PUMA PLAYER PROFILE : GIANLUCA PAGLIUCA

October 8, 1998

Gianluca Pagliuca can look back on a season when the ball seemed to bounce his way at every turn.
After losing the Italy No. 1 shirt to fellow PUMA star and Juventus goalie Angelo Peruzzi, Pagliuca was soon re-installed as Italy's starting goalkeeper when Peruzzi picked up an injury in the run-up to the start of the World Cup.
With Inter's veteran captain Giuseppe Bergomi out injured he then led his club, Inter Milan, out at Parc au Prince in the all-Italian UEFA Cup final against Lazio in May.
Both there and in the World Cup, the 31-year-old Puma King player confirmed his position as one of the top goalkeepers in the world.
Inter beat Lazio in style, winning 3-0, but it was Pagliuca who on several occasions denied the opposition the opportunity to get back into the game. When the 90 minutes were up, the proud Inter ´keeper got his reward, as he hoisted the prestigious trophy into the Paris air in true Didier Deschamps' style.
At this stage of the season, despite his vast experience and 30 odd caps, Pagliuca knew that he would travel to France '98 as an understudy to Juventus' Peruzzi.
That situation, however, changed quickly.
With disappointing memories from the World Cup in the USA '94, when the Italian shotstopper had the chance of becoming the hero had he brought victory to "la Scudetta" in the penalty shoot-out against Brazil, Pagliuca showed a lot of passion in Italy's opening game against Chile in France four years later.
Pagliuca's confidence seemed to grow as the tournament went on and as far as spectacular saves are concerned, few — if any — World Cup goalies can match the PUMA player's efforts.
Memorable stops from Cameroon's Joseph Desire Job and Mario Haas of Austria were rounded off with the save of the tournament when Pagliuca quite extraordinary managed to prevent Norway's Tor André Flo's powerful close-range header from crossing the line in the second round.
In the end, Pagliuca faced another World Cup penalty shoot-out, this time in the quarterfinal against the host, France. Again, Pagliuca tasted the bitter taste of defeat as France emerged victorious and eventually won the tournament.
Admired for his unbelievable reflex saves, Pagliuca is also considered to be an expert in stopping penalties. This might be the story in Italy's Serie A, but in the World Cup this has not been the case.
Penalty expert or not, the Inter Milan international definitely proved his critics wrong with his outstanding display in France '98. As the new season — including Serie A and Euro 2000 qualifiers — kicks off, PUMA Cellerator star Angelo Peruzzi might just find it tough to regain that precious Italian No. 1 shirt.

Gianluca Pagliuca of Italy by Ben Radford/Allsport