Claudio Marchisio (; born 19 January 1986) is an
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
former professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...
who played as a
midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
.
A product of the
Juventus youth system, he spent a large portion of his career at his hometown club, with the exception of a season-long loan spell at
Empoli, winning seven consecutive
Serie A
The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...
titles between 2012 and 2018, and four consecutive
Coppa Italia
The ("Italy Cup") is an annual knockout cup competition in Italian football organized by the FIGC until the 2009–10 season and the Lega Serie A ever since.
History
The beginning of the tournament was turbulent, due to the complexity of ...
titles between 2015 and 2018. He was the club's second vice-captain, behind
Giorgio Chiellini
Giorgio Chiellini (; born 14 August 1984) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC. Considered one of the best defenders of his generation, Chiellini is known for his stren ...
, before his contract was terminated in 2018 and then signed with Russian club
Zenit Saint Petersburg
Football Club Zenit (russian: link=no, Футбольный клуб «Зенит» ), also known as Zenit Saint Petersburg or simply Zenit, is a Russian professional football club based in Saint Petersburg. Founded in 1925 (or in 1914, acco ...
, where he stayed for one season, before retiring from professional football in 2019.
At the international level, Marchisio has represented Italy at the
2008 Summer Olympics, and at the
2010 and
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply called the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of the ' ( FIFA), the sport's global governing body. The tournament ha ...
s; he also took part at
UEFA Euro 2012
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th UEFA European Championship, European Championship for List of men's national association football teams#UEFA (Europe), men's ...
, winning a runners-up medal, and at the
2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, where he won a third-place medal. In total, he made 55 appearances for Italy at senior level between 2009 and 2017, scoring five goals.
After making his breakthrough in the
2008–09 season, Marchisio was often compared to former Juventus and Italian midfielder
Marco Tardelli
Marco Tardelli (; born 24 September 1954) is an Italian former football player and manager. At club level, he played as a midfielder for several Italian clubs; he began his career with Pisa, and later played for Como, Juventus, and Internaziona ...
by the Italian press, due to his energy, tenacious style of play, and good reading of the game, as well as his ability to seamlessly switch between offence and defence.
His preferred position was in central midfield but his versatility led to him playing in a variety of positions in midfield throughout his career to suit various formations.
Early life
Born in
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The ...
, to a father from
Piedmont
it, Piemontese
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, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographics1_title2 ...
and a mother from
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
, Marchisio is the youngest of three children and was raised in the ''
comuni
The (; plural: ) is a local administrative division of Italy, roughly equivalent to a township or municipality. It is the third-level administrative division of Italy, after regions ('' regioni'') and provinces (''province''). The can also ...
'' of
Chieri and
Andezeno
Andezeno (Piedmontese: ''Andzen'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about southeast of Turin.
Andezeno borders the following municipalities: Marentino, Montaldo Torinese, C ...
, where his parents run a family business and continue to reside.
His family were Juventus fans and season ticket holders and he used to be a ball boy at the
Stadio delle Alpi. As a child, he was interested in various sports and joined the youth football team at
Fiat's satellite sports club
Sisport
Sisport is a women's basketball team during the 1970s and 1980s in Turin, Italy.
History
''Gruppo Sportivo FIAT'' (''G.S. FIAT'') was founded in 1922 by employees of the eponymous automobile manufacturer the city of Turin is still associated ...
, where he was later scouted by Juventus youth coaches at the age of seven.
A talented middle-distance runner and skier, he began vocational training as a
surveyor after the mandatory schooling age of 16, in case his football career did not work out, but eventually dropped out to concentrate on football.
Club career
Youth and early career with Juventus
While in the
youth system
In sporting terminology, a youth system (or youth academy) is a youth investment program within a particular team or league, which develops and nurtures young talent in farm teams, with the vision of using them in the first team in the future if t ...
, Marchisio played as a
forward and as a ''
trequartista'' (offensive midfielder), modeling himself after his childhood hero
Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero (; born 9 November 1974) is an Italian former professional footballer who mainly played as a deep-lying forward, although he was capable of playing in several offensive positions. Since 2015, he has worked as a pundit ...
,
until he was switched to a deeper midfield role at the age of 16, due to his slender physique.
During the
2004–05 and
2005–06 seasons, he was called up to train with the first team numerous times by
Fabio Capello and given a squad number. He made the bench for the game away at
Cagliari but remained an unused substitute. Later that season, he captained the ''Primavera'' side to their first
Campionato Nazionale Primavera title in 12 years and a runner-up finish at the
Viareggio Tournament in his last full season with the ''Primavera'' squad.
After being included in the preseason friendlies, Marchisio was promoted to the first team permanently following Juventus' relegation to
Serie B
The Serie B (), currently named Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had been ...
due to the ''
Calciopoli'' scandal and given the number 15 shirt. On 19 August 2006, he made his first team debut in the
Coppa Italia
The ("Italy Cup") is an annual knockout cup competition in Italian football organized by the FIGC until the 2009–10 season and the Lega Serie A ever since.
History
The beginning of the tournament was turbulent, due to the complexity of ...
third round, coming on as a late substitute for
Matteo Paro
Matteo Paro (born 17 March 1983) is an Italian former footballer who played as a midfielder.
Career
Juventus
Paro made his Serie A debut on 17 May 2003, in a 2–1 loss to Reggina.
Chievo
In the summer of 2003, Juventus sold half of Paro's con ...
in a 3–0 win over
Martina. In September, he captained the ''Primavera'' team for the last time in the
Supercoppa Primavera, thrashing old rivals
Internazionale
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Inter is t ...
5–1.
He then made his league debut on 28 October against
Frosinone
Frosinone (, local dialect: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, the administrative seat of the province of Frosinone. It is located about south-east of Rome close to the Rome-Naples A1 Motorway. The city is the main city of the ...
as a late substitute for
David Trezeguet
David Sergio Trezeguet (born 15 October 1977) is a French former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Trezeguet began his career in Argentina with Club Atlético Platense at the age of eight, progressing through their youth sys ...
and made his first start in the following match against
Brescia
Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label= Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; vec, Bressa) is a city and ''comune'' in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Garda and Iseo ...
. As the season progressed, he established himself in
Didier Deschamps
Didier Claude Deschamps (; born 15 October 1968) is a French professional football manager and former player who has been manager of the France national team since 2012. He played as a defensive midfielder for several clubs, in France, Italy, ...
