Alessandro Nesta is one of the greatest representatives of the Squadra Azzurra’s famous "catenaccio", the captain of the SS Lazio, the most talented defender of the Campionato and he’s only 24 years old!

On 19th March 1976 arrived a baby into such a family, where the father was always a Lazio supporter, and he passed this enthusiasm soon to this son. This boy’s name is Alessandro Nesta.

Like every Italian kid, he also loved to play soccer with his friends in front of their house. However he was 8 when he first became a member of a real team through his brother, Fernando. Their father took him down to the local team in an afternoon of 1984, and Alessandro accompanied them too.

Elementary school + 3 training a week, but this time Nesta also went to see the matches of the Lazio.

In January of 1985 the representatives of Rome E team visited Mr Giuseppe Nesta to offer a contract to Sandro. But the family decided to turn to the Lazio, where a selection was held on 13th June for 13 boys who were born in 1976. Nesta passed the exam, and from autumn he trained at Lazio. In that time he played as a right-back, later as middle-back.

In 1987 Marco Di Vaio arrived to Lazio who soon became the best friend of Nesta.

1989 is the next step in Alessandro’s life, which was full of anxiety. During 14 months he grew 22 cm, and there was a serious risk that he had to give up the soccer for ever. Medical examinations, doctors: infection of spine and hip.

Doubts, then won the will-power and the pride. Sandro can return to the field.

In 1990 he and Di Vaio are the stars of the youth team (Squadra Primavera) and they also won the scudetto of 1990-91.

In 1992 Nesta received an invitation to the Italian eleven under 16. In Nice, he had a concussion of the brain on the match against France. He was taken to hospital.

In 1993 Dino Zoff - the coach of the Lazio of that time - counted seriously on the young defender in the professional team.

12th March 1994 on the second half (’33) of the match against Udinese Casiraghi was substituted to Alessandro Nesta. After this presentation he trains with the first team. On 27th March he got the confidence of Zoff again – well, it’s true that for only 4 minutes at the end of the second half.

In the summer of 1994 Dino Zoff became the chairman of the club, while Zeman arrived to the Lazio’s bench. He found soon the same tone with Alessandro and counts on him.

Nesta became more and more known and popular. Even such big teams were interested after him, like Milan and Juventus.

In the meantime Sandro also was playing in the so called Primavera team, which is trained by Mimmo Caso, and they conquered the championship title of 1994/95.

There is a tight connection between Caso and Nesta, they are like father and son. And the winning of the championship was also a gift from Alessandro’s side to his second Dad. Since Caso has a tumour and he gets chemotherapy. After the glorious victory Nesta was crying not because of the happiness but also because of the sadness.

Alessandro played his first UEFA Cup match on 26th September 1995 against Omonia in Cyprus.

In November he got an invitation to the U21 against Ukraine. (ITL-UKR 2-1), where he played together with Panucci and Cannavaro as well. The team played against Spain in the final, where they won with penalty shoot-out. (Also Nesta scored a goal.) Cesare Maldini’s youth team became European Champion and Nesta was elected the best defender.

In the meantime Sacchi was preparing to the Euro 96 in England with the first eleven. Ferrara got an injury, so Nesta was needed, but he only was sitting on the bench. Italy dropped out. Right after it came the Olympic Games in Atlanta – without any result.

But on 5th October 1996 he presented himself as member of the Squadra Azzurra against Moldova. (3-1 for Italy)

As for the Lazio Zeman left the team and Superdino returned to the bench, and with this great person of the calcio the Lazio reborn. By this time Nesta became a pillar of the defence.

At the end of the season Zoff returned to the manager’s armchair and the new coach became the Swedish Sven Goran Eriksson.

16th September 1997 a historical moment, when Nesta scored a goal from action against Vitoria in Portugal!

In this season (1997/98) the Lazio won the Italian Cup again after 24 years!!! 29th April, a day, when also Sandro has a big rule in the 3-1 victory against AC Milan, a day which remain memorable for ever for the biancocelesti.

6th May 1998 UEFA Cup Final in Paris Inter vs. Lazio. The Milanese team won – the Romans got the silver medals. Nedved was crying, while Nesta was trying to comfort him. Who said that in the professional soccer only the money counts??? And the fans were celebrating the Lazio as they would have been the winners. What pictures!!!

1998 the first World Cup for Nesta – but it seems that France doesn’t bring fortune for him. He got a ligament injury in his right knee against Cameron on 23rd June. He has to return Italy, he must be operated, and according to the doctors 6 months inactivity. There were such gossips in the press that Nesta’s career was over. Fortunately Sandro overcame his injury, he worked hard in the gym and in the swimming-pool. In the meantime his team-mates elected him their captain with unprecedented love.

29th August 1998 the Lazio won the Italian Supercup against the Juventus – Nesta was sitting on the tribune, but at the end of the match he went down to the field to celebrate – but he still must wait with the real return.

3rd December 1998. Eriksson discussed with Nesta before the match against the Inter, that he could step on the field in the last 10 minutes. After so many tension, uncertainty and determination arrived this day, when – for the greatest pleasure of the team-mates and the supporters - Alessandro can be again in the Olympic Stadium and he’s also playing. Three days later against the Juventus he even could put on the white captain-band – and at the end of the match he said thank you to the supporters for being there.

On 16th March 1999 he lengthened his contract with the Lazio till 2004.

19th May 1999 Cup Winners’ Cup final against Real Mallorca, then on 27th August another victory for the European Supercup against Manchester United.

8th May 2000 Italian Cup victory and on 14th May they won the scudetto.

And finally arrived June this year = Euro 2000. There’s the Squadra Azzurra of Dino Zoff, and there’s Alessandro Nesta also. Against Turkey, Belgium, Sweden and Romania plain victory. Nesta was playing on every match, but he presented the most fantastic performance against the Dutch on 29th June: Nesta, Cannavaro and Maldini were like the gladiators in the ancient times, they showed us why the Italian catenaccio is so mythical. And at the end they qualified themselves into the final with penalty shoot-out.

2nd July 2000. France vs. Italy. The defence worked well this time too. The result was 1-0 to Italy till the 90th minute. But the referee didn’t stop the match until 4 long minutes, and it was enough for Wiltord to equalise. 2x15 minutes extra-time and with Trezeguet’s golden goal the world champion French team conquered also Europe...

Autumn of 2000: the Lazio takes part in the fights of the Champions’ League, and after the Sydney Olympic Games also the campionato started, what’s more the qualifying matches of the World Cup 2002, and there’s Nesta as well...

We hope that the injuries will avoid Alessandro in the future – and we can enjoy his brilliant style of play both in the Serie A and in the Squadra Azzurra, where maybe he inherits the captain band from Maldini.