Thursday Milan Musings

By: Gianfranco | October 9th, 2008

These international breaks are really starting to bug me. Maybe it is because Lippi has taken the fewest amount of Milan players that I can remember in recent memory, his loss, or maybe it is because the World Cup is so far away and the only thing I can think about is the next Milan game on the fixture list. Either way the sooner we clear this weekend the sooner we can get back to what really matters, the ROSSONERI.

Midweek a friendly match was played between Fiorentina and Milan in honor of former player of both clubs, Stegano Borgonovo. Borgonovo is currently fighting for his life, against what many call the “footballers disease” in Italy. Here is a bit of a info on Borgonovo followed by a youtube video of Wednesday’s match and ceremony. Really a sad story, but a true reality for many athletes who fall ill both in and outside the world of football.

Borgonovo began his career with Como Calcio, debuting as a 17 year-old in a Serie A match against Ascoli Calcio. After a loan spell at Sambenedettese Calcio, Borgnovo established himself as an key player at Como, and in 1986 moved to A.C. Milan, who immediately loaned him back to Como.

After two years there, he was sent on loan again, this time to ACF Fiorentina, where had the most successful season of his career, scoring 14 league goals while playing alongside Roberto Baggio. This earned him three caps for Italy and finally a chance to prove himself at Milan. He spent much of the 1989-90 season as backup to Marco van Basten and, despite earning a European Cup winners’ medal, moved on, keen to play regular first-team football. Although then Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi was keen to keep his services, he returned to Fiorentina, where he spent two years without managing to recapture his previous form.

Spells at Pescara Calcio, Udinese and Brescia Calcio followed, before Borgonovo retired in 1996. He later served as a youth coach back at Como, but retired in 2005 due to poor health.

Illness
On September 5, 2008, it was revealed Borgonovo was suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the same illness that slowly killed Gianluca Signorini, another former Serie A player, in 2002.