Gianluca Zambrotta (; born 19 February 1977) is an Italian 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, rugb ...
who played as a
right-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield position whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Centre-backs are usually positioned in pairs, with one full-back on either s ...
or as a
wide midfielder, on both the left and right wings.
Throughout his career, Zambrotta played for several different Italian clubs. He began his career with local club
Como
Como (, ; lmo, Còmm, label= Comasco , or ; lat, Novum Comum; rm, Com; french: Côme) is a city and '' comune'' in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como.
Its proximity to Lake Como and to the Alps ...
in 1994, and gained prominence while playing for
Bari
Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Ital ...
, which earned him a transfer to
Juventus
Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football league system. Founded in ...
in 1999. During his seven seasons with the club, he won two 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 ...
and
Supercoppa Italiana titles in 2002 and 2003, also reaching the
2003 UEFA Champions League final. He also later spent two relatively unsuccessful seasons with
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 c ...
between 2006 and 2008, where he won the
2006 Supercopa de España
The 2006 Supercopa de España was a two-leg Spanish football match played on 17 and 20 August 2006. It was contested by 2005–06 La Liga champions Barcelona and 2005–06 Copa del Rey winners Espanyol. Barcelona won 4–0 on aggregate.
Match d ...
, before returning to Italy to play for
AC Milan, where he won his third Serie A and Supercoppa Italiana titles in 2011. He ended his career after a season with Swiss club
Chiasso in 2014, whom he later went on to coach.
At international level, Zambrotta won 98 caps for the
Italy national team, playing at three
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 has ...
s, three
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 ...
, the
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009, as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Jo ...
and the
2000 Summer Olympics
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 ( Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from ...
. He was part of their side that reached the
Euro 2000 final, and he was also selected to the
Euro 2004 Team of the Tournament. He was most notably a key member of the starting lineup of the Italian squad that won the
2006 World Cup, and he was selected in the
Team of the Tournament for his performances.
Club career
Como
Of
Campania
(man), it, Campana (woman)
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n descent, Zambrotta began his professional career with his hometown club
Como
Como (, ; lmo, Còmm, label= Comasco , or ; lat, Novum Comum; rm, Com; french: Côme) is a city and '' comune'' in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como.
Its proximity to Lake Como and to the Alps ...
at age 17 in 1994, and remained with the club for three seasons. In his first season in
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 ...
, he played only one match. In 1995, however, Como were demoted to
Serie C1
Lega Pro Prima Divisione was the third highest football league in Italy. It consisted of 33 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 16 and 17 teams for group A and B respectively. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1.
Before the 1978 ...
and Zambrotta started to play more regularly for the first team, as a winger or as a wide-midfielder. In the 1995–96 and 1996–97 seasons, he made 47 appearances and scored 6 goals, playing in Serie B and Serie C1.
Bari
In 1997, Zambrotta's
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 ...
career began when his great potential was spotted by
Bari
Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Ital ...
boss
Eugenio Fascetti. Zambrotta was snapped up by Fascetti after Bari had won promotion to
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 ...
. He made his Serie A debut on 31 August 1997 in a 2–0 home defeat to
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 m ...
, and in his
first year
A freshman, fresher, first year, or frosh, is a person in the first year at an educational institution, usually a secondary school or at the college and university level, but also in other forms of post-secondary educational institutions.
A ...
in the top flight, he played on the left wing and scored 2 goals in 27 appearances. In the
1998–99 season, following the departure of
Nicola Ventola
Nicola Ventola (born 24 May 1978) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Ventola played for several clubs in Italy throughout his career, and also had a loan spell with English side Crystal Palace. At international ...
, Zambrotta exploded on to the scene. In matchday one, he scored the only goal of the match against
Venezia after just nine minutes into the first half. Zambrotta continued to shine and was the key figure for Bari's surprise start to the campaign, demonstrating his technical attributes and tactical intelligence and versatility. On matchday seven, he scored the opening goal at the
San Siro
Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, commonly known as San Siro, is a football stadium in the San Siro district of Milan, Italy, which is the home of A.C. Milan and Inter Milan. It has a seating capacity of 80,018, making it one of the largest stadiums ...
and helped Bari to win the game 3–2 against
Internazionale.
