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Alberto Bigon
Personal information
Date of birth	31 October 1947 (age 77)
Place of birth	Padua, Italy
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team
1964–1966	Padova
1966–1967	Napoli
1967–1969	SPAL
1969–1971	Foggia
1971–1980	A.C. Milan
1980–1982	Lazio
1982–1984	Vicenza
Total
Managerial career
1986–1987	Reggina
1987–1989	Cesena
1989–1991	Napoli
1991–1992	Lecce
1992–1993	Udinese
1994–1995	Ascoli
1996–1997	Sion
1997–1998	Perugia
1999–2000	Olympiacos
2007–2008	Sion
2008	Interblock Ljubljana
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alberto "Albertino" Bigon (born 31 October 1947) is an Italian football manager and former player, who played as a midfielder or forward.

Playing career

Born in Padua, Bigon started his playing career for his native city team Padova. He made his Serie A debut with SPAL in 1967, but obtained most of his playing triumphs with A.C. Milan, where he played from 1971 to 1980. He appeared in 218 league matches with A.C. Milan, scoring 56 goals and winning a Serie A championship in 1979, as well as three Coppa Italia tournaments (1972, 1973, 1977) and a Cup Winners' Cup (1973). He also served as Milan's captain. Bigon retired from playing football in 1984, after two two-year spells with Lazio and Vicenza.^[2]

Style of play

Bigon was a tactically intelligent attacking midfielder, with a slender physique and an eye for goal, who was also capable of playing as a forward.^[3]

Coaching career

Bigon coached his first team, Reggina, in 1986–1987, then Cesena, in 1987. He coached Cesena until 1989, when he left to coach Napoli, then led by Diego Maradona. He immediately won a Serie A championship, the second in Napoli's history. He then won the Italian Super Cup the same year. He left the club in 1991, after a poor eighth place followed by Maradona's forced farewell to Napoli. He then coached minor clubs such as Lecce (Serie B), Udinese (Serie A, saved from relegation after playoffs) and Ascoli (Serie B). In 1996, he was appointed coach of Swiss team FC Sion, which he led to win Swiss Super League for its second time in history. Bigon then tried an unsuccessful return to Serie A with Perugia. In November 1999 he was appointed coach of Greek club Olympiacos,^[4] but was dismissed on 10 April 2000 despite the first place in the championship table.

After seven years without a job, Bigon made a comeback to football in February 2007, when he was appointed coach of FC Sion, a team he already managed years before.

In August 2008, he became head coach of Slovenian football team Interblock Ljubljana. However, this experience lasted only a very short time, as Bigon left the club in September 2008 by mutual consent with the club due to personal health issues.^[5]

Honours

Player

Milan

Coach

Napoli

Sion

Swiss Super League: 1996–97
Swiss Cup: 1997

Olympiacos

Alpha Ethniki: 1999–2000

Individual

Special Panchina d'oro: 1997
A.C. Milan Hall of Fame^[3]

References

^ "Vicenza 1902" (in Italian). Archived from the original on 14 March 2007. Retrieved 8 March 2007.
^ "Il pallone racconta: Albertino Bigon". assocalciatori.it (in Italian). 23 October 2014. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 22 May 2015.
^ ^a ^b "A.C. Hall of Fame: ALBERTO BIGON". A.C. Milan. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
^ "Olympiacos appoint new coach". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 11 November 1999. Archived from the original on 29 January 2000. Retrieved 26 October 2014.
^ "Capodistriani colpiti e affondanti a Nova Gorica" (in Italian). 29 September 2008. Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2008.