Gianluigi Lentini...

kanchelskis14

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Quite a forgotten man, but he was the most expensive player in the world for a while if i remember correctly. I think he joined AC Milan from Atalanta for about £13m, and was a right winger. I've seen him play live a few times, but never really saw much greatness, although i was fairly young. I also remember him coming off the bench for Milan in a European Cup Final sometime in the mid-nineties, and i remember being baffled as to why the world's most expensive player was a substitute.

I don't think i can recall him regularly playing for Italy either.

Can anyone who watched Serie A regularly at this time, like Devilish and Rubber Chief help me out with some insight as to how good he actually was. Thanks.
 
He was the dog's bollocks, but never the same after the car crash
 
kanchelskis14 said:
Quite a forgotten man, but he was the most expensive player in the world for a while if i remember correctly. I think he joined AC Milan from Atalanta for about £13m, and was a right winger. I've seen him play live a few times, but never really saw much greatness, although i was fairly young. I also remember him coming off the bench for Milan in a European Cup Final sometime in the mid-nineties, and i remember being baffled as to why the world's most expensive player was a substitute.

I don't think i can recall him regularly playing for Italy either.

Can anyone who watched Serie A regularly at this time, like Devilish and Rubber Chief help me out with some insight as to how good he actually was. Thanks.
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Can't help you with how good he was before joining Milan, but most of he's time at Milan was blighted by injury. I think the european cup final where he came off the bench was due too a comeback from long term injury.

At one stage I think he was out of the game 18 months.
 
A bit before my time but a quick google reveals that he is from Torino not Atlanta. Also he had a serious car accident and was supposedly never the same again

I could of just pretended I actually knew this information but I'm honest ;)
 
BAMSOLA said:
Can't help you with how good he was before joining Milan, but most of he's time at Milan was blighted by injury. I think the european cup final where he came off the bench was due too a comeback from long term injury.

At one stage I think he was out of the game 18 months.
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Yes, i do remember him being injury prone too, because i remember a period in which i used to try and go out of my way to watch him, and he was always injured.
 
sincher said:
I was never that impressed by him.
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Did you ever see him in his first spell at Torino? He was a great player back then, one of my first heroes. Weird to think about the fact that he's 3 years younger than Teddy
 
kanchelskis14 said:
Even at this world-record costing best of his?
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Bit of a while ago, but as I remember, he had one really good season where he broke through, and certainly looked like a prospect - good skill on the ball, a decent cross, but he certainly hadn't fully emerged. It also coincided with a period where a lot of clubs were making statements with transfer fees, and where a lot of those quoted transfer fees were never paid in full. I doubt the full amount for his transfer was ever paid. If he hadn't have been injured, he was good enough to be a mainstay in the national side, but he was never a star - and I never thought he was a star in the making - and I remember picking out the likes of Crespo, Trezeguet, Henry, Shevchenko etc. early on - my record for picking players in those days was pretty good.
 
Elliott said:
Did you ever see him in his first spell at Torino? He was a great player back then, one of my first heroes. Weird to think about the fact that he's 3 years younger than Teddy
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Yeah I saw him quite a bit. There's no doubt that he was a good player, but I don't think he was of the calibre of, say, Donadoni, or Baggio.
 
kanchelskis14 said:
Yes, i do remember him being injury prone too, because i remember a period in which i used to try and go out of my way to watch him, and he was always injured.
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Definately, as I remember it he's transfer took place just a little while before
C4 started televising Italian football.

And he was always injured during the first one or two years of transmission so i myself never really saw him during he's prime, when he came back from injury he was never the same player.
 
Elliott said:
He was the dog's bollocks, but never the same after the car crash
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Absolutely correct. He was going to be the next superstar of Italian football, maybe all of football, but he fecked it all up, if I`m not mistaken, by driving too fast and losing control of his sports car and crashed, causing him severe injuries which basically ruined his football career.
 
sincher said:
and I never thought he was a star in the making - and I remember picking out the likes of Crespo, Trezeguet, Henry, Shevchenko etc. early on - my record for picking players in those days was pretty good.
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In those days? Them lads are 6-8 years younger than Lentini. And he was no doubt a superstar in the making for my money.
 