' side and ended the season as first-choice central midfielder.
He capped a fine season with an assist for Del Piero's match opener in the 5–1 thrashing of
Arezzo, a result which secured immediate promotion to Serie A mathematically.
Loan to Empoli
On 25 July 2007, Marchisio was
loaned out to
Empoli for the
2007–08 season with good friend and fellow youth product
Sebastian Giovinco to gain first-team experience. He made his
Serie A
The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...
debut on 26 August against
Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional football club based in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while the actual club was refounded in August 2002 fol ...
and European debut the following month in the
UEFA Cup
A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, china, clay ...
against
FC Zürich
Fussballclub Zürich, commonly abbreviated to FC Zürich or simply FCZ, is a Swiss football club based in Zürich. The club was founded in 1896 and has won the Swiss Super League 13 times and the Swiss Cup 10 times. The most recent titles a ...
. Although he did not score any goals, he tallied two vital assists and was a regular starter when available for the
Tuscan club under both
Luigi Cagni and
Alberto Malesani
Alberto Malesani (; born 5 June 1954) is an Italian football manager and former player. As a manager, he is mostly remembered for his successful spell with Parma during the late 1990s, where he won the Coppa Italia, the UEFA Cup, and the Superco ...
. Unfortunately, Empoli were unable to avoid relegation and he was recalled to Turin by the recently appointed manager
Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri Grande Ufficiale OMRI (; born 20 October 1951) is an Italian football manager and former player. He will be the new head coach of club Cagliari from 1 January 2023.
Ranieri began his managerial career in the lower leagues in ...
.
Return to Juventus and breakthrough
After his impressive performances for Empoli, Marchisio returned to Juventus for the
2008–09 campaign and made an impressive Champions League debut, playing the full 90 minutes against
Artmedia Petržalka
Artmedia was one of the first scientific projects concerning the relationship between art, technology, philosophy and aesthetics. It was founded in 1985 at the University of Salerno. For over two decades, until 2009, dozens of projects, studies, e ...
in the
Champions League third qualifying round, second leg. In November, former
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
and Fiorentina striker
Stefano Borgonovo
Stefano Borgonovo (; 17 March 1964 – 27 June 2013) was an Italian footballer and manager, who played as a striker. An opportunistic striker, Borgonovo played for several Italian clubs throughout his career, and came to prominence while playin ...
wrote about him on ''
La Gazzetta dello Sport'': "Marchisio has everything needed to play at the highest level...
ehas personality, reminds me of the great
Marco Tardelli
Marco Tardelli (; born 24 September 1954) is an Italian former football player and manager. At club level, he played as a midfielder for several Italian clubs; he began his career with Pisa, and later played for Como, Juventus, and Internaziona ...
."
Under Ranieri, he eventually established himself as first-choice due to injuries and lackluster performances from other midfielders. He further established himself in the starting eleven after a man-of-the-match game against Milan in pouring rain that earned him rave reviews from the media. He quickly became a firm favourite amongst the ''Bianconeri'' fans and they voted him as their Player of the Month for December on the club website. Five days after his 23rd birthday, he scored his first Serie A goal, the match-winner against Fiorentina.
Less than a week later, he was rewarded with an improved five-year contract extension.
His season was interrupted by a series of minor injuries in April, which resulted in him being sidelined for almost a month, and he returned to the starting eleven for the penultimate matchday away at
Siena
Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.
The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centur ...
, marking it with a goal and an assist for captain Alessandro Del Piero's second goal of the match in a 0–3 win and then setting up
Vincenzo Iaquinta
Vincenzo Iaquinta (; born 21 November 1979) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Prior to joining Juventus in 2007, he initially played for several smaller Italian clubs, and subsequently moved to Udinese in ...
's opener in a 2–0 home win against
Lazio
it, Laziale
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, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographics1_title2 ...
, a result that ensured a second-place finish for the ''Bianconieri''. When the season ended, he was continuously linked with various clubs, but Director of Sport
Alessio Secco ended all speculation by listing him as one of the "untouchable" players. His good performances did not go unnoticed by Italian national team coach
Marcello Lippi, who later handed him his senior international debut.
Post-calciopoli struggles
Marchisio continued to be first choice under
Ciro Ferrara
Ciro Ferrara (; born 11 February 1967) is an Italian former footballer and manager. His most recent position was as manager of Wuhan Zall. He had also previously coached Juventus and the Italy national under-21 team. As an assistant coach to M ...
and later
Alberto Zaccheroni
Alberto Zaccheroni (; born 1 April 1953) is an Italian football manager, formerly in charge of the United Arab Emirates and Japan national football teams.
He has managed a number of top clubs in Serie A, the high point of his career being his s ...
mainly due to his versatility and consistency in midfield. During the beginning of the
2009–10 season, he had a good run of form, winning Man of the Match awards in four consecutive matches and being voted Player of the Month for September by registered members on the club website but picked up a knee injury in the loss to
Palermo at the beginning of October. After surgery, he was sidelined for one month and a half and made his comeback as a last-minute substitute in the
Champions League group stage tie away at
Bordeaux
Bordeaux ( , ; Gascon oc, Bordèu ; eu, Bordele; it, Bordò; es, Burdeos) is a port city on the river Garonne in the Gironde department, Southwestern France. It is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the prefect ...
on 25 November. On 5 December 2009, he scored the winner in a 2–1 home win over
Internazionale
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Inter is t ...
in the
Derby d'Italia
The Derby d'Italia ( English: Derby of Italy) is the name of the football derby between Internazionale of Milan and Juventus of Turin. The term was coined back in 1967 by Italian sports journalist Gianni Brera. It is the equivalent of Spain's ...
, where he showed incredible composure to drag the ball with both feet before dinking it over the stranded
Júlio César.
Three days later, he set up David Trezeguet to score the opening goal of the game in the decisive
Champions League 1–4 home loss against
Bayern Munich. At the end of the year, he was voted Juventus Player of the Year for 2009 by fans on the club website. In the
Europa League round of 16 tie against
Fulham on 11 March 2010, he captained the team for the first time when David Trezeguet handed him the captain's armband after being substituted at the 62nd minute, as vice-captains
Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon (; born 28 January 1978) is an Italian professional footballer who captains and plays as a goalkeeper for the club Parma. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. He is one of the few recorded pl ...
and
Giorgio Chiellini
Giorgio Chiellini (; born 14 August 1984) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC. Considered one of the best defenders of his generation, Chiellini is known for his stren ...
missed the match through injury and Del Piero remained an unused substitute. He scored an equalizer against
Catania on the second-last away matchday to keep Juventus in a Europa League spot and, despite Juventus' dismal season, was one of the few players to escape the mass criticism from the press.
