Name: Antonio Bellopede
Country:
ItalyClub: A.C. Messina
Position: *SWP, CB
Side: RF/BS
Age: 28-31 years (14/12/1956)
Height: 175 cm
Weight: 74 kg
Attack: 65
Defence: 77
Balance: 81
Stamina: 83
Top Speed: 76
Acceleration: 75
Response: 78
Agility: 75
Dribble Accuracy: 74
Dribble Speed: 72
Short Pass Accuracy: 76
Short Pass Speed: 73
Long Pass Accuracy: 78
Long Pass Speed: 73
Shot Accuracy: 63
Shot Power: 79
Shot Technique: 66
Free Kick Accuracy: 61
Curling: 68
Header: 72
Jump: 74
Technique: 77
Aggression: 69
Mentality: 79
Goalkeeper Skills: 50
Team Work: 81
Injury Tolerance: B
Condition: 6
Weak Foot Accuracy: 5
Weak Foot Frequency: 5
Consistency: 6
Growth type: Late/Lasting
CARDS:
S08 - Slide Tackle
S10 - DF Leader
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Sliding - D-Line Control
Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Defence Minded
INFO:
Bellopede was a sweeper or centre back. He spent most of his career in Serie C, first at Sorrento from 1974 to 1981 and playing 162 league matches, then at Messina from 1982 to 1987 and playing 152 league games. He also played two seasons in Serie B, one during his last year at Messina and the second the following year with Arezzo. He spent seasons also at Savoia, Voghera and Pro Vercelli, where he retired in 1990.
Messina's historic captain and leader, Bellopede was the type of player who set his teammates straight when needed: during a match Salvatore Schillaci received a yellow card after a bad foul, then he committed it again, risking to be sent off; so Bellopede reproached and slapped him a bit to calm him down. A part of that, the defender was an implacable sweeper, especially behind the defensive line. He was always ready to tackle his opponents and take the ball away from them, sometimes even hitting their ankles depending on the situation. Moreover he had class and was gifted with good technique and vision of the game, considered way superior to most Serie C players: he often advanced out of his own area with ball on his feet and head held high, ready to deliver an accurate pass. Despite his not too defensive attitude, he didn't score many goals − 3 with Sorrento and 4 with Messina − but they were never made by chance: an example is a goal he scored in 1986 against Monopoli, when he raised the ball with the right heel before shooting with the same foot; in the same match he also delivered a cross from near the left corner flag to assist Schillaci who eventually scored.