On 10 February 1999, at age 22, the Italian under-21 international was rewarded by the coach of the
senior team,
Dino Zoff, for his displays. He earned his first
cap in a 0–0 friendly against
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...
in
Pisa, Italy. He became the first player of Bari to play for the national side in 50 years. Throughout the 1998–99 season, he made 32 appearances and scored four goals. Halfway through this season, he was brought to
Juventus
Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football league system. Founded in ...
, by
Carlo Ancelotti for reported 30 billion
Italian lire (€15,493,707, but 3 billion lire paid via
Simone Perrotta
Simone Perrotta (; born 17 September 1977) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. Throughout his career, he stood out for his work-rate, energy, and box-to-box play as a ball-winner in the midfield area. After i ...
's
50% rights) and would play in the black-and-white jersey starting the season after.
Juventus
After the transfer to Juventus on 1 July 1999, Zambrotta continued his upward momentum under manager Carlo Ancelotti. He made 32 league appearances with one goal in the first season he played for Juventus. On 14 May 2000, the last match day of the season, Juventus missed out on the
1999–2000 ''
Scudetto'', as they were defeated 1–0 away at
Perugia
Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia.
The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part ...
in the heavy rain, while
Lazio
it, Laziale
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographics1_title2 ...
got the three points at home by beating
Reggina
Reggina 1914 S.r.l., commonly referred to as Reggina, is an Italian football club based in Reggio Calabria. Founded in 1914, they currently play in Serie B, and play their home matches at the 27,763 seater Stadio Oreste Granillo.
They are ni ...
3–0, and overcame Juventus by a single point. Zambrotta was brought on in the second half in that game and was later given a
red card A red card is a type of penalty card that is shown in many sports after a rules infraction.
Red card may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media
* ''Red Card'' (album), 1976 release by Streetwalkers
* Red card, suit (cards) of hearts or dia ...
by the referee,
Pierluigi Collina. In his second season for Juventus,
2000–01, Zambrotta made 29 league appearances and scored three goals, but Juventus finished once again in second place in Serie A, behind
Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
Places Australia
* Roma, Queensland, a town
** Roma Airport
** Roma Courthouse
** Electoral district of Roma, defunct
** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council
* Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
. Zambrotta won his first ''Scudetto'' in the
2001–02 season, while he made 32 league appearances and scored one goal during the season, also reaching the
2002 Coppa Italia Final with the club. After Zambrotta suffered an injury in the game against
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
during the
2002 World Cup, he missed the beginning of the
2002–03 Serie A
The 2002–03 Serie A (known as the Serie A TIM for sponsorship reasons) was the 101st season of top-tier Italian football, the 71st in a round-robin tournament. It was composed by 18 teams, for the 15th consecutive time from season 1988–89.
...
campaign. During his absence, the new signing of
Mauro Camoranesi took his place on the right wing and was in superb form. This prompted then coach,
Marcello Lippi, to switch Zambrotta to the left-back when he returned to action. Zambrotta adapted to his new position very quickly and performed particularly well, demonstrating his pace, stamina, work-rate, technical ability, his tactical intelligence and versatility, as well as his ability to contribute both offensively and defensively.
Zambrotta remained a regular first team player as Juventus won their second consecutive ''Scudetto'' and reached the
Champions League 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 ...
, in which they were defeated by
AC Milan in a penalty shoot-out after a goalless draw. The
following season, Juventus avenged the defeat by beating Milan to the
2003 Supercoppa Italiana
The 2003 Supercoppa Italiana was a match contested by Juventus, the 2002–03 Serie A champions, and Milan, the 2002–03 Coppa Italia winner. It was the sixth appearance for Juventus (3 victories in 1995, 1997 and 2002) and the seventh for Milan ...
on penalties, and also reached the
2004 Coppa Italia Final
The 2004 Coppa Italia Final was the final of the 2003–04 Coppa Italia, the 57th season of the top cup competition in Italian football. The match was played over two legs between Lazio and Juventus. This was the 13th Coppa Italia final appearance ...