Despite a disappointing
2010 FIFA World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
campaign, Marchisio began the season as first-choice under new manager
Luigi Delneri
Luigi Delneri (born 23 August 1950), often incorrectly written as Del Neri, is an Italian football manager and a former player.
After a playing career as a midfielder including for several Serie A clubs, he began managing in the lower leagues, a ...
. After a slow start to the
season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and ...
, he began to thrive in his role as a wide midfielder. In September, he marked his 100th appearance in a Juventus shirt with a goal against
Udinese
Udinese Calcio, commonly referred to as Udinese, is a professional Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, that currently plays in Serie A. It was founded on 30 November 1896 as a sports club, and on 5 July 1911 as a ...
in a 4–0 win. He started his first match as captain against
Roma in April. On 17 May 2011, Juventus announced that Marchisio had signed an improved, five-year contract with the club. His semi-
bicycle kick
In association football, a bicycle kick, also known as an overhead kick, scissors kick, is an acrobatic strike where a player kicks an airborne ball rearward in midair. It is achieved by throwing the body backward up into the air and, before d ...
goal against Udinese in January was voted Goal of the Season by fans on fansite vecchiasignora.com.
Return to victory
2011–12 season
Marchisio started the
2011–12 season well by scoring Juve's final goal in the opening match of the campaign at the club's new stadium, a 4–1 home win over
Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second mos ...
on 11 September 2011. Under former Juventus legend
Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte (; born 31 July 1969) is an Italian professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.
Playing as a midfielder, Conte began his career at local club Lecce and later ...
, he was played alongside new signings
Arturo Vidal
Arturo Erasmo Vidal Pardo (; born 22 May 1987) is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Flamengo and the Chile national team. His displays during his time at Juventus led him to be n ...
and
Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo (; born 19 May 1979) is an Italian professional football coach and former player who is head coach of Süper Lig club Fatih Karagümrük. Considered one of the best deep-lying playmakers ever, Pirlo was renowned for his visio ...
to great effect and were dubbed the "
M-V-P" midfield by the press and fans. He scored a late double to break the deadlock in the 2–0 win at home against
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
, the first time he has ever scored more than one goal in a match. On 20 November, he scored in his second consecutive league game and surpassed his personal season record of four goals by scoring the last goal in a 3–0 win over
Palermo. He scored his first
Coppa Italia
The ("Italy Cup") is an annual knockout cup competition in Italian football organized by the FIGC until the 2009–10 season and the Lega Serie A ever since.
History
The beginning of the tournament was turbulent, due to the complexity of ...
goal, the match winning goal against
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...
in extra time to send Juve to the
quarter-finals
A single-elimination, knockout, or sudden death tournament is a type of elimination tournament where the loser of each match-up is immediately eliminated from the tournament. Each winner will play another in the next round, until the final matc ...
. His good form during the first half of the season earned him a nomination for the
Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year award and a place in the
Serie A Team of the Year
The AIC Serie A Team of the Year (in Italian: ''Squadra dell’anno AIC'') is an annual award given to a set of eleven footballers in the top tier of Italian football, the Serie A, who are considered to have performed the best during the previous c ...
. On 18 March, he ended a three-month goal drought with a header in the 5–0 thrashing at
Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional football club based in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while the actual club was refounded in August 2002 fol ...
and dedicated it his second son, who was born earlier that week. He scored his ninth goal of the season against
Lecce in his 200th career match to take his goal tally for the season into the double figures. The following match, he won his first ''
Scudetto'' after Juve won 2–0 against
Cagliari and runners-up Milan lost 4–2 in the
Milan Derby
The Derby della Madonnina, also known as the Derby di Milano (Milan Derby, in English), is a derby football match between the two prominent Milanese clubs, Internazionale and A.C. Milan. It is called ''Derby della Madonnina'' in honour of one ...
against Inter, although Juventus were defeated in the
Coppa Italia Final by
Napoli
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
. He ended the season with ten goals in league and cup matches.
2012–13 season
With the departure of captain and club legend
Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero (; born 9 November 1974) is an Italian former professional footballer who mainly played as a deep-lying forward, although he was capable of playing in several offensive positions. Since 2015, he has worked as a pundit ...
in June 2012, it was speculated that Marchisio would "inherit" the
number 10 jersey but he declined, stating that he was a midfielder, not a striker, and had grown accustomed to his number 8. He captained the team on the opening match of the season against
Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, music, art, prosciutto (ham), cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 inhabitants, Parma is the second mos ...
in the absence of captain
Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon (; born 28 January 1978) is an Italian professional footballer who captains and plays as a goalkeeper for the club Parma. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. He is one of the few recorded pl ...
and first vice-captain
Giorgio Chiellini
Giorgio Chiellini (; born 14 August 1984) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC. Considered one of the best defenders of his generation, Chiellini is known for his stren ...
. In November, he scored his first-ever goal in a UEFA club competition in the
Champions League group stage
A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:
# One or more competitions held at a single venue and concen ...
home fixture against
Nordsjælland
North Zealand, also North Sealand ( da, Nordsjælland), refers to the northern part of the Danish island of Zealand which is not clearly defined but generally covers the area north of Copenhagen. The Danish tourist authorities have recently in ...
. He also assisted
Fabio Quagliarella's equaliser against
Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
. He was one of four Juventus players nominated for the 2012
UEFA Team of the Year
The UEFA Fan's Team of the Year is a football award given by UEFA through a poll on its official website. This award started in 2001 and allows users of the organization's website to choose their own eleven players and a coach based on their ove ...
and was voted into the
Serie A Team of the Year
The AIC Serie A Team of the Year (in Italian: ''Squadra dell’anno AIC'') is an annual award given to a set of eleven footballers in the top tier of Italian football, the Serie A, who are considered to have performed the best during the previous c ...
at the Oscar del Calcio awards.
Although he played fewer matches compared to last season due to suspension and a minor injury, he contributed crucial goals to his side, including the match winner against
Siena
Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.
