Bacigalupo, Valerio (Vado Ligure, 12/2/24)
Goalkeeper for the great Torino side, Bacigalupo was one of the last to reach the national team because his path was blocked by Lucidio Sentimenti of Juventus. He eventually won his first cap in 1947 and followed it with four more before tragically dying with all his teammates in the Superga air disaster.
Baggio, Roberto (Caldogno, 18/2/67)
By far the most talked about talent of his generation and certainly one of the greatest. His teenage skills lit up the Vicenza team until Fiorentina moved in for this attacking midfielder with an outstanding eye for goal. His transfer in 1990 to archrivals Juventus caused near riots in the streets of Florence but they could not stop their hero moving on. Baggio won the World Player of the Year award in 1993 and almost single-handedly pushed Italy to World Cup glory in USA ‘94 before his wayward penalty gave the trophy to Brazil. His career took in stops at Milan, Inter and, more happily, Bologna and Brescia before the ‘Divine Ponytail’ hung up his boots at the end of the 2003-04 season.
Bagni, Salvatore (Correggio, 25/9/56)
A bulldog midfielder who gathered over 40 international caps in his career, Bagni was part of the driving force behind Napoli's championship win of 1987.
Baresi, Franco (Travagliato, 8/5/60)
The classic modern sweeper, Il Capitano became a symbol of Milan throughout good and bad times after making his debut in 1978. He picked up just about every honour available - three European Cups, two World Club Cups, three European Super Cups and six League titles. But he also lived through the hard times at Milan when the club were relegated for their part in a game fixing scandal in 1980 and then went into Serie B again in 1982. At national level such was his skill that Italy Coach Arrigo Sacchi was forced to beg him out of retirement for the 1994 World Cup only to see him miss a penalty in the Final after another exemplary 120 minutes of play.
BARI (Founded: 1908, Stadium: San Nicola, Capacity: 58,270)
Not a true giant of the Italian game but nonetheless an important squad in calcio’s history with close to 30 seasons in Serie A. Only a few months after the creation of Bari Football Club they split into US Ideale and Football Club Liberty until 1928 when Unione Sportiva Bari was born. They quickly enjoyed success with a season in the newly formed Serie A in 1931 before a long spell in the top flight from 1935 to 1941. Hero of the day was right-winger Raffaele Costantino, capped six times for Italy while at the club. The side from Puglia had brief spells in Serie A in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s and achieved their best League finish to date in 1947 when they were seventh. Other honours include a Mitropa Cup win in 1990 and an Italian Junior Cup in 1981.
Batistuta, Gabriel (Avellaneda, Argentina, 1/2/69)
Known simply as ‘Batigol,’ this scoring machine became a folk hero in Florence over nine seasons with the club. He was snapped up from Boca Juniors after starring in the Copa America in 1991 and went on to score over 150 League goals for the Viola. A move to Roma brought him that elusive Scudetto in 2001 and then after Inter, he signed for Al Arabi in Qatar.
Bellugi, Mauro (Buonconvento, 7/2/50)
Quick to the tackle with great battling qualities this outstanding defender started his Serie A career as a 19-year-old with Inter but it was with Bologna that he made his reputation. He won 32 caps for Italy over seven years but only picked up one major honour - the Italian championship win with Inter in 1971.
Benetti, Romeo (Albaredo d’Adda, 20/10/45)
When it comes to listing Italian football’s hard men Benetti should never be far from the top of the list. Ditched initially by Juventus, they brought him back to their midfield in 1976 for three glorious seasons that included two championships, the Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup. Capped on 55 occasions by his country.
Bergomi, Giuseppe (Milan, 22/12/63)
Nicknamed Lo Zio - The Uncle - this professional defender was an incredible example of loyalty over 19 seasons at Inter where he played at the very highest level since the age of 17. A long list of honours were never topped by the astounding displays he gave at the 1982 World Cup when, as a teenager, he stepped into Claudio Gentile's shoes and helped Italy pick up the trophy. A Nerazzurri legend with over 500 Serie A games for the club, a single Scudetto in 1989 and 77 international caps.
Bernardini, Fulvio (Rome, 1/1/06)
A Roma stalwart of the midfield in the 1930s and a regular in the Italy set-up Bernardini is most remembered for his record as a Coach. He took over at Fiorentina in 1953 and by 1956 he helped them win their first ever championship. He performed similar wonders at Bologna who he took to their last Scudetto in 1964. He also paved the way for Enzo Bearzot with the international team.
Bettega, Roberto (Turin, 27/12/50)
This slim, grey-haired forward helped to lead the Juve line for a dozen seasons throughout their glory years of the 1970s. He also boasted a strike rate of a goal every other game with the national team. In 42 appearances he scored 19 times, making him one of the Azzurri’s top marksmen of all time. Juventus snapped him up from Varese in 1970 and he never looked back as this natural-born scorer netted an astounding 129 Serie A goals in 326 games for the Bianconeri.