, although they failed to retain their league title or progress in Europe. Zambrotta won four ''Scudetti'' with Juventus, making a total of 217 league appearances and scoring seven goals in six seasons. In the
2005–06 season, following the injury of
Jonathan Zebina
Jonathan Zebina (born 19 July 1978) is a French retired professional footballer. Having started his career as a striker, he played right-back for much of his career before being increasingly used as a centre-back. During his playing career, Zeb ...
, as well as the arrival of
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 strengt ...
and his successful switch with the national team, Zambrotta was again switched to the right-back. Since then, Zambrotta switched between right and left-fullback or wingback positions frequently throughout the season. In 2005, Zambrotta extended his contract to 2010 but, following Juventus' relegation to Serie B due to the
2006 Italian football scandal (''calciopoli''), as well as the revocation of their
2004–05 and
2005–06 Serie A titles under
Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello (; born 18 June 1946) is an Italian former professional football manager and player.
As a player, Capello represented SPAL 1907, Roma, Milan and Juventus. He played as a midfielder and won several trophies during his career whi ...
, he decided to leave the club in the summer of 2006, with Milan,
Chelsea,
Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
and
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 c ...
widely tipped to sign him. He was eventually transferred to Barcelona for €14 million.
Zambrotta signed a four-year contract with Barça, where he joined Juventus teammate
Lilian Thuram, who also left the club. During his seven-year tenure with Juve, Zambrotta formed one of the best teams in the world at the time, as well as one of the world's most feared defenses. He formed defensive partnerships with the likes of
Mark Iuliano
Mark Iuliano (; born 12 August 1973) is an Italian football manager and a former professional footballer who played as a defender. Following his retirement he worked as a coach. He is currently working as Igor Tudor's assistant at Serie A club ...
,
Paolo Montero,
Ciro Ferrara, Thuram, Jonathan Zebina,
Nicola Legrottaglie
Nicola Legrottaglie (; born 20 October 1976) is an Italian retired footballer who played as a central defender, and most recently the manager of Delfino Pescara 1936.
In a senior career that lasted two full decades, he amassed Serie A totals o ...
,
Alessandro Birindelli
Alessandro Birindelli (; born 12 November 1974) is an Italian retired footballer who played as a full-back or as a wide midfielder. Equally at ease on both the left and the right flanks, he was best known for his 11-year spell with Juventus, du ...
,
Fabio Cannavaro
Fabio Cannavaro (; born 13 September 1973) is an Italian professional football coach and former player. He is the current head coach of club Benevento.
A centre-back, he spent the majority of his career in Italy. He started his career at N ...
and Giorgio Chiellini. Overall, he made 297 appearances for Juventus, scoring ten goals.
Barcelona
![Gianluca Zambrotta - 001](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Gianluca_Zambrotta_-_001.jpg)
On 4 August 2006, after his holiday following the 2006 World Cup, Zambrotta reported to his new club Barcelona for the first time in Los Angeles, where ''Barça'' were staying for their pre-season tour in North America. He trained with his new teammates and made his debut in the final match of the tour, on 12 August against the
New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...
. Zambrotta's official debut in Barça shirt was on 17 August against
local rivals Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona (; "Royal Spanish Sports Club of Barcelona"), commonly known as Espanyol, is a professional sports club based in Barcelona, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top tier of the Spanish football league s ...
in the first leg of the
Supercopa de España
The Supercopa de España or the ''Spanish Super Cup'' is a super cup tournament in Spanish football. Founded in 1982 as a two-team competition, the current version has been contested since 2019–20 by four teams: the winners and runners-up of ...
. On 17 March 2007, he scored his first goal in the league game against
Recreativo de Huelva. He also scored goals in matches against
Atlético Madrid at the
Vicente Calderón Stadium
The Vicente Calderón Stadium ( es, Estadio Vicente Calderón ) was the home stadium of Atlético Madrid from its completion in 1966 to 2017, with a seating capacity of 54,907 and located on the banks of the Manzanares River, Manzanares, in the A ...