He was an amazing player and part of Berlusconi's attempt to make AC milan as good as they already were but with Italians instead of black Dutch dudes ... he wanted to make Forza Milan and Forza Italia interchangeable., he wanted the Italian European Champions to be more Italian ... an utter cnut that man, I'm off on an internet search for the articles I read at the time ... Anyway Lentini was amazing and had it all ahead of him until the car crash ... that Milan side that he was brought into was amazing ... a few years previous they destroyed Barca in the European cup final ... Barca had an amazing side but Milan played them off the park ... do a youtube search , especially for savicevic's goal ...
 
Even pre-crash I never quite saw what the hype was for. I think the Italians were already searching for the next Baggio by that time.
 
BAMSOLA said:
Definately, as I remember it he's transfer took place just a little while before
C4 started televising Italian football.

And he was always injured during the first one or two years of transmission so i myself never really saw him during he's prime, when he came back from injury he was never the same player.
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Yes, that's basically how it was for me. Just that even when you haven't seen much of a player, you usually hear enough to tell you how good he was. I sometimes forget Lentini, but i remember he had a big reputation in his time. I was just thinking to myself, 'surely one of the 'greats' hasn't just slipped past me without me knowing'. So i thought i'd come to the ever reliable cafe to investigate and clarify.

I mean, he must have had something surely.
 
sidsutton said:
Even pre-crash I never quite saw what the hype was for. I think the Italians were already searching for the next Baggio by that time.
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Same here. He showed some talent, but nothing to break records. The move was regarded as astonishing at the time, which says a lot.
 
Elliott said:
In those days? Them lads are 6-8 years younger than Lentini. And he was no doubt a superstar in the making for my money.
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Fair enough - and I realise those names weren't the best comparison points. I remember it differently, but it was some time ago now...
 
kanchelskis14 said:
Yes, that's basically how it was for me. Just that even when you haven't seen much of a player, you usually hear enough to tell you how good he was. I sometimes forget Lentini, but i remember he had a big reputation in his time. I was just thinking to myself, 'surely one of the 'greats' hasn't just slipped past me without me knowing'. So i thought i'd come to the ever reliable cafe to investigate and clarify.

I mean, he must have had something surely.
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Its crazy isn't it, I tried YouTubing clips of him but the only thing that comes up is clips of Boban (a true Milan great) playing in some sort of Charity match alongside "gigi".

It seems that he had everything in he's locker pre-injury to be a great, but after injury he could never get back to that level.
 
sincher said:
The move was regarded as astonishing at the time, which says a lot.
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Well, that was more down to the crazy money, not the player it was spent on. If memory serves the pope even got involved.
 
Elliott said:
Well, that was more down to the crazy money, not the player it was spent on. If memory serves the pope even got involved.
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so did the Italian courts ... Torino were paid a secret 5 million ... the whole deal was oddly political on Silvios part ... as i said earlier he's an utter cnut

that Milan team he wanted to dominate europe was the first time the gamnes stars were happy to sit on a bench, it was really the start of this squad era we're now in ... which I hate, I remeber Papin sitting on the Milan bench, it was a travesty , the guy shouldve been playing every week , not sitting oin his ass collecting a mint every week ...

http://www.iht.com/articles/1992/12/08/ian_.php

http://www.iht.com/articles/1992/07/08/rob__0.php
 
I could use a secret £5m. I might make up a player and compile a few YouTube videos.
 
I remember Berlusconi or Adriano or somebody saying that Milan needed more good looking players when they signed Lentini.
They were at the height of their arrogance at the time.
I watched him on C4 italian footie (it started before he came there). Can't remember him having great pace or being good at beating his man. Reasonable shot on him.
In those days, Italian players were rated best in Europe, e.g., Chiesa/Vialli/Baggio/Zolla/Manchini
 
kanchelskis14 said:
Quite a forgotten man, but he was the most expensive player in the world for a while if i remember correctly. I think he joined AC Milan from Atalanta for about £13m, and was a right winger. I've seen him play live a few times, but never really saw much greatness, although i was fairly young. I also remember him coming off the bench for Milan in a European Cup Final sometime in the mid-nineties, and i remember being baffled as to why the world's most expensive player was a substitute.