The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centur ...
and a brace against intercity rivals
Torino
Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. T ...
as Juve won a second consecutive league title. Marchisio also scored in the first leg against
Celtic in the Champions League round of 16, which Juventus eventually won 5–0 on aggregate to progress on to the
quarter-final stage, where they were eliminated by eventual champions Bayern Munich.
2013–14 season
During the
2013–14 season, Marchisio was mostly competing with French youngster
Paul Pogba
Paul Labile Pogba (born 15 March 1993) is a French professional footballer who plays for club Juventus and the France national team. He operates primarily as a central midfielder, but can be deployed as a left winger, attacking midfielder, d ...
for a spot in the midfield three. He struggled with an injury sustained during the club's
2013 Supercoppa Italiana
The 2013 TIM Supercoppa Italiana Final was the 26th edition of the Supercoppa, an annual football match contested by the winners of the previous season's Serie A and Coppa Italia competitions. Defending champions Juventus, also reigning Serie A ...
victory, and was mainly used as a substitute during the first half of the season during league games, starting in
Champions League/
Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (abbreviated as UEL, or sometimes, UEFA EL), formerly the UEFA Cup, is an annual football club competition organised since 1971 by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European football clubs. It ...
matches instead. Partly due to Arturo Vidal's absence due to knee surgery, Marchisio started more matches in the last few months of the season – his four goals all came during the latter half of the season. In April against
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...
he made his career 200th
Serie A
The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...
appearance. He scored Juve's last goal of the season on the last matchday of the season, a 3–0 win over Cagliari. Juventus were able to win their third consecutive title that season, and their 30th overall, with an Italian record of 102 points. Juventus were eliminated in the group stage of the Champion's League, however, although they managed to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League, where they were defeated by
Benfica.
2014–15 season
The 2014–15 season was a watershed season for the midfielder as he reached several milestones: his 200th (Serie A) and 300th (all competitions) appearances for Juve and first
Coppa Italia
The ("Italy Cup") is an annual knockout cup competition in Italian football organized by the FIGC until the 2009–10 season and the Lega Serie A ever since.
History
The beginning of the tournament was turbulent, due to the complexity of ...
title and Champions League final appearance. Marchisio scored his first goal of the
2014–15 season, under new manager
Massimiliano Allegri
Massimiliano Allegri (; born 11 August 1967), also known as Max Allegri, is an Italian professional football manager and former player who is the manager of club Juventus.
During his playing career, Allegri played in the Serie A as a midfielder ...
, on 13 September, a 2–0 home win over Udinese. On 15 February 2015, he made his 200th appearance in Serie A with Juventus, scoring a goal in a 2–2 draw against
Cesena
Cesena (; rgn, Cisêna) is a city and ''comune'' in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, served by Autostrada A14 (Italy), Autostrada A14, and located near the Apennine Mountains, about from the Adriatic Sea. The total population is 97,137. ...
. On 7 April 2015, Marchisio returned from a short injury lay-off for the second leg of the semi-finals of the
Coppa Italia
The ("Italy Cup") is an annual knockout cup competition in Italian football organized by the FIGC until the 2009–10 season and the Lega Serie A ever since.
History
The beginning of the tournament was turbulent, due to the complexity of ...
against
Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional football club based in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while the actual club was refounded in August 2002 fol ...
and made an immediate impact, sending in the cross which led to
Alessandro Matri
Alessandro Matri (; born 19 August 1984) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a striker.
Club career
Early career
Born in Sant'Angelo Lodigiano, Lombardy, a ''comune'' 30 km away from the city of Milan, Matri starte ...
's opening goal and setting up
Leonardo Bonucci
Leonardo Bonucci (; born 1 May 1987) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back and captains both club Juventus and the Italy national team. Known for his technique and ball-playing ability, he is regarded as one of the b ...
's goal from a corner in a 3–0 win, which allowed Juventus to progress to
the final of the competition. However, his yellow card in the game meant that he would be suspended for the final, a 2–1
extra time victory over
Lazio
it, Laziale
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographics1_title2 ...
. Marchisio made his 300th appearance in all competitions for Juventus in a 3–2 home win against Fiorentina on 29 April. In the absence of
Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo (; born 19 May 1979) is an Italian professional football coach and former player who is head coach of Süper Lig club Fatih Karagümrük. Considered one of the best deep-lying playmakers ever, Pirlo was renowned for his visio ...
due to injury, Marchisio occasionally deputised as designated
corner
Corner may refer to:
People
*Corner (surname)
* House of Cornaro, a noble Venetian family (''Corner'' in Venetian dialect)
Places
*Corner, Alabama, a community in the United States
*Corner Inlet, Victoria, Australia
*Corner River, a tributary of ...
and indirect
free kick
A free kick is an action used in several codes of football to restart play with the kicking of a ball into the field of play.
Association football
In association football, the free kick is a method of restarting the game following an offe ...
taker. On 2 May, he took part in Juventus's 1–0 win over
Sampdoria, which allowed the club to capture the Serie A title for a fourth consecutive time. On 16 May, he scored the winner against Inter in the
Derby d'Italia
The Derby d'Italia ( English: Derby of Italy) is the name of the football derby between Internazionale of Milan and Juventus of Turin. The term was coined back in 1967 by Italian sports journalist Gianni Brera. It is the equivalent of Spain's ...
, the first time he has scored from the penalty spot during a match. In the
Champions League Final
The UEFA Champions League is a seasonal football competition established in 1955. Prior to the 1992–93 season, the tournament was named the European Cup. The UEFA Champions League is open to the league champions of all UEFA (Union of European ...
loss to
Barcelona
Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
, he started the counterattack with a backheel pass that led to
Álvaro Morata
Álvaro Borja Morata Martín (; born 23 October 1992) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a striker for La Liga club Atlético Madrid and the Spain national team.
He began his career at Real Madrid, making his debut with the sen ...
's equalizer, but the eventual winners scored two more goals to win 3–1. With 52 appearances, Marchisio was one of three players, the other two being Bonucci and Argentine midfielder
Roberto Pereyra, to make the most appearances for Juventus across all competitions that season. Although he did not score as many goals as in previous three seasons, he tallied the second most
assist
Assist or ASSIST may refer to:
Sports
Several sports have a statistic known as an "assist", generally relating to action by a player leading to a score by another player on their team:
*Assist (basketball), a pass by a player that facilitates a ba ...
s, only one less than top scorer
Carlos Tevez
Carlos Alberto Tevez (; born 5 February 1984) is an Argentine professional football manager and former player. A quick, tenacious, powerful, hard-working and dynamic forward in his prime, Tevez was capable of playing as a striker, as a wing ...
