Short International Careers, Part Five

1- Stefano Borgonovo

Italian Stefano Borgonovo’s best season was during the 1988/89 where he was on loan at Fiorentina from AC Milan. That season he formed a prolific striking partnership with Roberto Baggio that enabled both of them to be called up for the National team.

Borgonovo earned his three caps within a month in February and March of 1989. (February 22, 1989, Italy 1-Denmark 0 / March 25, 1989, Austria 0-Italy 1 and March 29, 2989, Romania 1-Italy 0).

For the first two matches he came on as substitute replacing strikers Gianluca Vialli and Aldo Serena respectively. He played the entire match vs. Romania.

He returned to AC Milan, but did not recapture his previous form and was never selected again.

He sadly passed away on June 27, 2013 from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Photo From: Guerin Sportivo, April 11-18, 1989

(Stefano Borgonovo with Dan Petrescu on the left, March 29, Romania 1-Italy 0)

2- Gregorio Fonseca

Spanish striker Gregorio Fonseca earned all his four caps during the calendar year of 1992.

His first two caps were under Manager Vicente Miera.

As a Real Valladolid player , he earned his first cap in a tie vs. the Commonwealth of Independent States (ex-USSR) on February 19, 1992 that ended in a one to one tie.

Less than a month later on March 11, 1992, he played vs. USA (2 to 0 win).

In the offseason he had joined RCD Espanol.

His third cap was under new Manager Javier Clemente in a Friendly vs. England on September 9, 1992 that Spain won (1 to 0) with Fonseca scoring the winner in the 11^th minute.

He earned his final cap in a World Cup qualifier on September 23, 1992 vs. Latvia at Riga that ended in a scoreless tie.

He was substituted in the 71^st minute and was never selected again.

Photo From: Don Balon, November 15-21, 1994

(Gregorio Fonseca)

3- John Fashanu

Wimbledon striker John Fashanu earned his only two caps for England in May 1989 during the Stanley Rous Cup.

He was beneficiary of the fact that the best teams in the League, Liverpool and Arsenal, did not release any players for the tournament as they were to play their League decider.

For his first cap on May 23, 1989 vs. Chile on Wembley (scoreless tie), Fashanu was replaced by Tony Cottee in the 70^th minute.

For his second cap on May 27, 1989 vs. Scotland at Glasgow (2 to 0 win) , he was replaced in the 31^st minute by Steve Bull.

He was never called up again.

Photo From: France Football, Issue 2394, February 25, 1992

(John Fashanu with Wimbledon)

4- Carmelo Micciche

French striker Carmelo Micciche earned his only two caps in the Spring of 1987. For his first match that coincided as Michel Platini’s last he opened the scoring in a (2 to 0) win vs. Iceland in a European Championship qualifier on April 29, 1987.

For his second and final cap, he was substituted in the 75^th minute in a loss (0 to 2) in European Championship qualifier vs. Norway in Oslo on June 16, 1987.

Photo From: Mondial, new series, Issue 88, July 1987

(Carmelo Micciche, June 16, 1987, EC Qualifier, Norway 2-France 0)

5- Hennie Meijer

Hennie Meijer earned his solitary cap on September 9, 1987 in a Friendly vs. Belgium that ended in a scoreless tie.

He had just joined Ajax that season from Roda JC as an extra attacking option following the departure of Marco van Basten to AC Milan.

During this match with Belgium he replaced Aron Winter in the 67^th minute, therefore his International career lasted 23 minutes only.

Photo From: Rode Duivels & Oranje Leeuwen., 100 jaar Derby der Lage Landen, Authors Ralf Willems, Matty Verkamman

(Hennie Meijer in his only International, on the right is Franky van der Eslt, September 9, 1987, Holland 0-Belgium 0)