(Atlético's record largest home loss, 0–6) and
Gimnàstic de Tarragona.He is well remembered by his performance against
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...
in the semi-final return clash – he marked perfectly the future Ballon d'Or winner
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro (; born 5 February 1985) is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays as a forward and captains the Portugal national team. He is currently a free agent. Widely regarded as one of the greatest pl ...
all game, but Barcelona lost the match 1-0
Paul Scholes
Paul Scholes (born 16 November 1974) is an English football coach, pundit, former player, and co-owner of Salford City. He spent his entire professional playing career with Manchester United, for whom he scored over 150 goals in more than 700 ...
' long-range effort that decided the match and the two-legged tie itself. In two seasons with the club, Zambrotta made 58 league appearances, scoring three goals, before his return to Italy. He was heavily tipped to join Milan or return to former club Juventus.
AC Milan
![Zambrotta Portsmouth v AC Milan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Zambrotta_Portsmouth_v_AC_Milan.jpg)
On 31 May 2008, Zambrotta signed a three-year contract with Milan. The club paid €9 million to Barcelona, with a potential €2 million added on depending on Milan's performance in the Champions League, for his services. Zambrotta would reportedly be earning €4 million per year. His move forced Milan
right back Massimo Oddo
Massimo Oddo (; born 14 June 1976) is an Italian professional football manager and a former player who played as a full-back. He was most recently in charge as the head coach of Serie C club Padova.
Oddo played for several Italian clubs throug ...
to be
loaned out to
Bayern Munich for more chances to play regularly.
On 21 September 2008, Zambrotta scored his first goal for Milan, from 31 metres out, in the league game against Lazio. In the
2008–09 season, Zambrotta played more games than any other Milan player. In the
2009–10 season, Zambrotta mainly played at left back, competing with
Luca Antonini for a starting spot, while the emerged star
Ignazio Abate
Ignazio Abate (; born 12 November 1986) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a full-back and manager of AC Milan's under-19 side. On early stage deployed as a winger, he was also capable of playing as a wide midfielder or ...
consolidated the right back position as his own.
For the
2010–11 season, Zambrotta was more versatile than before and often used as a utility. New coach
Massimiliano Allegri also preferred Abate for the right back position while Zambrotta alternated between starting at left back and covering for Abate at right back. Nevertheless, he made 20 appearances in all competitions playing an important role in Milan's 18th ''Scudetto'' win. Later that year, he won the Serie A title with Milan, as well as the
Supercoppa Italiana.
Zambrotta renewed his expiring contract for another year, keeping him a Milan player until at least the summer of 2012.
Milan decided not to renew the contracts of several of their veteran players and Zambrotta was one of those along with
Filippo Inzaghi,
Mark van Bommel
Mark Peter Gertruda Andreas van Bommel (born 22 April 1977) is a Dutch football coach and former player who played as a midfielder. He is currently the manager of Belgian side Royal Antwerp. His FIFA World Cup profile describes him as "a tacklin ...
,
Alessandro Nesta and
Gennaro Gattuso. He played his final game for Milan against
Novara
Novara (, Novarese: ) is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants (on 1 January 2021), it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It i ...
on 13 May 2012.
Chiasso
After becoming a free agent, in December 2012 Zambrotta began training with his hometown club Como while he was waiting to receive offers from other clubs; Zambrotta had previously been named the club's honorary president in 2007.
In 2013, he began to work on obtaining his
UEFA Pro Coaching Licence in
Coverciano,
Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico ...
.
On 19 July 2013, Zambrotta signed with Swiss club
Chiasso, with an option to become a player-assistant manager during his second season with the club, under
Ernestino Ramella
Ernestino Ramella (born 7 April 1955) is an Italian football manager and a former player who played as a striker.
References
External links
*
1955 births
Living people
Italian men's footballers
Men's association football forwards
...
