He was Mr. Roma before Francesco Totti, but how good was he?
Giannini signed for the Giallorossi in 1980, aged 16, for 40m lira (approximately £200 000), which is not typical for someone of his age.1 His technical ability was so highly rated Roma decided to splash the cash! He was set to be given the number 10 at Serie A giants, AC Milan, but at the last minute the Giallorossi swooped in.2
He wasn’t the fastest of players but had the ability to run with the ball at his feet and his head held up high. He was so effortless and elegant across the pitch he adopted the name Il Principe (The Prince).3 He was the type of player that was impossible to press, he created space and always seemed like he had all the time in the world. On top of this, he had the vision and technical ability to unlock defences at will. Giannini was often described as a “fantasista”, due to his creative ability and elegance. To give you an idea of what the fantasista is, Roberto Baggio and Diego Maradona were also given this name. Giannini was often deployed as a regista, bringing the ball out of defence. He was sometimes played further advanced but for the most part, he was in the deep lying role. The best modern day comparison to Giannini would be fellow compatriot, Andrea Pirlo.
Giannini’s debut for Roma came in the 1981/82 season but his first break out year came in the 1984/85 season, having spent the prior years as an apprentice to the great Paulo Roberto Falcao. After this break out year, he cemented his place as a first team regular for 10 years. At the age of 23, the Roman born, Giannini was given Roma’s armband and proceeded to become a club legend.
Giannini was a footballing genius but it was his loyalty the won the love of the fans. AS Roma weren’t winning titles and Giannini was getting offers from the giants, but he stayed loyal to Roma nonetheless. This may have influenced the new Mr. Roma, Francesco Totti. He was a one club player despite, also, having many other options available to him. Totti was asked of Giannini and he said, “Il Principe was my idol, my role model when I was a kid. I always followed in his footsteps even though we played in different positions. I saw him as a captain, as everything. I met him, played with him and shared a room with him. He taught me loads.” 2
For Roma, Giannini amassed 437 games and 75 goals. A very impressive goal output considering he was mostly deployed as a regista. For Italy, he was capped 47 times, scoring 6 goals. 1 goal in the 1988 European Championship final and 1 in the 1990 World Cup group stage.4 He was the only Roma player to represent Italy in the 1990 World Cup.
Although Giannini never got to lift a Serie A title with the Giallorossi, the Coppa Italia formed a major part of Giannini’s legacy. Giannini captained Roma to the 1991 Coppa Italia title, defeating one of the all time great AC Milan teams along the way. He left Roma after the 1995/96 season but his legacy was not forgotten! In 2013 Giuseppe Giannini was inducted into AS Roma’s Hall of Fame. Upon receiving this honour Gianni said, “It’s very flattering to be recognised and I’m delighted to accept. I’m really very proud. I’d like to thank everyone who voted for me, this is one of the best things to have ever happened to me. I always experienced everything with Roma at 100 miles an hour. The good times and the bad, my goal against Foggia just like the penalty I missed in the derby: moments I experienced first and foremost as a fan, not just a player. For me Roma was always more something in my heart than just a job.” 2
Giannini isn’t a household name that everyone in the world will recognise. Mainly, I believe, due to the lack of silverware in his career. If he left for some of the bigger teams, his reputation might have sky rocketed. But, it is for this very reason he is now in the Roma hall of fame! A footballing genius; a fantasista; a club legend; an inspirational captain; Il Principe, Giuseppe Giannini.
What is his Rookie Card?
Giannini’s rookie card comes from the Panini Calciatori 1984/85 set (the picture shown above).5 This coincides with his breakout year with AS Roma. In terms of valuation on this item, I cant see it ever being a premium item for collectors. I could be wrong, but I cant see there being a huge demand for Giannini’s rookie. That being said, for any serious AS Roma collector, this item is a must!
References
- https://forzaitalianfootball.com/2012/04/legend-of-calcio-giuseppe-giannini/
- https://www.asroma.com/en/club/hall-of-fame-2/giannini
- https://www.ultimouomo.com/lartista-precedentemente-conosciuto-col-nome-di-principe/
- https://sport.sky.it/calcio/approfondimenti/geografia-serie-a-migliori-calciatori-romani
- https://www.laststicker.com/cards/panini_calciatori_1984-1985/222
