Being asked to pick a greatest XI isn’t an easy task and it’s obviously open to interpretation but I’ve gone with what I believe is the heart and soul of Brescia and their yo-yo existence.
Home to some of the most gifted, mercurial and talented players Italy has produced, ‘the little swallows’ (one of the best nicknames in Italian football) have seen their fair share of world class football.
This side is stacked with homegrown talent and despite my initial temptation to pack my side with midfielders, a position where Brescia seemed to have been blessed across the years, hopefully this team can reflect talent that has graced the grass of the ‘Rigamonti’, whether it’s for one season or eleven.
My first side drafted didn’t include Roberto Baggio … but then I woke up to my senses imagining the hate mail and vitriol coming my way, and that’s just from the editor of this fine website.
Goalkeeper – Giuseppe Trivellini (1911-1930)
Trivellini accumulated 208 appearances for Brescia and was not only a part of the club for their birth in 1911 but remained until the side made its way up to Serie A for the first time in the 1929-30 season.
Famously one of the first players in Italy to spend his entire career at one club, the local born Trivellini now has a street named after him in the city – Via Giuseppe Trivellini.
Right-back Marco Zambelli (2004-2015)
Another local player who rose through the Brescia Primavera system, Zambelli spent 11 seasons with the club going on to make 299 appearances between Serie A and Serie B.
Zambelli was comfortable playing in a flat back four or further up the field if required and dished out 21 assists during his time with the club, striking up a fruitful partnership with the towering striker Andrea Caracciolo.
Centre-back: Daniele Adani (1994-1999 & 2004-2005)
The central defender spent six seasons in Brescia across two spells with the club making 178 appearances between Serie A and Serie B. Adani joined the club as a 19-year-old and went on to establish himself as a regular first team regular, comfortable of playing on either side of central defence, despite his young age before moving to Fiorentina in 1999.
Brescia’s habitual annual move to change managers during a season saw Adani play under 10 different managers in six years during his time at the club.
Centre-back: Stefano Bonometti (1978-1989 & 1990-1996)
Bonometti could arguably be considered one of Brescia’s greatest player, and that’s saying a lot given some of the names on this team sheet, and a fan favourite, thanks in part to his ability to man mark his opposition forward.
The Brescia-native defender appeared in nearly 400 games for the club across all competitions and winning both Serie C and Serie B with the club as well as being a part of the famous 1994 Anglo-Italian cup-winning side.
Bonometti went onto retire from professional football in 1996 nearly 20 years after making his professional debut in 1978.
Left-back: Branco (1986-1988)
Given that most of his achievements were in Juventus colours I’ve ignored Umberto Cagliaris here and gone with the Brazilian Branco. Despite being relegated with Brescia in the 1986-87 season the Brazilian, who made 72 appearances for his country, chose to stay at the Stadio Mario Rigamonti and play the following season in Serie B.
The fullback returned to Italy’s topflight, and went on to eventually win the FIFA World Cup with Brazil in 1994, joining Genoa after Italia 90 where he spent three seasons.
Central Midfielder: Ottavio Bianchi (1960-1966)
I was very tempted to go with Marek Hamsik or Andrea Pirlo here, however the lure of having a homegrown player in the side was too much, so Bianchi makes the team.
Bianchi of course went on to manage Napoli during the glory days of Maradona, winning the Scudetto, UEFA Cup and Coppa Italia, but it’s his time spent with Brescia during his formative years that set him up for success as a player, and perhaps even a manager.
Capped twice for Italy, Bianchi joined the club as a teenager and went on to spend six seasons in the heart of midfield with Brescia before going on to join Napoli.
Central Midfielder: Egidio Salvi (1963-1968 & 1969-1980)
Another homegrown product, Salvi debuted for the club in the 1963-64 season and went on to make 443 appearances for the club. Incredibly, the midfielder went on to remain at the club until the 1979-80 season where he was a part of the side that won promotion back to Serie A.
Salvi remained with the club after once retired working in a wide range of roles within the Brescia youth and Primavera system.
Central Midfielder: Emanuele Filippini (1992-2003)
Despite being eternally linked with his twin brother Antonio, both on and off the field – the pair played together for five different clubs – we’ve gone with Emanuele.
The diminutive defensive midfielder amassed 200 appearances for his hometown club, also comfortable playing as a right sided midfielder when required and was a part of two Serie B championship winning teams, once with Brescia (96-97) and once with Palermo (03-04).
The fan favourite Filippini went on to have a short spell as Kenya U20 manager in 2013, amongst other jobs, before returning home to eventually wind up assistant manager to the Italian national U19 side.
Forward: Dario Hubner (1997-2001)
When you think of Hubner, you think of goals.
The ‘Bison’, who famously won the top scorer title in Serie A, B and C, spent four seasons in Brescia finishing up with an unbelievable goal scoring rate of 85 goals in 145 appearances, before departing for Piacenza in 2001. Arguably his best season was his last at the club when in 2000-01 he was partnered up with Roberto Baggio scoring 17 goals and helping Brescia qualify for Europe, albeit the Intertoto Cup.
A high work-rate or disciplined training routine weren’t a part of Hubner’s footballing identikit in Brescia but his innate ability to find the back of the net, and find time for an occasional smoke on the bench, saw him finish his career with 217 goals in 436 appearances – a record which speaks for itself.
Forward: Andrea Caracciolo (2001-2018)
When I started to put together an all-time Brescia side together, Caracciolo was one of the first names on the imaginary team sheet. The towering striker, who’s a fully qualified electrical engineer, had three stints with the little swallows raking up 418 appearances scoring 179 goals in all competitions.
Capped twice by Italy, Caracciolo seemed to be an ever present in Brescia and that’s despite playing for 10 different clubs across his career, and it’s hard to think of one without the other. The 2009-10 season was a particular highlight for the big man as he finished the season with 25 goals in 34 matches and no greatest Brescia XI would be complete without him.
No.10: Roberto Baggio (2000-2004)
It’s Roberto Baggio.