. He made his debut with the team on 11 August 2013, in a 0–0 draw against
Lugano
Lugano (, , ; lmo, label= Ticinese, Lugan ) is a city and municipality in Switzerland, part of the Lugano District in the canton of Ticino. It is the largest city of both Ticino and the Italian-speaking southern Switzerland. Lugano has a populat ...
, in the
2013–14 Swiss Challenge League
The 2013–14 Swiss Challenge League (known for sponsorship reasons as the Brack.ch Challenge League) was the 11th season of the Swiss Challenge League, the second tier in the Swiss football pyramid. It began on 13 July 2013 and ended on 18 May 2 ...
. On 27 November, following the dismissal of manager Ryszart Komornicki, with the club in last place, Zambrotta was named player-manager; at the end of the season, he helped Chiasso avoid relegation on 14 May 2014, also announcing the end of his playing career. He continued to manage Chiasso the following season, but was eventually sacked on 6 April 2015.
International career
Under-21 and early senior career
Soon after Zambrotta was brought to Serie A, he gained the attention of the
Italian national side. He was selected to play for the
Italy under-21 national team for the first time on 25 March 1998 against
Malta
Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
. In his second game for the U21, against
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
on 22 April 1998, he scored the second goal for Italy on the 43rd minute and helped Italy to win 2–1. In 1998, he played in all six games of the Italy U21 while they won five of them and drew the last one against Spain.
It was on tour with the under-21 team that Zambrotta earned the nickname "the Mermaid" for his allegedly spending one hour every night in front of the mirror grooming at his now trademark
goatee. After some impressive displays for the U21 and an excellent start to the
1998–99 season, Zambrotta earned his first senior cap on 10 February 1999, nine days before his 22nd birthday, in an 0–0
friendly draw with
Norway
Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of ...
.
Due to his consistent performances, he featured in Italy's senior squad at
UEFA Euro 2000
The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, also known as Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Championship, a football tournament held every four years and organised by UEFA, the sport's governing body in Europe.
The finals tournament wa ...
under manager
Dino Zoff, in which they reached 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 ...
, with Zambrotta making four appearances throughout the tournament. Zambrotta missed out on Italy's defeat at the hands of the defending world champions
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
in the final, however, after being sent off in the semi-final match against co-hosts
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
following a double booking.
Zambrotta played for the under-21 side for the
2000 Olympic Games
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...
in September. He started in the games against
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...
and
Honduras
Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
, which Italy won 1–0 and 3–1 respectively. Since they had already qualified for the quarter-finals, the coach put Zambrotta on the bench for the last game against
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
and substituted him on at the 80th minute. This would be the last time he played for the U21 national team, with a total of 13 U21-caps. Italy were defeated by Spain, who would go on to win the silver medal, by one
goal in the quarter-final.
Under new manager
Giovanni Trapattoni, Zambrotta also represented the Italy senior side at the
2002 World Cup, where Italy were controversially eliminated in the round of 16 by co-hosts
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
, on a golden goal;
during the
second round defeat, Zambrotta was forced off the pitch with an injury following a hard, two-footed foul from
Choi Jin-cheul
Choi Jin-cheul (born 26 March 1971) is a South Korean football manager and former player.
International career
Choi was an influential centre-back in the South Korea national football team. He made 65 appearances for the national team includ ...
in the second half of regulation time, and was replaced by
Angelo Di Livio.
Euro 2004
In 2003, after the retirement of
Paolo Maldini from the national team and a successful switch to left-back with Juventus, Zambrotta became the first choice for this position in the national team. On 30 May 2004, Zambrotta scored his first ever international goal in a warm-up against
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
. A
Bernardo Corradi header was flapped out for Zambrotta's fierce
volley into the roof of the
net in the 89th minute while Italy won the game by 4–0. In
Euro 2004, although the performance of Italy was largely disappointing and the team was eliminated at the group stage, Zambrotta was one of the few Italian players to be praised for his performances, and was elected to be part of the
Team of the Tournament.
In Italy's final group 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 ...