I don't think i can recall him regularly playing for Italy either.

Can anyone who watched Serie A regularly at this time, like Devilish and Rubber Chief help me out with some insight as to how good he actually was. Thanks.
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While at Torino, Lentini was one truly exciting winger. Blessed with skill and pace. Exciting with the dribble and blessed with good vision. He could use both feet and his scoring record of about a goal every 7 games wasn't bad for the Serie A of that day. The "dogs bollocks" as Eliott put it. Probably the most natural winger Italy had part from Dondadoni.

However, he was one unlucky fellow. It wasn't just bad enough that he went to Milan, a team that was so laden with talent, it was hard for him to break into the team. He got that car cash that almost cost him his life. And sadly was never the the same again. He went from being a Giggs to being a Ljunberg.

No to mention he also became pretty injury prone. So though he stayed at Milan from 92 till 96, winning league titles and the champions league in the process. He was really never the player Milan bought for 13 million in 92 through out his stay after the crash. It was and still is a sad tell really. He is like a great player who had his career cut short because of misfortune.
 
Ay I remember his transfer, if I'm right it smashed whatever the previous record had been. Back in the early 90's? I heard his name before I saw his face, always assumed he was bald young but in fact he had a lovely flowing head of hair - odd thing to remember I know. I never saw anything in him, during the admittadly breif spell of games I saw him play on TV, that made me think he was something outstanding and better than any other player at the time, despite the fee

And remember, Denilson went to Betis for £23 million, so a transfer fee doesn't always tell the full story. Cantona cost just over a million :D
 
Just found this...

The 10 biggest wastes of money in football history

Sunday September 2, 2001
Observer Sport Monthly

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,6903,543912,00.html

7. Gianluigi Lentini

Joined: Milan from Torino in 1992
Transfer fee: £13m
Today his fee is worth: £16m
Today he would cost: £45.6m

The Italian Steve Daley, Lentini was a decent, but hardly world-beating winger whose fee, a world record, staggered everyone. The Vatican set the tone, condemning it as 'an offence against the dignity of work'. Milan, who were busy (and expensively) rebuilding as they tried to recreate the golden era of Gullit and Van Basten, were sorely disappointed with Lentini well before the car crash in 1993 which left him with a fractured skull and in a coma for 24 hours. He recovered but never again featured regularly in Milan's first team.

Sold for £2m to Torino in 1997 after 63 appearances.

--------------------------------

Birtles and a couple of City players on that list too
 
All I know he was very expensive that time, and he got badly injured in a car accident. At that time I thought he really got a classy name though, you would immediately think he would be as good as Donadoni or Albertini, or Maldini.
 
The hefty transfer fee perhaps accounted for here:

http://www.iht.com/articles/1999/05/05/soccer.2.t_2.php

If one person personifies the fall, yet refusal to surrender, he is Gianluigi Lentini. Groomed in the youth system, Lentini was lithe, swift, a hypnotic winger. Corrupt men who had assumed control at Torino sold him against his wishes to AC Milan. The Guardua di Finanza, Italy's tax police, later revealed that Gian Mauro Borsano, the Torino president, had helped himself to millions from the deal
 
Everyone used to joke about his price tag. . . if he's worth £14m, then my gran's worth £50m, type stuff. I still have no idea why Milan paid so much, 14m at that time was an astronomical amount to pay for a player. . . I was gobsmacked when I heard Milan actually paid that much for a player. And I could never see the fuss, when I watched him play.
 
Worth 45,6 mp at 38, yet you guys dismiss him as nothing special? :wenger:
Don't go there, girlfriend
 
He had as much talent and pace as our Giggsie had but that car crash fecked him up.

