Sensini (standing far right) in the Newell's Old Boys team that won the 1987-88 Primera División championship
His professional playing career started in 1986 for Newell's Old Boys; where he won his first title before relocating to Italy in 1989, joining Udinese alongside compatriot Abel Balbo. Sensini played four seasons for the bianconeri, before moving to Parma in 1993, where he remained for a further six seasons. During this period Sensini sometimes played in midfield[1] and won two UEFA Cups, two Italian Cups, and the UEFA Super Cup with the gialloblu, also reaching the final of the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1994. He had a brief stint with Lazio, from the 1999–2000 season, winning the scudetto, the Italian Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the Supercoppa Italiana in his first season. After two years with the club, he moved back to Parma for a further year, winning another Coppa Italia in 2002, before returning to his first Italian club, Udinese, in 2002.
In 2005, he was one of the most consistent performers in Udinese's surprise qualification for the UEFA Champions League. Sensini was one of the oldest players of the 2005–06 Serie A, holding even the record as the oldest foreign player to score a goal in first division, at the age of 39 years, two months and 26 days.[citation needed] With over 380 matches at the top level, he was considered one of the most experienced defenders of the Italian league, and often nicknamed nonno (grandfather) by Italian sports journalists. He retired at the end of the season.
Sensini was a consistent, decisive, and intelligent player.[4][5] He was also extremely tactically versatile, and was capable of playing in any defensive or midfield position.[6][7][8][9] Throughout his career, he was deployed as a full-back, an attacking wing-back, a centre-back, or even as a central or defensive midfielder.[10][11][12][13] Although he primarily excelled defensively as a ball winner, due to his marking and tackling ability, as well as his tough, aggressive, and physical playing style, he was also a player with good technique, who was capable of making attacking runs and contributing offensively for his team with occasional goals. Considered one of the best players of the 1990s and 2000s.[14][15][16][17][18]
Managerial career
On 10 February 2006, after the dismissal of Serse Cosmi, Sensini ended his playing career and was appointed Udinese's new manager. He was supported in his new position by Loris Dominissini, who was named co-coach.[19] The following month when Dominissini was sacked, Sensini resigned and left the club. Results had not improved with the team in danger of relegation, while they were defeated in the UEFA Cup by Bulgarian team Levski Sofia.[20]
For the Argentine Torneo Clausura 2008, Sensini coached Estudiantes de La Plata, having replaced Diego Simeone. Sensini then went on to manage Newell's Old Boys for the Clausura 2009 tournament.[21] In April 2011, he resigned after two years as head coach of Newell's Old Boys after Lepra's sixth loss in nine games, leaving them 19th in the Clausura table.[22]
On 21 February 2012, Sensini was appointed as the new head coach of Argentine first division club Colón. He resigned on 16 March 2013 after a 1–0 loss against rivals San Lorenzo, following a row of eight matches without winning.
^De Toma, Riccardo (30 September 2002). "Sensini fa decollare l' Udinese". Il Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Archived from the original on 10 December 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
^Toti, Giuseppe (25 September 1999). "Sensini-Veron, tuffo nel passato". Il Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Archived from the original on 10 December 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
^"SENSINI, Roberto Nestor". Treccani: Enciclopedia dello Sport (in Italian). 2002. Archived from the original on 8 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
^Giancarlo Padovan; Fabio Monti; Giorgio Rondelli (24 April 1995). "Zola inventa e Parma sogna ancora". Il Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Archived from the original on 10 December 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
^"Sensini verso Parma". Il Corriere della Sera (in Italian). 10 November 1993. Archived from the original on 27 February 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
^Perrone, Roberto (21 November 1993). "il Parma vuole tenere la testa alta". Il Corriere della Sera (in Italian). Archived from the original on 10 December 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
