Borgonovo

Borgonovo is a town in Graubünden, Switzerland.

Notable people

Coordinates: 46°21′N 9°36′E / 46.350°N 9.600°E / 46.350; 9.600

Stefano Borgonovo

Stefano Borgonovo (17 March 1964 – 27 June 2013) was an Italian footballer who played as a striker.

Football career

Born in Giussano, Province of Monza and Brianza, Borgonovo began his professional career with Como Calcio, making his debut at 17 in a Serie A match against Ascoli Calcio, and reaching the semi-final of the 1985–86 Coppa Italia with the club. After a loan spell at S.S. Sambenedettese Calcio he established himself as a key player, and in 1986 moved to A.C. Milan, who immediately loaned him back to Como.

After two years Borgonovo was sent on loan again, this time to ACF Fiorentina, where he had the most successful season of his career, scoring 14 league goals while playing alongside attacking partner Roberto Baggio. The two forwards would form an important friendship, and their prolific goalscoring exploits that season (together they scored 29 of Fiorentina's 44 Serie A goals that season) would earn the attacking pair the nickname "B2", as both their surnames began with the letter B; together, they helped Fiorentina to qualify for the UEFA Cup.

Serie A

Serie A (Italian pronunciation: [ˈsɛːrje ˈa]), also 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 the 1929–30 season. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new league, the Lega Serie A, was created for the 2010–11 season. Serie A is regarded as one of the best football leagues in the world and it is often depicted as the most tactical national league. Serie A is the world's second strongest national league according to IFFHS and has produced the highest number of European Cup finalists: Italian clubs have reached the final of the competition on a record twenty-six different occasions, winning the title twelve times. Serie A is ranked 4th among European leagues according to UEFA's league coefficient behind La Liga, Bundesliga and Premier League, which is based on the performance of Italian clubs in the Champions League and the Europa League during the last five years. Serie A led the UEFA ranking from 1986 to 1988 and from 1990 to 1999.

Roberto Baggio

Roberto Baggio (Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto ˈbaddʒo]; born 18 February 1967) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a second striker, or as an attacking midfielder. He is the former President of the technical sector of the Italian Football Federation. A technically gifted, creative playmaker and a set piece specialist renowned for his curling free kicks and goalscoring, Baggio is regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time. In 1999 he came fourth in the FIFA Player of the Century internet poll, and was chosen on the FIFA World Cup Dream Team in 2002. In 1993, he was named FIFA World Player of the Year and won the Ballon d'Or. In 2004, he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.

Baggio played for Italy in 56 matches, scoring 27 goals, and is the fourth highest goalscorer for his national team. He starred in the Italian team that finished third in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, scoring twice. At the 1994 FIFA World Cup he led Italy to the final, scoring five goals, received the World Cup Silver Ball and was named in the World Cup All-Star Team. Although he was the star performer for Italy at the 1994 World Cup, he is largely remembered for missing the decisive penalty in the shootout of the Final against Brazil. At the 1998 FIFA World Cup he scored twice, before Italy were eliminated to eventual champions France in the quarter-finals. Baggio is the only Italian to score in three World Cups, and with nine goals holds the record for most goals scored in World Cup tournaments for Italy, along with Paolo Rossi and Christian Vieri.