After appearing regularly at Vicenza Calcio, where he played mainly as a central defender, alongside Joachim Björklund, a 2nd place in the league followed in 1997–98 at Inter Milan, with whom he signed a four-year contract, and won the UEFA Cup. Previously, in April 1997, he had agreed to sign for Parma AC, but eventually joined that club in the 1998 summer, adding another UEFA Cup triumph in 1998–99.