BOLOGNA (Founded: 1909, Stadium: Renato Dall’Ara, Capacity: 39,387 )
Boasting seven Italian titles, it is impossible to deny the Rossoblu their place amongst the major players of Italian football. The last of these titles, however, came in 1964 and, apart from a couple of Coppa Italia wins, there has been precious little since. The first Scudetto came in 1925 and the main star of that team was Angelo Schiavio - a bustling striker who went on to score the World Cup winning goal of 1934. Bologna repeated their title winning feat in 1929 by which time they had added another future World Cup winner to their squad, right-back Eraldo Monzeglio. But the most glorious years in their history were still to come with titles in 1936, ‘37, ‘39 and ‘41 challenging the supremacy of Inter and Torino. It was not until 1964 that dreams of a seventh title were finally realised. Under inspirational Coach Fulvio Bernardini, and with a squad boasting class acts like Giacomo Bulgarelli, Helmut Haller, Ezio Pascutti and Paride Tumburus, they finished the season on equal points with Inter. A few days before the play-off game in Rome, club President Renato Dall'Ara passed away and the players paid tribute in the best way they could with a 2-0 win. The club maintained a glorious tradition at the upper reaches of Italian football until their powers waned in the 1980s. They were relegated to Serie B and then Serie C at the start of the decade and suffered the same fate at the beginning of the 1990s. But they bounced back into Serie A in 1996 and remain an important force in the top flight.
Boniek, Zbigniew (Bydgoszcz, Poland, 3/3/56)
Possessing blistering pace, Boniek enjoyed successful spells at both Juventus and Roma. The Polish striker’s partnership with Platini led to the League title and Cup-Winners’ Cup in 1984 and the European Cup the following season.
Boninsegna, Roberto (Mantua, 13/11/43)
An old-fashioned, powerful striker Boninsegna made his mark with Inter and Italy in the 1970s. Over 160 Serie A goals tell their own story of a man who finished Capocannoniere in Italy in 1971 and 1972. He ended his career with Juventus.
Boniperti, Giampiero (Barengo, 4/7/28)
A legendary figure in Italian football, and the history of Juventus, where he played 444 League games over 15 years. A forward who could also play as an attacking midfielder, Boniperti was the heart of the Juventus side throughout the 1950s and picked up five Scudetti for his troubles. In 1948 at the age of just 20 he was the League’s top scorer ahead of Valentino Mazzola. He played 38 times for Italy - 24 times as captain - and collected eight goals over this time. His 178 strikes for Juventus remain a club record.
BRESCIA (Founded: 1911, Stadium: Mario Rigamonti, Capacity: 26,865)
With over 20 Serie A seasons to their name this club from Lombardy are certainly no small fry. Successes, however, have been few and far between in their steady history spent mostly in Serie B. A founder member of the Serie A set-up in 1929, they bobbed up and down through the 1930s and after the war spent most of their time in the Second Division. Their best Serie A finish came with seventh spot in 2001. They also picked up the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1994 and the Youth League title in 1976. Never a home of the most famous players, they stunned the football world with the signing of Gheorghe Hagi in 1992 and later became home to Roberto Baggio.
Buffon, Gianluigi (Carrara, 28/1/78)
Thrown in at the deep end as a 17-year-old with Parma, he held the mighty Milan to a goalless draw and never looked back. Enjoyed success with the Emilia-Romagna club for six years but greater glory at Juventus where the Scudetto came in 2002 and 2003 has helped him emerge as one of the world’s great keepers with both club and country.
Bulgarelli, Giacomo (Portonovo Medicina, 24/10/40)
Possibly the greatest player ever to don the Bologna colours, this hardworking and talented midfielder was the heart of the side that won the League in 1964. Playing 16 years with his team and collecting some 392 Serie A appearances it is little wonder that his name is forever linked with the glorious past of the Rossoblu. Capped 29 times by Italy, he was still at Bologna for their two Italian Cup wins in 1970 and then again in 1974.
Burgnich, Tarcisio (Ruda, 25/4/39)
After short spells at Udinese, Juventus and Palermo it was at Inter that this sweeper/right-back found his spiritual home in the 1960s. He played over 350 times for the Nerazzurri and his aggressive, determined style was ideally suited to the catenaccio system operated by Helenio Herrera throughout Inter’s glory years. Five Italian championships, two European Cups and two World Club Cups tell the tale of just how successful Burgnich was. He was also a pillar of the Italian team for more than a decade and helped them pick up their one and only European Nations title in 1968.
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