, which ended in a 2–1 victory the Italians, he was involved in both of his team's goals, setting up
Antonio Cassano's injury time winner, although Italy finished third in their group on direct encounters, following a three-way five point tie with
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic countries, Nordic c ...
and
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark
, establish ...
.
2006 World Cup
![Gianluca Zambrotta (mondiali 2006)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Gianluca_Zambrotta_%28mondiali_2006%29.jpg)
New coach
Marcello Lippi, who had just resigned as the Juventus manager where he had managed Zambrotta, moved him to right-back. He became a core player in the
2006 World Cup qualifying campaign, featuring in eight of the ten matches to help Italy qualify as group winners. On 15 May 2006, he was chosen as one of the 23 players to participate in the
finals in Germany.
During final preparations, Zambrotta injured his left
thigh during a training match at the national team's training base at Coverciano on 28 May 2006. He picked up the injury in a training match against amateur team San Giminiano. This brought certain fears for the Italian squad and Lippi decided to keep
Daniele Bonera
Daniele Bonera (; born 31 May 1981) is an Italian retired footballer who played as a centre back. He is currently working as an assistant coach at AC Milan.
Prior to joining Spanish Villareal in 2015, with whom he retired in 2019, he had previ ...
on stand-by in case Zambrotta could not
recover in time.
Medical ultrasonography
Medical ultrasound includes diagnostic techniques (mainly imaging techniques) using ultrasound, as well as therapeutic applications of ultrasound. In diagnosis, it is used to create an image of internal body structures such as tendons, mus ...
scans on Zambrotta's
thigh in the final days before Italy's first group match revealed that he would only miss the opening game against
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and Tog ...
.
Zambrotta made his tournament debut in the second group match against the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
as a left-back, the match endeding in a 1–1 draw. In their last group match, against the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
on 22 June, Italy needed only a draw to qualify from the group. Zambrotta was moved to the right-back position as his team won the match 2–0 and advanced as group winners.
During Italy's closely fought 1–0 over Australia in the round of 16, Zambrotta received a booking in the 91st minute. In the quarter-final on 30 June, Italy defeated
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...
3–0, with Zambrotta scoring the opening goal after six minutes with a left-footed long-range
shot after a
one-two with
Francesco Totti. This was his second goal for his country. Zambrotta's outstanding performance continued as he saved his team by a
goal-line clearance in the 58th minute. After Lippi made some substitutions, Zambrotta was pushed up to a
left midfield position. He immediately showed the effect of this position switch. In the 69th minute, he dribbled down the left flank into the edge of the penalty area and passed the ball across to
Luca Toni to score his second goal of the match.
Zambrotta also participated in Italy's semi-final victory over the host nation,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
, hitting the cross-bar in extra time, and he also played in Italy's victorious
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 ...
victory over
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
.
Throughout the tournament, Zambrotta completed 213 passes.
[ His ability to play in multiple positions on either flank contributed to the tactical flexibility of the Italian squad, and earned him a place in the 23-man 2006 World Cup All-Star squad.]
Euro 2008
Zambrotta was selected by new manager Roberto Donadoni to represent Italy at Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland. He played in all Italy's games in the tournament. In the first group stage match, Italy faced the Netherlands; Zambrotta was not at his best in a match as Italy fell 3–0. In the next match, against Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
, Zambrotta made a defensive error that was followed by Romania's 1–0 goal, scored by Adrian Mutu. Christian Panucci
Christian Panucci (; born 12 April 1973) is an Italian former footballer and manager. In his playing career he played as a defender. A versatile footballer, he began his career as a right-back, but was also capable of playing on the left; as he ...
, however, scored just one minute later to tie the match at 1–1. Close to the end of the match, Romania was awarded a penalty, but Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon saved Mutu's shot, securing a 1–1 draw. Italy defeated France 2–0 in their final group match to advance to the quarter-finals. In the quarter-finals, Italy fell to 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")
, ...
on penalties (4–2) after a 0–0 draw, knocking them out of the tournament.
2009 Confederations Cup
Late in 2008, World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi returned to coach of Italy, selecting Zambrotta for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009, as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Jo ...