. He was named in the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
squad of the season and voted Player of the Season for 2014–15 by registered users of vecchiasignora.com, the largest Italian-language Juventus fansite.
2015–16 season
At the end of the season, Marchisio was the subject of transfer rumours as his present contract was due to expire next summer. On 6 July 2015, however, he signed a five-year extension, keeping him at his hometown club until the 2019–20 season. Marchisio was ruled out for a month after sustaining an injury to an adductor muscle in his right leg in his first league appearance of the season on 12 September 2015, as Juventus drew 1–1 at home to
Chievo
Chievo (4,500 inhabitants) is a frazione of Verona located to the west of the city, around from the historic city centre, on the shores of the river Adige.
It is best known for its football team, A.C. ChievoVerona, which competes in the second ...
. On 24 November, Marchisio was nominated for the 2015 UEFA Team of the Year. On 15 March 2016 it was announced Marchisio would miss the second round of 16 leg of the
Champions League against
Bayern Munich on 16 March due to a muscular problem in his left calf. He returned to action on 2 April, in a 1–0 home victory over Empoli. Two weeks later on 17 April, Marchisio suffered an
anterior cruciate ligament injury during Juventus' 4–0 home victory over
Palermo after an awkward fall with a challenge on
Franco Vázquez
Franco Damián Vázquez (; born 22 February 1989) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Serie B club Parma and the Argentina national team.
Beginning his career with Argentine club Belgrano in 2007, V� ...
, which ruled him out for the rest of the season as well as the upcoming
UEFA Euro 2016
The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe ...
tournament. After a successful surgery to his left knee on 19 April, it was confirmed he would be sidelined for six months.
After Juventus clinched their record fifth consecutive
Serie A
The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...
title on 25 April, the club's captain and goalkeeper Buffon dedicated the victory to Marchisio.
2016–17 season
On 26 October 2016, Marchisio returned to the pitch after six months on the sidelines in a 4–1 home win over Sampdoria. He scored his first goal since his injury in the 3–1 win away at
Sevilla
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
during the
Champions League group stage. The season saw Marchisio reach two milestones. On 15 April 2017, he made his 250th Serie A appearance for Juventus in a 2–0 away win over
Pescara
Pescara (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Pescàrë; nap, label= Pescarese, Piscàrë) is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is the most populated city in Abruzzo, with 119,217 (2018) residents (and approxim ...
. On 21 May 2017, he started in the last home fixture of the season against
Crotone, which Juventus won 3–0 to seal a historic sixth consecutive ''Scudetto'', which made Marchisio one of only six players to have been in the squad for all six successful seasons. On 3 June, Marchisio came on as a substitute in his
second Champions League Final in three years, but Juventus were defeated 4–1 by defending champions Real Madrid.
2017–18 season
Marchisio sustained another knee injury during the first match of the 2017–18 season on 19 August against Cagliari. He did not make it to the starting line up until 5 November, in a 2–1 home win over
Benevento. Just before the start of the 2018–19 season, on 17 August 2018, it was announced that Marchisio had left Juventus following "the agreed termination" of his contract, which ended the 25 years Marchisio spent in the Juventus system. In total, he made 389 appearances for the club, scoring 37 goals, providing 43 assists, and picking up only one red card.
Zenit Saint Petersburg
On 3 September 2018, he signed a two-year contract with the
Russian Premier League
The Russian Premier League (RPL; russian: Российская премьер-лига; РПЛ), also written as Russian Premier Liga, is the top division professional association football league in Russia. It was established at the end of 2001 ...
club
Zenit Saint Petersburg
Football Club Zenit (russian: link=no, Футбольный клуб «Зенит» ), also known as Zenit Saint Petersburg or simply Zenit, is a Russian professional football club based in Saint Petersburg. Founded in 1925 (or in 1914, acco ...
. On 16 September 2018, Marchisio made his debut for Zenit in a 2–1 away win over
Orenburg, coming on as a substitute in the 71st minute. On 1 July 2019, Zenit announced that Marchisio had left the club after his contract was terminated by mutual consent.
On 3 October 2019, Marchisio held a press conference at
Juventus Stadium
Juventus Stadium, known for sponsorship reasons as the Allianz Stadium since July 2017, sometimes simply known in Italy as the Stadium ( it, Lo Stadium), is an all-seater football stadium in the Vallette borough of Turin, Italy, and the home o ...
, where he announced his retirement from football.
International career
Youth career
Marchisio was initially called up in early May to the
Italy under-21 squad for the
2007 European Championships but eventually withdrew due to injury. He made his under-21 debut in June 2007, the group opening game of the
2009 European Championship qualifying, but his debut ended rather unfortunately as he was injured in a collision barely ten minutes into the match while attempting an effort on goal, although the shot would lead to
Robert Acquafresca's opener seconds later. Eventually, he became first-choice during the latter stages of the campaign. He scored a 12-yard volley at the
2008 Toulon Tournament against Turkey in a 2–1 win, as Italy went on to win the tournament, and was subsequently called up to the
Olympics that summer but was forced to return home due to an injury. In May 2009,
Pierluigi Casiraghi
Pierluigi Casiraghi (; born 4 March 1969) is an Italian professional football coach and former player who played as a striker.
Casiraghi began his playing career in Italy in 1985, with Monza. He later played for Juventus, and Lazio, before endi ...
named him in the final squad for the
2009 Under-21 European Championship. At the tournament, he started every game and, despite missing the semi-final loss to Germany through suspension, was one of several ''Azzurrini'' stars tipped to make the senior squad, also being named to the Team of the Tournament.
Senior debut and 2010 World Cup
On 12 August 2009, Marchisio made his senior debut, starting in the friendly against
Switzerland that ended goalless and was praised by
Marcello Lippi during the post-match interview. Lippi later revealed that he had intended to call Marchisio up earlier but agreed to leave the youngster to Casiraghi's U-21 squad until the end of the European Championships. Marchisio played his first competitive match for the ''Azzurri'' in the
World Cup qualifier against
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
in his
home stadium
In sports, home is the place and venue identified with a team sport. Most professional teams are named for, and marketed to, particular metropolitan areas; amateur teams may be drawn from a particular region, or from institutions such as sch ...
and became a first-choice pick for Lippi's squad. He was forced to withdraw, however, from the remaining qualifying matches against the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...
and
Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is ge ...
after being diagnosed with a knee meniscus injury that required surgery. He was named in the 23-man squad for the
2010 World Cup
, image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg
, size = 200px
, caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...
but had a relatively uneventful tournament due to Lippi's preference for playing him in an unfamiliar playmaker role.
