MILAN - Many would say Roberto Boninsegna reached the pinnacle of his career on 2 May 1971, the day he helped Inter win the Scudetto by scoring one of the most memorable goals in Nerazzurri history. It was the culmination of a dream he had nurtured since his time in the club's youth academy, although he had to take a roundabout route to get there. Via Cagliari.
In 1963, feeling he wasn't ready for what would soon become his Grande Inter side, Helenio Herrera decided to release the then 19-year-old striker. And so Roberto set off, passing through Prato, Potenza and Varese before reaching Sardinia, where he would grow particularly close to Cagliari legend Gigi Riva.
Bonimba – so dubbed by Italian journalist Gianni Brera due to his acrobatic prowess in spite of his stature – wasn't especially prolific during his three years in Sardinia (23 goals in 83 Serie A games) but he did become the first Italian to finish as top scorer in a foreign league.
In 1967 some of the Cagliari players and their coach Manlio Scopigno took part in the nascent North American Soccer League with the Chicago Mustangs. The team didn't manage to qualify for the play-offs but they had the fourth best attack, with Bonimba netting 11 of their 20 goals.
Two years later, in the summer of 1969, he rejoined Inter. He left Sardinia – though always carried the island in his heart – and went to chase his childhood dream of succeeding at Inter. Six years after Il Mago let him go, this was his chance to prove himself.
As it turned out, the following year Boninsegna was forced to watch the celebrations from afar as Cagliari enjoyed their greatest season ever, winning their first and only Scudetto. He congratulated his mate Riva but was happy in Milan because he felt Inter was his home. And Mario Corso made the point that with Bonimba in the team, Grande Inter would be even grander.
He spent a summer in the limelight at Mexico '70 as he scored and set up an extra-time winner for his buddy Gigi Riva in the Match of the Century (Italy's 4-3 semi-final win over West Germany), then scored again in the final against Pele's Brazil, though it ultimately counted for nothing.
Back in Milan, he was to play a crucial part in Inter's 1970/71 Scudetto triumph, notching 24 goals over the season to finish as Serie A's top scorer.
Having had to play catch-up for much of the campaign, Giovanni Invernizzi's side eventually finished above AC Milan and Napoli to claim the club's 11th league title, sealed with a 5-0 drubbing of Foggia on 2 May 1971.
And Boninsegna got the party started with a goal of the purest quality in the 7th minute.
Mario Corso hit a long ball for Giacinto Facchetti to race onto, the captain looked up and whipped in a cross for Bonimba, who launched himself high into the air and made the sweetest of connections to score one of the best overhead-kick goals you'll ever see.
Roberto Boninsegna, Inter-born and Cagliari-bred, had realised his childhood dream in the most spectacular way possible.