. Italy, however, failed to progress past the first round, eliminated on goal differential after finishing level on points with the United States.
2010 World Cup
Zambrotta was selected 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 ...
by Lippi. He made his first appearance as Italy's captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
in a 1–1 away draw against Switzerland
). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
in a pre-World Cup friendly, on 5 June 2010. Despite the Italian team's struggles throughout the tournament, Zambrotta was one of his nation's strongest performers in the group stage. Italy earned 1–1 draws in their first two games against Paraguay
Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to t ...
and New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
, collecting two points, and subsequently needing a draw in their final group match against Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the ...
in order to proceed the second round. Italy lost the match 3–2, and were eliminated from the tournament in the first round.
Last international matches
After the World Cup, Lippi resigned, while Cesare Prandelli
Claudio Cesare Prandelli (; born 19 August 1957) is an Italian football coach and former player. He was most recently head coach of Fiorentina.
Career Player
Prandelli was a midfielder who moved from Atalanta to Juventus in 1979. His first g ...
was named as his replacement. In the first matches under Prandelli, Zambrotta was largely omitted from the squad, but he returned to play in several Euro 2012
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 ...
qualifiers. Zambrotta played his last match in Italy colours in a European 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 Hu ...
in Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...
on 12 October 2010, as his team's captain. The match was initially delayed, and eventually abandoned after only six minutes due to crowd trouble, with the score at 0–0, after some of the Serbian fans had thrown flares onto the pitch; Italy were later handed a 3–0 victory by 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 fo ...
. This match was Zambrotta's 98th and final Italy cap, making him his nation's eighth-most capped player of all time. In total, he scored two goals for Italy between 1999 and 2010.
Style of play
Zambrotta is regarded by pundits as one of Italy's greatest attacking full-backs/ wing-backs. Although naturally right-footed, he was an ambidextrous player who excelled both at offensive and defensive play, which made him tactically versatile, allowing him to be deployed on the left as well as on the right side of the pitch, as a full-back or wing-back in a 4 or 5-man defence
Defense or defence may refer to:
Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups
* Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare
* Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks
* Defense indus ...
, or even as a winger or wide midfielder, a position in which he was often played earlier on in his career. His main attributes were his pace, marking ability, tackling, strength, intelligence, tenacity, discipline, and stamina, which allowed him to make surging, overlapping attacking runs with the ball up the flank after winning back possession. A dynamic, tenacious, athletic, and hard-working player, he was also gifted with good technique and ball skills, as well as an excellent crossing ability and a powerful shot from outside the area, which enabled him to contribute to his team's offensive plays. He was also deployed as an offensive-minded 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 ...
on occasion, known as the ''mezzala
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 ...
'' role in Italian football jargon.
Managerial career
After his time as Chiasso's head coach, Zambrotta was appointed as the manager of Indian Super League
The Indian Super League (ISL) is an Indian professional league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Indian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Organised by the All India Football Federa ...
club Delhi Dynamos
Odisha Football Club () is an Indian professional football club based in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, that competes in the Indian Super League, the top flight of Indian football. Prior to the inaugural Indian Super League season, the club was founded ...
in late June 2016, while his former international teammate Simone Barone
Simone Barone (; born 30 April 1978) is an Italian football manager and former player, who played as a midfielder. He played for several Italian clubs throughout his career, before coming to prominence with Palermo. At international level, he wa ...
was appointed as his assistant.
On 14 June 2017, Delhi Dynamos announced that they had mutually terminated their contract with Zambrotta as he prepared to take the role of assistant manager at CSL side Jiangsu Suning.
Personal life
Zambrotta was born in Como
Como (, ; lmo, Còmm, label= Comasco , or ; lat, Novum Comum; rm, Com; french: Côme) is a city and '' comune'' in Lombardy, Italy. It is the administrative capital of the Province of Como.
Its proximity to Lake Como and to the Alps ...
