Luigi Bertolini

Luigi Bertolini

Bertolini with Juventus in the 1930s
Personal information
Full name	Luigi Bertolini
Date of birth	13 November 1904
Place of birth	Busalla, Italy
Date of death	11 February 1977(1977-02-11) (aged 72)
Place of death	Turin, Italy
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1924–1925	Borsalino	?	(?)
1925–1926	Savona	19	(9)
1926–1931	US Alessandria	119	(6)
1931–1937	Juventus	137	(5)
1937–1940	Tigullia	?	(?)
International career
1929–1935	Italy	26	(0)
Managerial career
1937–1940	Tigullia
1946–1947	Acireale
1947–1948	Reggina
1951	Juventus
1952	Brescia
1952–1953	Cuneo
1953–1955	Cenisia
1965–1966	Chieri
Medal record Italy Central European International Cup 1931–32 Central European International Cup FIFA World Cup 1934 Italy Central European International Cup 1933–35 Central European International Cup
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Luigi Bertolini (Italian pronunciation: [luˈiːdʒi bertoˈliːni]; 13 September 1904 – 11 February 1977) was an Italian footballer who played as a midfielder.

Club career

Born in Busalla, province of Genoa, Bertolini played in the 1920s for Savona, Alessandria and Juventus. He moved from Alessandria to Juventus in 1931, becoming an integral part of the remainder of their five-year championship run. In total, he played 137 matches for Juventus, scoring five goals, helping the team to win four Serie A tournaments. He retired from playing football in 1940.

International career

With the Italy national football team, Bertolini made his debut in 1929, and was a member of the teams that was runner-up at the 1931-32 Central European International Cup & winner at the 1933–35 Central European International Cup but most notably he was also a member of the team that won the 1934 FIFA World Cup. Alongside Luisito Monti and Attilio Ferraris, Luigi Bertolini made up the legendary Italian midfield established at the 1934 World Cup. In that tournament he started every game and was only rested by Pozzo in the first quarter-final encounter against Spain. Bertolini is very recognisable in the photos of the 1934 Italian World Cup-winning team by virtue of his big white bandana which he used to protect his head from the seams of the ball when attempting headers. He was also one of the 'Lions of Highbury' in the narrow loss to England in November 1934 known as the Battle of Highbury. As the story goes, during the second half he was disoriented from fatigue and with the English constantly in attack, he kept calling out for Luisito not realising that Monti was not on the field (due to a broken bone) and the midline was just himself and Ferraris.

Managerial career

Following his retirement, Bertolini began his coaching career with Tigullia in 1938.

Honours

Club

Juventus

• Serie A: 1931–32, 1932–33, 1933–34, 1934–35

Tigullia

• Prima Divisione: 1937–38

International

Italy

• FIFA World Cup: 1934
• Central European International Cup: 1933–35; Runner-up: 1931–32

References

• La Gazzetta dello Sport