Alessandro Nesta Biography

Together with 2006's World Player of the Year, Fabio Cannavaro, Nesta held the pressure of an Italian national squad's defense that would win them the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Even if winning this World Cup was his career's main highlight, there's much more to talk about in our Alessandro Nesta biography. 

Alessandro Nesta Biography – SS Lazio Youth
If you're born in Rome, there are two ways you can go soccer-wise: SS Lazio or AS Roma. Born in a family of Lazio supporters, young Alessandro Nesta was encouraged by his father to stay in school rather than take up soccer.

When his older brother was diagnosed with some back problems and advised to play a sport, the head of the Nesta family sent his older sibling to play in the youth squad of Lazio.

Young Alessandro took this opportunity to convince his father to allow him to play soccer as well and after several crying sessions, his father gave in and let the 9-year old follow his older brother to soccer practice. Nesta quickly made a name for himself adapting to any position his coaches would play him in, including those of a striker or playmaker. He even managed to get selected for the Italian national youth teams, being selected for the Under-15, Under-16 and Under-17 squads in the following years.

When he was 17, Nesta was close to signing a contract with town-rivals AS Roma, but his father turned down the offer. His father's decision would not hinder him to become a professional footballer though, as he was quickly signed on for Lazio's first squad.

Alessandro Nesta – SS Lazio First Team
Although not getting any games in his first season with the senior squad, Nesta came to the attention of the fans and press through a negative incident that had him breaking Paul Gascoigne's leg in a training session.

It was a blow that hurt his career as much as it threatened Gascoigne's career, but he eventually overcame the moment and soon earned a starting lineup position for Lazio. In two remarkable seasons with the club and the Under-21 Italy squad, Nesta was given captaincy of his team, becoming one of the youngest captains in Italian soccer.

With a team lead by Nesta, Italy's Under 21 squad managed to win the 1996 European Championship and the youngster was even named the best defender of the tournament.

His first trophy with Lazio came in the 1997-1998 season, as he lead his team on a successful Cup run, with Nesta scoring his first and last goal for Lazio, in the final against AC Milan. In the same season, Lazio were close to winning the UEFA Cup, but lost the final to fellow Italians Internazionale Milano.

Despite losing this great opportunity to win a European trophy, Alessandro Nesta and his team didn't lose their hope and went on to write one of the most impressive chapters in Lazio's history, winning the Cup Winners' Cup and European Super Cup in 1999, an impressive league-cup double in 2000 and two Italian Super Cups along the way.

The team's success was short lived however, as Lazio fell almost close to bankruptcy in 2002 and they were forced to sell Alessandro Nesta to the highest bidder, which proved to be AC Milan (although his sale stopped the financial problems at Lazio momentarily, the team eventually bankrupted anyway).

Alessandro Nesta Biography – AC Milan - Despite Lazio's success, they were never considered a big team, a theory proven by the fact that they were always the underdog in every competition they played and eventually won.

At AC Milan things would be a bit different for Nesta, as he was now playing for a club forcing huge amounts of pressure on its players. Fortunately for Milan's fans, it seems that pressure doesn't hinder Nesta at all, even more so it most likely fuels him.

With Nesta in the team, Milan managed to win almost everything they could, including the Italian championship, the UEFA Champions League (in 2003 and more recently, in 2007), the Coppa Italia and the European Super Cup.

The 2006-2007 season will probably remain the highlight Nesta's career, as it's this season that brought him the two trophies every footballer dreams of: the World Cup, together with Italian soccer team and the UEFA Champions League with AC Milan.