Euro 2012 and 2013 Confederations Cup
Marchisio scored his first ever international goal in the
Euro 2012 qualifier against
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...
on 7 October 2011, barely a minute after kick-off. It was the 250th goal scored by a Juventus player for the Italian national team.
After a good 2011–12 season with Juventus, and a successful
qualifying campaign with Italy, Marchisio was named in the final squad for
UEFA Euro 2012
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th UEFA European Championship, European Championship for List of men's national association football teams#UEFA (Europe), men's ...
by
Cesare Prandelli, and he started every match alongside Andrea Pirlo and Daniele De Rossi in midfield, in Italy's surprise run to the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
* Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...
, where they were defeated 4–0 by reigning European and world champions
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
.
Under Prandelli, Marchisio became an established member of the Italy national team, and he was named in the final squad for the
2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, in which Italy finished third. Marchisio came on as a substitute and assisted
Sebastian Giovinco's match winning goal in Italy's second group match against
Japan, which allowed Italy to advance to the semi-finals of the Confederations Cup for the first time in their history.
2014 World Cup
After becoming a regular during Italy qualifying matches, Marchisio was later also selected to be a member of the Italy squad that would take part at the
2014 FIFA World Cup. On 30 May 2014, he
captained the senior team for the first time during the pre-World Cup friendly against the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 Counties of Ireland, counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern ...
after
Riccardo Montolivo
Riccardo Montolivo (; born 18 January 1985) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He most notably played for Fiorentina, AC Milan, and the Italy national team.
A versatile and creative player, Montolivo began ...
, captain for the match, was carried off the pitch due to a fractured leg.
At the
2014 FIFA World Cup, Marchisio scored his first international goal at a major
UEFA
Union of European Football Associations (UEFA ; french: Union des associations européennes de football; german: Union der europäischen Fußballverbände) is one of six continental bodies of governance in association football. It governs f ...
/
FIFA tournament and Italy's first goal of the World Cup, a 25-yard shot against
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
during the
Group D second opening match in an eventual 2–1 win.
He appeared in Italy's next two group matches, which both ended in 1–0 defeats, to group winners
Costa Rica, and runner's up
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
respectively. In the final group match against Uruguay, he was controversially given a straight red card in the 59th minute, his first red card as an international. The referee's failure to send
Luis Suárez
Luis Alberto Suárez Díaz (; born 24 January 1987) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Uruguayan Primera División club Nacional and the Uruguay national team. Nicknamed ''El Pistolero'' ('The Gunman'), he is ...
off for biting
Giorgio Chiellini
Giorgio Chiellini (; born 14 August 1984) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC. Considered one of the best defenders of his generation, Chiellini is known for his stren ...
, and the fact that Uruguay went on to win 1–0 after scoring from a corner immediately following the later incident, further added to the controversy. Italy finished third in their group and were eliminated from the World Cup in the group stage for the second time in a row.
Post World Cup and injury struggles
On 27 March 2015, Marchisio suffered an injury during a training session with the
Italian national team, prior to the
Euro 2016
The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe o ...
qualifying match against
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
. Although it was initially feared that he had torn his
anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligaments (also cruciform ligaments) are pairs of ligaments arranged like a letter X. They occur in several joints of the body, such as the knee joint and th ...
(ACL), which would have ruled him out for six months, it was later confirmed that the injury was a sprain, and that he would only be out for several weeks. However, his former Juventus coach
Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte (; born 31 July 1969) is an Italian professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.
Playing as a midfielder, Conte began his career at local club Lecce and later ...
, now the national team coach, reportedly received death threats from irate Juventus fans and was publicly criticised by
John Elkann
John Philip Jacob Elkann (born 1 April 1976) is an Italian industrialist. In 1997, he became the chosen heir of his grandfather Gianni Agnelli, following the death of Gianni's nephew Giovanni Alberto Agnelli and since 2004 has been leading the A ...
, the president of the holding company which controls FIAT and Juventus and cousin of club president
Andrea Agnelli
Andrea Agnelli (; born 6 December 1975) is an Italian businessman. Agnelli served as chairman of Italian football club Juventus F.C. since May 2010 to until his resignation on November 2022 following a Financial Accounts Probe ordered by the Tu ...
. After rupturing his anterior cruciate ligament in April 2016, Marchisio was ruled out of
UEFA Euro 2016
The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe ...
.
Under Conte's successor, manager
Gian Piero Ventura
Gian Piero Ventura (; born 14 January 1948) is an Italian football manager.
His playing career as a midfielder was spent in the lower leagues, having not made the grade at Sampdoria, where he began his coaching career with the youth team in 1 ...
, Marchisio appeared as a starter in a 3–0 friendly victory over Uruguay at the
Allianz Riviera stadium in Nice, held on 7 June 2017, but was replaced by Riccardo Montolivo in the first half after sustaining an injury.
In total, Marchisio made 55 appearances for Italy between 2009 and 2017, scoring five goals.
Style of play
Marchisio is known for his versatility and ability to play anywhere in midfield, as seen in various formations and positions he has been played in by his coaches. He has been used out
wide in both a three- or four-man midfield, or as a
defensive midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundari ...
, but his preferred and most effective position is that of a
central midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
, where he is given the license to freely switch between defensive and attacking positions, instead of being limited to a single role.
He is sometimes classified as an attacking central midfielder (known as a ''
mezz'ala'' in Italian football),
due to his penchant for scoring goals, rather than as a traditional
deep-lying "creative" central midfielder (known as a ''regista'' in Italian football) in the mold of
Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo (; born 19 May 1979) is an Italian professional football coach and former player who is head coach of Süper Lig club Fatih Karagümrük. Considered one of the best deep-lying playmakers ever, Pirlo was renowned for his visio ...
.
In the English language media he has been described as a "
box-to-box midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
" as he is neither a pure defensive nor an attacking midfielder, although he is able to play in both positions when necessary.
