The Football Italia opening titles concluded with his image of euphoric celebration.
He gamely danced the Lambada alongside host James Richardson on Gazzetta Football Italia.
Winning the Scudetto with Sampdoria miraculously helped restore his hair as he comically wore a wig in a brilliant post-match interview.
Electrifying, entertaining and under appreciated, Attilio Lombardo encapsulated everything good about Italian football for a fleeting, but historic, period in the 1990s and early 2000s.
While some were fixated with his physical appearance, it overshadowed his numerous attributes: phenomenal speed, the stamina of a middle-distance runner and as a rapid outlet on the transition from defence to attack.
More than anything else it was his endearing personality that won him a legion of fans across Italy and beyond.
Humble, self-effacing, and willing to laugh at himself he became an icon, especially in displaying such unabashed delight when celebrating goals.
Born in the southern Province of Caserta in 1966 but raised in Lombardy, he started as a striker before being converted to the right hand side of midfield.
He didn’t pole vault to the top immediately and had to scale the barriers of Serie C2 with Pergocrema and Cremonese in Serie B before reaching new heights with Sampdoria.
Christened bombetta – which roughly translates as ‘fireracker’ in English – in Cremona he fearlessly converted the penalty which clinched promotion for the Grigiorossi in a June 1989 play-off against Reggina.
He was never destined to play in the top flight with Cremonese after Samp paid 4 billion lira to form a spectacular attacking trident with Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Mancini.
It’s no coincidence that the Blucerchiati’s most successful period involved the influential Lombardo.
Given the moniker Popeye, for a somewhat passing resemblance to the cartoon character, his introduction as a second half substitute provided vital forward impetus as the Genoa based club claimed its first European trophy.
Lombardo played a role in both Vialli goals as Samp overcame stubborn resistance from Anderlecht to win the European Cup Winners Cup on an unforgettable Gothenburg evening in May 1990.
His second season at Sampdoria was even more memorable, as the underdogs claimed a spectacular first Serie A title.
The man coach Vujadin Boskov called Io Struzzo – the Ostrich – for his marauding running style, featured prominently in a season full of highlights.
There were plenty of moments to savour. The deft turn from left to right to lash into the top corner against Bologna and the explosion of joy which followed. The cushioned left-foot volley which Toninho Cerezo superbly converted to defeat a Milan side containing Franco Baresi, Ruud Gullit and Marco Van Basten at the San Siro. Two assists for fantasy football volleys from Vialli and Mancini in an inconceivable 4-1 win at Diego Maradona’s Napoli. An expertly taken volley high into the net at the spaceship stadium in Bari. The measured header for Vialli to rifle home as Samp sealed the title in an emphatic three goal victory against Lecce at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium.
In the elation that followed he sported a brown wig and was introduced as new squad member Cesare Lombardo by Vialli in a televised interview much to the amusement of the assembled press pack.
Lombardo scored three times and provided eight crucial assists in the Scudetto winning campaign, but his contribution could not be measured in mere statistics.
Hurtling like an express train through suburban towns leaving opponents like stranded commuters in his slipstream, he was an exhilarating, energizing presence.
In six years with the Blucerchiati it is no exaggeration to say the man from the small town of Zelo Buon Persico was one of the most thrilling and effective midfielders in Europe.
Given a platform at the highest level of European competition, Lombardo was integral as a swashbuckling Samp stylishly navigated past every obstruction in their path to the final. On the grandest of stages his approach remained unaltered; foot constantly jammed on the accelerator pedal, never in cruise control.
In the last European Cup before it mutated into the cash generator branding machine of the Champions League, the Blucerchiati were agonisingly denied at the final hurdle against Barcelona.
On the way to Wembley Lombardo even demonstrated his heading ability with goals in the opening round as Samp overwhelmed Rosenborg and in the second stage against Honved.
The five-goal home rout of the Norwegian league winners in September 1991 also featured a quintessential moment of brilliance. Collecting the ball in his own half, he charged into the unoccupied space ahead and switched gears like an Olympian going for gold on the final lap, feigned a stepover and unleashed an unstoppable shot into the top corner.
An easy tap-in against Anderlecht in the competition’s first ever group stages saw the midfielder deviate from his usual arms waving, hands imploring celebration as he successfully emulated Vialli with an ambitious but well executed forward somersault.
The path to the European Cup final was full of exuberant moments and spectacular goals as Samp were extremely unlucky to lose in extra-time after matching and outplaying Barcelona for large portions of the May 1992 final at Wembley.
A slightly underwhelming sixth place league finish in the 1991-1992 campaign meant Samp missed out on Europe. It was not without snapshots of Lombardo extravagance, as ably demonstrated in a four-goal home rout of Inter in September 1991.
A glorious display of purposeful, counter attacking was capped off with the winger snatching possession after his cross was cleared and sweeping in with his left-foot. He conducted the crowd with his hands in a gleeful celebration before later cracking in a measured right-foot volley off the near post. In a performance of near perfection Mancini struck directly from Pietro Vierchowod’s chipped long ball and Vialli played a back-heel with Brazilian midfielder Silas, nicked the ball past the advancing Walter Zenga and sped round the Inter keeper to side foot into the unguarded net.
The following campaign without Vialli (who left for Juventus) was not quite as memorable. Nonetheless, British audiences had the privilege of watching Lombardo for free on Channel 4 starting with the opening game of the season, a spectacular 3-3 draw with Lazio in Genoa on September 6, 1992. His lasting imprint on Gazzetta and Football Italia sealed in a passionate starting credits roar of exultation and in later years for playing along with Richardson and a sound man to dance on camera after a silly pun about his name.
