as a free agent, he joined Napoli, following an injury crisis that hit the club. He made his debut with Napoli on 19 April, in a 2–0 away loss to Cagliari, becoming the fifth goalkeeper to be used by the azzurri in the 2008–09 season (the other four being Gennaro Iezzo, Nicolás Navarro, Matteo Gianello and Luigi Sepe). International career Uncapped, Bucci was called by Italy manager Arrigo Sacchi as Italy's third goalkeeper for the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, behind Gianluca Pagliuca and Luca Marchegiani, making no appearances. Italy finished the tournament in second place, after losing on penalties in the final against Brazil. He would make his full debut on 21 December of that year, appearing in a 3–1 friendly win over Turkey. He was also a back-up goalkeeper for Italy at UEFA Euro 1996. In total, Bucci made three senior appearances for Italy between 1994 and 1996. Style of play In spite of his relatively short stature for a goalkeeper, Bucci was a reliable and physically strong keeper, who was known for his consistency, athleticism, explosiveness, agility, and acrobatic style of play; although he had a reserved character, he was a confident and resolute goalkeeper, with a strong temper, who often stood out for his instinctive and aggressive playing style. Considered to be one of the best Italian goalkeepers of his generation, throughout his career, he was highly regarded for his speed when rushing off his line to anticipate strikers outside the area who had beaten the offside trap, and for his ability to get to ground quickly to collect or parry the ball, and was also effective at stopping penalties. Furthermore, Bucci was highly competent with the ball at his feet, and often functioned as a sweeper-keeper in teams which relied on a zonal marking system and high defensive lines. Due to his distribution, he was also capable of starting plays and launching attacks from the back. Bucci also stood out for his longevity. Post-playing career After the 2008–09 season, Bucci decided to retire from professional football and became a youth team goalkeeper coach at Parma. In 2015, he joined Bologna as the club's goalkeeping coach, under his former Parma manager Roberto Donadoni. Honours Reggiana Serie B: 1992–93 Parma UEFA Cup: 1994–95 UEFA Super Cup: 1993 Torino Serie B: 2000–01 References External links Gazzetta profile 1969 births Living people Footballers from Bologna Association