He has also occupied a deeper playmaking role for his team, in particular after Pirlo's departure in 2015, in which he has been praised for his ability to spread the ball wide, or dictate play in midfield with his passing.
A former forward, with an eye for goal, he has also been fielded in more advanced roles, as a
deep-lying forward or
attacking midfielder
A midfielder is an outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
in a 3–5–1–1 formation. Regarded as a precocious talent in his youth since his emergence in Juventus's starting line-up, Marchisio's physical strength, pace, energy, positional sense and tactical awareness in his prime allowed him to excel in the centre in a box-to-box midfield role,
and enabled him to establish himself as one of the top midfielders of his generation in Italy,
Europe, and the world. In spite of his ability, however, he has been known to have a tendency to be injury prone.
Known for his adaptability,
Marchisio's role has evolved over the years as managerial styles and tactics have changed. During the early years of his career, he was paired in the centre alongside a defensive midfielder such as
Felipe Melo in a four-man midfield and was left to play more of an offensive and creative role. During the 2011–12 season at club level, he was deployed effectively alongside Pirlo and
Chilean international
Arturo Vidal
Arturo Erasmo Vidal Pardo (; born 22 May 1987) is a Chilean professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A club Flamengo and the Chile national team. His displays during his time at Juventus led him to be n ...
in Juventus's three-man midfield in their 3–5–2 formation under Conte. A large part of Juventus's success in Italy that season was due to the fact that Marchisio and Vidal were able to interchange quickly between defensive and attacking positions and compensate for Pirlo's defensive weaknesses by leaving playmaking duties to the latter; this formation allowed all three midfielders to contribute with 19 league goals, almost a third of all goals scored by the team that season, as they went on to win the league.
Under Prandelli's tenure with the Italian national team, Marchisio has played a similar role in supporting Pirlo alongside
Roma midfielder
Daniele De Rossi
Daniele De Rossi (; born 24 July 1983) is a former Italian professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder and is currently manager of side SPAL. He is mostly known for his time playing with his hometown club Roma in Serie A, as ...
, and has also played as a
false-attacking midfielder on occasion.
Since 2014, at club level, with
Massimiliano Allegri
Massimiliano Allegri (; born 11 August 1967), also known as Max Allegri, is an Italian professional football manager and former player who is the manager of club Juventus.
During his playing career, Allegri played in the Serie A as a midfielder ...
's switch in tactics, as well as Marchisio's injury struggles, and Pirlo's subsequent departure in 2015, Marchisio has been played in a much deeper, creative role, usually in front of the back-line, where he effectively provides the link between defence and offence by intercepting balls and disrupting the opposition's play where necessary, while also looking to orchestrate attacking moves with his passing after winning back possession.
One of Marchisio's key strengths is his ability to switch from defence to offence seamlessly after winning back the ball, while remaining tactically disciplined in either role; his athleticism, tackling, vision, range of passing, and good reading of the game enables him to break down the opposition's play,
and quickly transition the ball forward to create chances for his more attack-minded teammates.
Marchisio is also gifted with flair, agility, and excellent technique, as well as good
dribbling
In sports, dribbling is maneuvering a ball by one player while moving in a given direction, avoiding defenders' attempts to intercept the ball. A successful dribble will bring the ball past defenders legally and create opportunities to score.
A ...
skills and close control in tight spaces.
These attributes, as well as his ability to pass and shoot with both feet, despite being naturally right-footed, make him a threat in the opponent's half, especially in or outside the
penalty area
The penalty area or 18-yard box (also known less formally as the penalty box or simply box) is an area of an association football pitch. It is rectangular and extends 16.5m (18 yd) to each side of the goal and 16.5m (18 yd) in front of it.
With ...
; if given the chance, he has been known to attempt a shot on goal, either from distance, or by finishing off a teammate's pass after making late runs from behind into the area,
– as exhibited by his goals against
Cagliari in January 2014,
Luxembourg
Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...
in a June 2014 friendly, and
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
at the
2014 FIFA World Cup.
Following Pirlo's departure, he has also developed into an effective
corner
Corner may refer to:
People
*Corner (surname)
* House of Cornaro, a noble Venetian family (''Corner'' in Venetian dialect)
Places
*Corner, Alabama, a community in the United States
*Corner Inlet, Victoria, Australia
*Corner River, a tributary of ...
and
indirect free kick
A free kick is a method of restarting play in association football. It is awarded after an infringement of the laws by the opposing team.
Direct and indirect free kicks
Free kicks may be either direct or indirect, distinguished as follows:
...
taker.
Due to his composed yet hard-working and tenacious style of play, Marchisio has garnered comparisons to Juventus legend and
1982 World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup was the 12th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial football tournament for men's senior national teams, and was played in Spain between 13 June and 11 July 1982. The tournament was won by Italy, who defeated West Germany 3–1 i ...
winner
Marco Tardelli
Marco Tardelli (; born 24 September 1954) is an Italian former football player and manager. At club level, he played as a midfielder for several Italian clubs; he began his career with Pisa, and later played for Como, Juventus, and Internaziona ...
by the Italian press,
who was arguably one of Italy's greatest "two-way" midfielders.
Marchisio has also cited
Steven Gerrard as one of his major influences. In addition to his qualities as a footballer, Marchisio was known for his composure and leadership;
indeed, since breaking into the first team, he developed a reputation as a big game player for the club, due to his penchant for scoring or setting up "clutch" goals during important games. During his first Serie A season with Juventus, all three of his goals were decisive – being either match-winners or the opening goal of the match. He has also scored crucial goals against Juventus's derby rivals,
Internazionale
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Inter is t ...
and
Torino
Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. T ...
.
After retirement
Following his retirement as a footballer, Marchisio published an autobiography titled ''Nero su bianco'' (Black on white) on 2016; a follow-up book, titled ''Il mio terzo tempo'' (My third half), was published on 2020. In 2021, Marchisio began writing as a columnist for the Turin edition of the ''
Corriere della Sera''.
Through his social media, he also became a strong voice on a number of social issues, including immigration and environment.
In 2021, his name was hinted as a possible
Democratic Party candidate for Mayor of Turin, a rumour he soon thereafter refuted.
Business endeavours
In 2016, Marchisio and his wife started a Japanese-Italian fusion restaurant called "Legami" in their native Turin. It grew into a chain with several locations in the Turin metropolitan area and also in Rome, Sardinia and Bergamo.