Lombardo joined Marco Van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and Bebeto in World Soccer magazine’s 1992 team of the year. Based on his domestic and European performances, it was a richly deserved accolade and one to ponder for those who accused him of profligacy in front of goal and a lack of sufficient technical expertise.
A reinvigorated Sampdoria side emerged in the 1993-1994 season to claim the Coppa Italia with Dutch maestro Ruud Gullit and goal scoring England midfielder David Platt as vital fresh additions.
Lombardo was at the heart of it all with strikes against Roma, Inter and Parma before a typically whirlwind display in the second leg of the final against Ancona.
Direct, but without resorting to aimless long balls, Swedish coach Sven Goran-Eriksson encouraged a rip-roaring style with the emphasis firmly on forward motion.
It was emphatically illustrated in front of a raucous home support as Samp sauntered to a clinical 6-1 victory, Lombardo scoring twice and finishing the tournament as the leading scorer with five goals. Rampaging through like a sole rogue invader breaking from his squadron to successfully carry out a raid on enemy territory, his second goal was a delightful plunder, rounding off a flowing break involving Gullit and Vladimir Jugovic.
Semi-final heartache in the Cup Winners’ Cup as Samp lost on penalties to Arsenal, with the winger failing to convert from the spot, and an eighth place league finish in the 1994-1995 campaign ended a glorious period with the club.
Included in a ridiculous cut price package deal with Jugovic and Vierchowod, as the Blucerchiati started a price is right open to all bidder’s policy, he was shipped off to Juventus.
Disaster struck in the summer of 1995 when he sustained the first major injury of his career, fracturing a fibula and damaging ankle ligaments in a pre-season match with Borussia Dortmund. Reunited with Vialli but rarely on the pitch together they achieved redemption of sorts when Juve won the Champions League in May 1996. As Vialli triumphantly hoisted the giant trophy above his head Lombardo, in rather fetching black and grey training gear, is visible on the left-hand side of the podium, smiling and cherishing the moment despite not being involved.
It was a similar story in his second and final season with Bianconeri. Although part of the Serie A winning squad he was kept out of the team by Angelo Di Livio and instead of bursting down the right-wing was a frequent substitute or observer from the stands.
There were still intermittent flashes of brilliance. A near post headed goal and left-footed assist for Christian Vieri as a Zinedine Zidane inspired Juve thrashed Ajax 4-1 in the semi-final second leg at the Stadio Delle Alpi in April 1997 before Champions League disappointment in the final against Borussia Dortmund.
He also claimed a UEFA Super Cup medal in early 1997, side footing a late goal in a 6-1 first-leg demolition of Paris Saint-Germain long before they became a part of the Qatari government’s financial department.
A perplexing move to Crystal Palace, in surely one of the most unexpected transfers from Serie A to the English Premier League, temporarily rejuvenated his career. A hefty risk at the age of 31, Lombardo embraced the challenge wholeheartedly.
Immediately given the unimaginative moniker of the Bald Eagle (the last of the nicknames) his elan returned, as did the scintillating darts from distance. He netted on his debut for Palace against Everton in trademark fashion and the unfettered rejoicing when the ball hit the net also reappeared. Despite suffering relegation with the Selhurst Park club in the 1997-1998 campaign he was offered and accepted a player-manager role at Palace the next season before returning to Italy with Lazio.
More success followed in the Italian capital but nearing the end of an illustrious career Lombardo (who teamed up again with Mancini) was only sporadically involved.
Villa Park was the venue for the Biancocelesti’s European Cup Winners’ Cup triumph against Spaniards Mallorca in May 1999. After playing every minute in the latter stages as Lazio overcame Greeks Panionios in the quarter-final and Russians Lokomotiv Moscow in the semi-final he was rewarded with a token cameo of just six minutes replacing Pavel Nedved before picking up a third major European winner’s medal.
Lazio claimed a historic second Serie A title and lifted the Coppa Italia in the 1999-2000 season, however the flying winger was again restricted to a smattering of on-field appearances.
Despite the distinction of joining a pretty exclusive club of players to win three Scudetti all with different Serie A sides, his time at the highest peak of Italian football was gradually winding down. Rejoining a Sampdoria side that had fallen to the second tier like a movie franchise stripped of all its A-Listers but still stumbling on, the legend of the Luigi Ferraris Stadium finished his career at the conclusion of the 2001-2002 term, featuring a total of 308 times and scoring 51 goals for the Blucerchiati.
His all-action style, ebullient personality, and infectious enthusiasm for the game, on and off the pitch, remain his most cherished qualities.
Frustratingly and somewhat unjustly, international recognition evaded Lombardo. Although he wore the Azzurri shirt 18 times and struck three goals there was not a single appearance in a major tournament. Thankfully Italy’s memorable Euro 2020 victory provided acclaim in a slightly different form. As an assistant coach to national team manager Mancini – along with former Samp team-mates Fausto Salsano, Giulio Nuciari and Alberico Evani – he was part of the staff which also included head of the delegation Vialli, but which resembled another Blucerchiati triumph.
Starting with the Samp youth squads and primavera and eventually following Mancini to Manchester City and Galatasaray, among other coaching jobs, Lombardo has already proved his credentials from the sidelines. The national team’s glorious victory also provided a moment which perfectly captured Lombardo’s unmistakable gioia di vivere.
As Gianluigi Donnarumma clinched Italy’s European Championship victory by saving Buyako Saka’s penalty at Wembley the camera switched to Lombardo and Mancini embracing in tears of joy where once they had wept after a heartbreaking European Cup final defeat to Barcelona.