Milena Bertolini

Milena Bertolini (born 24 June 1966) is an Italian former footballer and current manager of the Italy women's national team. As the national team coach, she led Italy to qualify for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup following a twenty year absence.

Milena Bertolini
Bertolini in 2016
Personal information
Date of birth (1966-06-24) 24 June 1966
Place of birth Correggio, Italy[1]
Position(s) Defender
Club information
Current team
 Italy (manager)
Youth career
U.S. Correggese
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1984–1987 Reggiana
1987–1988 Modena Euromobil
1989–1990 Prato
1990–1991 Reggiana
1991–1992 Woman Sassari 27 (1)
1992–1993 A.S.D. Bologna 28 (1)
1993–1994 Aircargo Agliana 29 (0)
1994–1996 Fiammamonza 46 (1)
1996–1998 Modena Femminile 44 (0)
1998–1999 Pisa S.C.F. 19 (0)
1999–2001 Foroni Verona 46 (1)
Total 239+ (4+)
National team
Italy
Teams managed
2001–2002 Foroni Verona (assistant)
2002–2003 Foroni Verona
2004–2011 Reggiana
2012–2017 Brescia
2017– Italy
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

Bertolini began her youth career with U.S. Correggese, before moving to Reggiana in 1984.[2] The team won the Serie B title in the 1985–86 season, therefore earning promotion to Serie A. After spells at Modena Euromobil and Prato, she returned to Reggiana in 1990, helping the team to win the Serie A title.[3] She later went on to play for Woman Sassari, A.S.D. Bologna, Aircargo Agliana and Fiammamonza. In 1996, she joined Modena Femminile, winning the league title in both her seasons at the club, along with the Supercoppa Italiana in 1997. In 1998, she joined Pisa S.C.F., before moving to Foroni Verona where she played until her retirement in 2001.[3]

In 2018, she was the woman footballer inductee to the Italian Football Hall of Fame.[4]

Managerial career

Following her retirement in 2001, she became an assistant coach at Foroni Verona, the club she last played at, with the team winning the 2001–02 Coppa Italia. The following season, she was promoted as the team's head coach, leading them to Supercoppa Italiana and Serie A titles.[5][6] In 2004, she returned to her former club Reggiana, winning the 2009–10 Coppa Italia during her tenure.[7] In 2012, she joined Brescia, where she won two Serie A titles (2013–14 and 2015–16), two Coppa Italia titles (2014–15 and 2015–16) and three Supercoppa Italiana titles (2014, 2015 and 2016). During her managerial career in Serie A, she won the Panchina d'Oro award as the best manager of the season on six occasions (2008, 2009, 2010, 2014, 2015 and 2016).[6]

At the end of the 2010–11 season, Bertolini obtained a UEFA Pro Licence, allowing her to coach a high level men's team.[8]

In August 2017, she was appointed as the head coach of the Italy women's national team.[9] In 2019 Women's World Cup qualification, she helped the team to win their qualifying group with only one loss, thus qualifying for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France. The tournament is Italy's third appearance at the FIFA Women's World Cup, and their first qualification after a twenty year absence.[10]

Honours

Player

Reggiana

Modena

Individual

Manager

Foroni Verona

Reggiana

Brescia

Individual

References
  1. "Football.it".
  2. "Ha il patentino Uefa ed è preparatrice - Gazzetta di Reggio".
  3. "Chi è Milena Bertolini: Ct della Nazionale italiana di calcio femminile".
  4. "FIGC".
  5. "Italy (Women) Serie a 2001/02".
  6. "Milena Bertolini, vita e passione per il calcio". 17 May 2017.
  7. "Italy (Women) 2009/10".
  8. "Calcio Bresciano - Cesari si affida a Milena Bertolini". web.archive.org. 8 August 2014.
  9. "Calcio femminile: Milena Bertolini, la donna dei miracoli del Brescia, nuovo ct della Nazionale Italiana".
  10. "La Nazionale femminile ha fatto la storia". 11 June 2018.
  11. "News Coppa Italia".
  12. "Coppa Italia Femminile: Brescia-Verona, la finale. Vince il Brescia 2-1".
  13. "Brescia Calcio Femminile". web.archive.org. 29 July 2017.
  14. "Calcio femminile, la Supercoppa va al Brescia: Il Verona cade ai rigori".
  15. "Supercoppa 2016: vince il Brescia - Lega Nazionale Dilettanti". web.archive.org. 1 October 2016.

General references

  • Barboni, Luca; Cecchi, Gabriele (November 1999). "Carriera calcistica di Milena Bertolini dal 1991 al 1999" [Football career of Milena Bertolini from 1991 to 1999]. Annuario del calcio femminile 1999–2000 [Almanac of women's football 1999–2000] (in Italian). Fornacette. Mariposa S.r.l. p. 14.
  • Barboni, Luca; Cecchi, Gabriele (July 2003). Annuario del calcio femminile 2002–2003 [Almanac of women's football 2002–2003] (in Italian). Edizioni Etruria Football Club.
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