Poor lad he deserved better.
 
its was the dodgiest of dodgh deals...nowt really to do with the player himself..Torino needed money, Berla found a way to help them out.
 
Here's some random information I know about Gianluigi Lentini *

Gianluigi Lentini (born March 27, 1969 in Carmagnola) is a former Italian international winger who once held the distinction of being the world's most expensive footballer, when he moved from Torino to AC Milan for £13 million in 1992. He was a very talented midfielder/winger with pace, creativity and technique but a horrific crash in 1993 ruined his career.

Indeed, it was this fee - which arose due to a bidding war between Milan and Juventus - that partially triggered a wave of huge spending amongst Europe's top clubs in the 1990s. At the time, the world was staggered that so much money could be paid for one footballer - the Vatican called it "an offence against the dignity of work". Sadly, after an horrific car accident he is not distinguished for much else. Although his record of a goal every seven or so games is not bad for a winger, especially in Italy.

He played 30 times in Milan's title-winning season in 1992-3, but then managed only 33 games for the four seasons after. In fairness, his career never really recovered after that car crash in 1993 which left him briefly in a coma and with serious head injuries. He did play in Milan's 4-0 European Cup Final win over Barcelona in 1994, but only for the last four minutes after coming on as a substitute for Zvonimir Boban.

Lentini went on to have a brief spell at Atalanta on loan in 1996, before returning to Torino for a slightly lower transfer fee of £2 million in 1997. He then joined Cosenza, where he played until 2004.

His phenomenal 1992 transfer fee was only eclipsed four years later, when Alan Shearer moved from Blackburn Rovers to Newcastle United for £15 million.

Lentini played football for Canelli (Serie D/A), and his salary was around £1700 (€2500) per month. He signed for Canelli in 2004, when the team was playing regional Eccellenza league. He has now retired.

Lentinis Honours included, 1x Champions League, 3x Scudettos, 2x Italian Super Cups and 2x Seria B titles with Torino



* - or info that I cut and pasted from Wiki :D
 
R0nald0 said:
Here's some random information I know about Gianluigi Lentini *

Gianluigi Lentini (born March 27, 1969 in Carmagnola) is a former Italian international winger who once held the distinction of being the world's most expensive footballer, when he moved from Torino to AC Milan for £13 million in 1992. He was a very talented midfielder/winger with pace, creativity and technique but a horrific crash in 1993 ruined his career.

Indeed, it was this fee - which arose due to a bidding war between Milan and Juventus - that partially triggered a wave of huge spending amongst Europe's top clubs in the 1990s. At the time, the world was staggered that so much money could be paid for one footballer - the Vatican called it "an offence against the dignity of work". Sadly, after an horrific car accident he is not distinguished for much else. Although his record of a goal every seven or so games is not bad for a winger, especially in Italy.

He played 30 times in Milan's title-winning season in 1992-3, but then managed only 33 games for the four seasons after. In fairness, his career never really recovered after that car crash in 1993 which left him briefly in a coma and with serious head injuries. He did play in Milan's 4-0 European Cup Final win over Barcelona in 1994, but only for the last four minutes after coming on as a substitute for Zvonimir Boban.

Lentini went on to have a brief spell at Atalanta on loan in 1996, before returning to Torino for a slightly lower transfer fee of £2 million in 1997. He then joined Cosenza, where he played until 2004.

His phenomenal 1992 transfer fee was only eclipsed four years later, when Alan Shearer moved from Blackburn Rovers to Newcastle United for £15 million.

Lentini played football for Canelli (Serie D/A), and his salary was around £1700 (€2500) per month. He signed for Canelli in 2004, when the team was playing regional Eccellenza league. He has now retired.

Lentinis Honours included, 1x Champions League, 3x Scudettos, 2x Italian Super Cups and 2x Seria B titles with Torino



* - or info that I cut and pasted from Wiki :D
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Thanks for that, good read. Seems he did once have something special. Car crash ruined him.
 
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