Marchisio is the co-founder of a management agency, later merged with two other similar agencies, which specializes in managing image rights and official communication platforms for professional athletes and providing them with legal advice on contracts. The idea was born out of his own experience and the realisation about professional athletes' lack of knowledge or guidance on their legal rights, leaving them vulnerable to unscrupulous agents or business representatives. His long-time teammate
Giorgio Chiellini
Giorgio Chiellini (; born 14 August 1984) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC. Considered one of the best defenders of his generation, Chiellini is known for his stren ...
joined as an investing partner in 2020.
Personal life
Marchisio married Roberta Sinopoli from
Calabria in June 2008 and they have two sons, Davide (born in August 2009)
and Leonardo (born in March 2012). His wife, a former nationally ranked junior tennis player, supported Juve's crosstown rivals
Torino
Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. T ...
as her father used to play for the Torino youth teams as well as various clubs in the
Serie C2 and
Serie D
The Serie D () is the top level of semi-professional football in the country. The fourth tier of the Italian league system, the competition sits beneath the third professional league, Serie C. It is administered by the Lega Nazionale Dilettant ...
.
Marchisio has his wife's birthday tattooed on the inside of his arm and occasionally kissed it when
celebrating a goal.
Marchisio is affectionately known as ''Il Principino'' ("The Little Prince"), a nickname he acquired from Juventus teammates early in his career due to the way he dressed and for his composed behaviour on the pitch; the nickname was later popularised by the Juventus-supporting
Premium Calcio football commentator Claudio Zuliani. Some fans and observers have also dubbed him the "De Rossi of Turin," in reference to his national teammate
Daniele De Rossi
Daniele De Rossi (; born 24 July 1983) is a former Italian professional footballer who played as a defensive midfielder and is currently manager of side SPAL. He is mostly known for his time playing with his hometown club Roma in Serie A, as ...
of
Roma, due to their similar playing style, as well as the fact that both are local born and bred youth products, and had been tipped to be future captains of their respective clubs.
Marchisio was featured on the Italian cover of
EA Sports' ''
FIFA 13'', alongside global cover star
Lionel Messi
Lionel Andrés Messi (; born 24 June 1987), also known as Leo Messi, is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a forward for club Paris Saint-Germain and captains the Argentina national team. Widely regarded as one of the ...
.
Throughout the
2017–18 season, Marchisio appeared in the
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fi ...
docu-series
Television documentaries are televised media productions that screen documentaries.
Television documentaries exist either as a television documentary series or as a television documentary film.
*Television documentary series, sometimes called d ...
called ''
First Team: Juventus''.
On 29 October 2019, Marchisio and his wife were robbed by several gunmen at their home in Turin; they were uninjured.
On 3 May 2021, it was revealed that Marchisio's family had tested positive for
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quickly ...
in April amid its
pandemic in Italy by his wife on Instagram.
Career statistics
Club
International
International goals
:''Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first.''
Honours
Juventus
*
Serie A
The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...
(7):
2011–12,
2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
,
2013–14,
2014–15,
2015–16,
2016–17,
2017–18
*
Serie B
The Serie B (), currently named Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had been ...
:
2006–07
*
Supercoppa Italiana (3):
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
,
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
,
2015
*
Coppa Italia
The ("Italy Cup") is an annual knockout cup competition in Italian football organized by the FIGC until the 2009–10 season and the Lega Serie A ever since.
History
The beginning of the tournament was turbulent, due to the complexity of ...
(4):
2014–15,
2015–16,
2016–17,
2017–18
*
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
runner-up:
2014–15,
2016–17
Zenit Saint Petersburg
*
Russian Premier League
The Russian Premier League (RPL; russian: Российская премьер-лига; РПЛ), also written as Russian Premier Liga, is the top division professional association football league in Russia. It was established at the end of 2001 ...
:
2018–19
Italy
*
UEFA European Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations ( UEFA). The competition is conte ...
runner-up:
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
*
FIFA Confederations Cup bronze medal:
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...
Italy U-21
*
Toulon Tournament
The Toulon Tournament (officially the Festival International "Espoirs" – Tournoi Maurice Revello) is a football (training match) tournament, which traditionally features invited national teams composed of youth players from U-17 to U-23 level. ...
:
2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
*
UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
The UEFA European Under-21 Championship, the UEFA Under-21 Championship or simply the Euro Under-21, is a biennial football competition contested by the European men's under-21 national teams of the UEFA member associations. Since 1992, the compe ...
Semi-finalist:
2009
Individual
*
2009 UEFA European under-21 Championship Team of the Tournament
*
Oscar del Calcio Serie A Team of the Year
The AIC Serie A Team of the Year (in Italian: ''Squadra dell’anno AIC'') is an annual award given to a set of eleven footballers in the top tier of Italian football, the Serie A, who are considered to have performed the best during the previous c ...
(midfield position):
2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. ...
(joint winner with
Thiago Motta
Thiago Motta (; ; born 28 August 1982) is a professional football manager and former player. He is currently the head coach of club Bologna.
A midfielder, Motta spent his early career at Barcelona, where he was injury-prone. He played two and ...
),
2011–12
*
UEFA Champions League Team of the Season:
2014–15
References
External links
*
*
*
Juventus official profile
Profileon
FIGC
The Italian Football Federation ( it, Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio; FIGC), known colloquially as ''Federcalcio'', is the governing body of football in Italy. It is based in Rome and the technical department is in Coverciano, Florence.
It ...
official website
*
Personal WebsiteStatisticson
Lega Serie A
The Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A (Italian for ''National Professionals League Serie A''), commonly known as LNPA or Lega Serie A (Serie A League), is the governing body that runs the major professional football competitions in Italy, m ...
website
Statisticson
AIC website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marchisio, Clauddio
1986 births
Living people
Empoli F.C. players
Footballers at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Italian footballers
Italy international footballers
Italy under-21 international footballers
Juventus F.C. players
FC Zenit Saint Petersburg players
Olympic footballers of Italy
Serie A players
Serie B players
Russian Premier League players
Footballers from Turin
2010 FIFA World Cup players
UEFA Euro 2012 players
2013 FIFA Confederations Cup players
2014 FIFA World Cup players
Association football midfielders
Italian expatriate footballers
Expatriate footballers in Russia
Italian expatriate sportspeople in Russia