Nicola Berti was a former Italian midfielder who excelled during the 90's. His career spanned for over 2 decades, with the majority of it being spent in Serie A. In addition to playing for the likes of Parma, Fiorentina, and Inter Milan, Berti had also jumped ship to England to play for Spurs.
His greatest phase came at Inter, where he contributed immensely to their success at the time. The Italian was an integral part of the national side as well, becoming a central figure for Italy from the late 80's. Berti managed to reach the 1994 FIFA World Cup final and also achieve a third placed finish in the 1990 World Cup with Italy.
Let us now look back at the traits which made him stand out as a player, and an overview of his career in club football.
Playing style
The Italian operated as a central or holding midfielder throughout his career. Although Berti was initially lacking adequate technical abilities to flourish in midfield, he eventually enhanced those skills as his career progressed. His pace and athleticism were one of his top attributes, as it facilitated him to run forward with the ball at high speed. This made him a dangerous player during counter attacks.
He can also be described as a "manager's player ", as Berti had a knack for committing fouls and picking up cards with his aggressive challenges. A type of player that most tactically organised managers would love to have. In addition to this, the Italian's solid work rate, energy, and tackling skills made him a top midfielder of the point. The tactical awareness and discipline in him was yet another trait that kept on improving as the years went on.
Bert possessed various other top qualities as well, as he was known for his stamina, vision, passing range, and versatility. He was in many ways the heartbeat of his teams, as the Italian was responsible for breaking down opposition play and also beginning the transition to attack. His shooting abilities were yet another quality that received particular praise at times.
The Italian was initially noted for his physical resemblance to legendary Italian playmaker Gianni Rivera in his youth, but his attributes and direct playing style later led him to be compared instead to his childhood idol Marco Tardelli.
In short, Bert was a dream player that most managers would've loved to have.
Club career
Berti began his football career at the age of 7 with Parma. He won the 1983–84 Serie C1 Championship in his debut season at the club, with Parma being managed by a certain Arrigo Sacchi at the time. This feat also meant that the club achieved promotion to Serie B.
After 3 years at Parma, the Italian midfielder joined Fiorentina in 1985. He went on to spend another 3 years with his new club.
Berti enjoyed his greatest success in club football with the next chapter of his football career, which was at Inter Milan. He formed a solid partnership with teammate Lothar Matthäus, and was a part of an outstanding side that won the 1988–89 league title by a record breaking 11-point margin. It was a well-drilled machine under manager Giovanni Trapattoni, with Inter only losing twice at the time and setting a Serie A points record.
The Italian midfielder was excellent that season, and even went on to score 7 goals from midfield during the campaign. He further won the 1989 Supercoppa Italiana and two UEFA Cups (1990–91, 1993–94) with the Nerazzurri. Berti was instrumental in Inter's UEFA Cup triumphs, scoring in both the 1991 and 1994 UEFA Cup Final.
After a decade at Inter, Berti joined a struggling Tottenham side in 1998. Spurs were in danger of relegation at the time, but the Italian helped them to a 13th placed finish in the Premier League.
He left Spurs after a year, and went on to join Spanish club Alavés. Following 2 years at Alavés, Berti joined Australian side Northern Spirit in 2001. The Italian retired from football after spending a year in Australia, as one of Italy's most talented midfielders bid farewell to the beautiful game.
