By Paul Nicholson
June 28 – Stefano Borgonovo died yesterday in Florence, Italy, aged 49. Borgonovo had fought ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), a rare disease which kills nerve cells in the spinal cord and brain in the latter years of his life. His life will be remembered for his humility and grace in his battle against ALS, as well as for his style and potency on the football pitch.
Borgonovo leaves a lasting impression on football for his immense courage, skills and humility. Qualities recognised by football’s world leaders as he raised awareness of the disease.
Borgonovo enjoyed his greatest playing successes with Fiorentina between 1988 and 1992. Together with Roberto Baggio he formed the famous ‘B2’ strike partnership which became a household name in the late 1980s and struck fear into the heart of defences in italy’s Serie A in what was a golden age for Italian football as it sat at the top of world football.
A move to AC Milan followed and in 1990 he won a European Cup winner’s medal, not to mention a place in the Italian national squad. After his hanging up his boots, Borgonovo coached hometown club Como Calcio and founded his own football school which he ran until doctors informed him of his fate.
Borgonovo played 242 professional matches scoring 62 goals.
But it is perhaps the grace, style and humility that he brought to his battle against ALS that really defined Borgonovo as a person, and inspired people around him, including football’s world leaders from new Real Madrid manager manager Carlo Ancelotti to FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
In his 2010 autobiography, dedicated to Borgonovo, Carlo Ancelotti: The Beautiful Games of an Ordinary Genius, Ancelotti, then manager of Chelsea, spoke of his former team-mate’s illness, saying: “Stefano was my team-mate, and he has a problem. We need everyone to help him because maybe there is a solution for this illness, but we have to be fast because his condition is not good. He cannot move, he can just speak with his eyes… He is a good guy, very funny, likes to joke, even now, but he has a very dangerous illness.
Once diagnosed, Borgonovo’s deterioration was rapid. At first he was unable to pronounce certain letters. Then he lost command of his arms and hands. Soon he was struggling to swallow and even breathe. With each day he lost further control of his body until, one day, he was completely numb. Mentally, however, he remained fully alert and experienced the degeneration of his body in full.
Although completely paralysed in the final years of his life – he could only move his eyes, which he used to control a computer – he never gave in to “the monster”, a personal term he used for his terrible illness.
After losing control of his muscles in 2006, Borgonovo went public with his illness in 2008 and at the same time founded the Stefano Borgonovo Foundation, which raises money for ALS research. He became the face of and a figure of hope in the fight against ALS with his courage but also his actions, despite his debilitiating condition.
From his sickbed he wrote his autobiography, ‘Attacante nato’ (‘Born striker’) as well as a column for Italian sports paper La Gazzetta dello Sport, through which he is able to raise awareness of his illness.
“I love to laugh,” he wrote in his autobiography, “even now, when many would think there isn’t much to laugh about. I’m still the same old me. I’m happy that I’m happy. I’ve learned to appreciate the things I still have: happiness, positive feelings, a bit of excitement here and there. I see the good things in life and feel privileged – in spite of everything. I know there are people who have less than me, so what’s not to smile about?”
Stefano Borgonovo is survived by his wife Chantal and four children.
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