201
|}
|-
|1975||2||0
|-
|1976||7||8
|-
|1977||5||6
|-
|1978||12||3
|-
|1979||2||0
|-
|1980||10||1
|-
|1981||3||1
|-
|1982||0||0
|-
|1983||1||0
|-
!Total||42||19
|}
Personal life
Roberto has a son named AlessandroAlessandro Bettega
Alessandro Bettega is an Italian football midfielder. He is the son of former Juventus player and Italian international Roberto Bettega.-Career:...
who also started his career in the Juventus system and was the captain of the Primavera team. He is now playing in the Serie C1
Serie C1
Lega Pro Prima Divisione is the name of the third highest football league in Italy. It consists of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 18 teams each. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1....
.