Pinato started his career at hometown club Monza. He entered into first team in summer 1985, after Monza's relegation to Serie B. He played 14 times during the 1985–86 season, and he later overtook the Alberto Torresin as the club's starting goalkeeper at the beginning of the 1986–87 season. During the 1987–88 season, his regular place was taken by Francesco Antonioli. He won promotion with club in the summer of 1988, and was personally given a chance to move to A.C. Milan, along with Antonioli; Monza acquired Giulio Nuciariin return. At Milan, Giovanni Galli was the regular starter, and Pinato only played twice that season, as Milan won the European Cup. Pinato returned to Monza in the summer of 1989, which was also to be his last spell at the club, due to their relegation to Serie C1 in the summer of 1990. In his last Monza season, after Nuciari's departure, his only competitor were Luca Pellini and young youth product, Ivan Aiardi; Pinato played almost all of the club's Serie B games.
Atalanta and later career
At Atalanta, he was initially the understudy to Fabrizio Ferron during the 1990–96 seasons, therefore missing out on a starting spot during his physical prime. He was sent on loan to Piacenza Calcio during the 1991–92 season, and secured a regular place in the starting line-up over Rino Gandini. When Ferron left in the summer of 1996, Pinato became the regular starter, keeping the new signing Davide Micillo on the bench. The following season, Alberto Fontana arrived, and Pinato was once again relegated to the bench, despite having managed what is currently the 6th longest consecutive run without conceding a goal in Serie A, and the 4th best at the time, during the 1997–98 season, setting a 757-minute unbeaten streak. Fontana left in January 2001, but Pinato was too old to compete for a regular starting place with the young rising star Ivan Pelizzoli. Pelizzoli left in summer 2001 to Roma, but Pinato could only secure 5 games from new signing Massimo Taibi. He played his last Serie A match against Udinese on 3 March 2002, at the age of. In the summer of 2002, Pinato left Atalanta, signing with Serie B club U.C. Sampdoria, where he played the last season of his career as the backup of Luigi Turci, who had been Udinese's goalkeeper the previous season, Pinato's last opponent in Serie A.
Coaching career
Following his retirement, Pinato pursued a career as a goalkeeping coach with Milan.