, but his paternal grandfather was from Caserta
Caserta () is the capital of the province of Caserta in the Campania region of Italy. It is an important agricultural, commercial, and industrial '' comune'' and city. Caserta is located on the edge of the Campanian plain at the foot of the Ca ...
.
As of 2005, Zambrotta is married to Valentina Liguori, an Italian model; they announced the birth of their first son, Riccardo, in August 2012.
Zambrotta was named honorary president of his hometown club Como in 2007.
In 2012, Zambrotta worked as a pundit for the Swiss-Italian broadcasting station RSI. In November 2012, in an interview with Rai Radio 1, Zambrotta revealed that, in the summer, he purchased a family holiday home near Dublin
Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 ...
, Republic of Ireland and stated that he would be "open to the idea" of playing in Ireland's Airtricity League
The League of Ireland ( ga, Sraith na hÉireann), together with the Football Association of Ireland, is one of the two main governing bodies responsible for organising association football in the Republic of Ireland. The term was originally use ...
.
In 2014, Zambrotta opened a fitness complex in his hometown of Como, called the Eracle Sports Centre.
In 2015, Zambrotta took part in and won the RAI 2 reality television game show ''Monte Bianco – Sfida verticale''.
Zambrotta features in EA Sports' football video game ''FIFA 20
''FIFA 20'' is a football simulation video game published by Electronic Arts as part of the ''FIFA'' series. It is the 27th installment in the series and was released on 27 September 2019 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nint ...
'' as one of the new Ultimate Team Icons.
Career statistics
Club
International
:''Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Zambrotta goal.''
Managerial statistics
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 ...
: 2001–02, 2002–03
* Supercoppa Italiana: 2003
* UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999
File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...
Barcelona
* Supercopa de España
The Supercopa de España or the ''Spanish Super Cup'' is a super cup tournament in Spanish football. Founded in 1982 as a two-team competition, the current version has been contested since 2019–20 by four teams: the winners and runners-up of ...
: 2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro votes to declare independence from Serbia; The 2006 ...
AC Milan
* Serie A: 2010–11
* Supercoppa Italiana: 2011
File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...
Italy
* 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 has ...
: 2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro votes to declare independence from Serbia; The 2006 ...
* 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: 2000
Individual
*UEFA Euro 2004
The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2004, was the 12th edition of the UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football competition contested by the men's national teams of UEFA member associations. Th ...
: Team of the Tournament
* UEFA Team of the Year: 2006
File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro votes to declare independence from Serbia; The 2006 ...
* FIFPro World XI: 2006
*2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host th ...
: All-Star Team
Orders
:* 5th Class / Knight: '' Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana'': 2000
:*
4th Class / Officer: '' Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana'': 2006
:* CONI
The Italian National Olympic Committee ( it, Comitato Olimpico Nazionale Italiano, CONI), founded in 1914 and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), is responsible for the development and management of sports activity in Italy ...
: Golden Collar of Sports Merit: ''Collare d'Oro al Merito Sportivo'': 2006
References
External links
FC Barcelona profile
Gianluca Zambrotta's career timeline, photo gallery and detailed statistics
Goal.com profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zambrotta, Gianluca
1977 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Como
Association football fullbacks
Association football wingers
Association football utility players
Italian footballers
Italy international footballers
Footballers at the 2000 Summer Olympics
Olympic footballers of Italy
2002 FIFA World Cup players
2006 FIFA World Cup players
FIFA World Cup-winning players
2010 FIFA World Cup players
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup players
UEFA Euro 2000 players
UEFA Euro 2004 players
UEFA Euro 2008 players
S.S.C. Bari players
Como 1907 players
Juventus F.C. players
FC Barcelona players
A.C. Milan players
Italian expatriate footballers
Italian expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Expatriate footballers in Spain
Serie A players
Serie B players
Serie C players
La Liga players
Swiss Challenge League players
Italian football managers
FC Chiasso managers
Indian Super League head coaches
Italian expatriate football managers
Italian expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland
Expatriate football managers in Switzerland
Italian expatriate sportspeople in India
Expatriate football managers in India
Officers of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Knights of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Footballers from Lombardy