He was a stopper (a man–marking centre-back in Italian football jargon) and also played for Italy at international level, winning the 1982 FIFA World Cup.

An elegant, physically strong, and dynamic player,[1] he was gifted with good technique and distribution, as well as excellent anticipation, movement, marking ability, heading, and aerial prowess; because of his many defensive attributes, he was considered Roberto Rosato's heir at Milan.

Brought up through the A.C. Milan youth academy, he debuted in Serie A with the rossoneri in the 1976–77 season, in which he played eleven times and even won the Coppa Italia.

At Inter he was always a mainstay in the defense, but in September 1986 he wanted to be closer to his hometown of Udine and he went to play for Udinese Calcio, where he only stayed for one season (20 games, 2 goals).

[2] Collovati was a member of the Italy squad that finished in fourth place at the 1980 European Championships on home soil, missing the decisive penalty in the shoot-out of the bronze-medal match against Czechoslovakia.