Evaristo Beccalossi is a former Italian player who operated as a midfielder. He spent most of his career in the Italian league, most notably with Inter Milan for 6 years. We will be looking at an overview of his career in this article, and an in-depth analysis of his playing style which made him a great of The Beautiful Game.
Club career
Evaristo Beccalossi began his football career by playing for his hometown club Brescia, where he spent 6 years from 1978 till 1984. This was followed by the most successful phase of his career, as Beccalossi jumped ship to Inter. He donned the iconic number 10 jersey, taking part in a total of 216 games and scoring 37 goals. The Italian was instrumental in their 1979-80 Serie A Championship and 1981-82 Coppa Italia triumphs.
Beccalossi's partnership with fellow Inter centre forward Alessandro Altobelli was the highlight of his career as well. The pair became one of the longest standing offensive partnerships of Serie A's history, with their partnership beginning all the way back to their Brescia days.
The Summer of 1984 saw Beccalossi finish his chapter at Inter, as the Italian joined Sampdoria.He went to win yet another Coppa Italia title (1984-85) with Sampdoria and helped them to a fourth-place finish in Serie A.
He played for multiple Italian clubs throughout the rest of his career, which included a homecoming to Brescia. Beccalossi eventually bid farewell to football in 1991, as he retired from football and became a pundit.
Player profile
During his playing years, Beccalossi had several nicknames that included "Beck", "Becca", "Il Genio" (the genius), and even "Driblossi". The Italian's excellence when it came to dribbling and his playing style were the reason for some of those titles.
As a player, Beccalossi was blessed with immense talent. He excelled at both scoring and creating goals, with his brilliance in the latter making him a top assist provider of his era.
Versatility and physical traits
Another commended trait of the Italian was his versatility. Beccalossi played in several positions throughout his career, ranging from deep-lying playmaker to even as a second striker.
Although he wasn't the best when it came to athleticism, strength, or pace, Beccalossi's sturdy build and powerful legs aided him immensely in his playing style. The Italian's physique provided him the ability to accelerate with lightning speed, dribble exquisitely, and possess excellent technical skills at a time when the Italian game was dominated by a defensive football style. He was also excellent when it came to taking penalties, although his inability to convert to spot kicks in a single match has overshadowed his excellence in this aspect.
Criticism
Despite all those positives, a section of the media and fans were also critical of Beccalossi for his inconsistent performance and lack of work rate at times. The criticism was extremely harsh in certain cases, as it was even argued that his team were a man down when Beccalossi played.
Inspired by idols
Even though Beccalossi was born as a naturally right-footed player, his admiration for the legendary Omar Sívori led to a young Beccalossi eventually becoming a two-footed player during his youth years. Once he became a professional player, Beccalossi mostly used his left-foot throughout his career. He also had the ability to both score and create with either of his football.
His skills, unique playing style, and left-foot abilities all drew comparisons to former Inter player Mario Corso, whom Beccalossi described as an inspiration for his growth as a player.
It was all of these traits that made Evaristo Beccalossi a unique figure in Italian football history, and one that will surely be remembered as one of their finest.
