Nicola Amoruso (born 29 August 1974) is a former Italian

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 striker. An elegant, technically gifted, and agile forward, known for his delicate touch on the ball and use of

feints Feint is a French term that entered English via the discipline of swordsmanship and fencing. Feints are maneuvers designed to distract or mislead, done by giving the impression that a certain maneuver will take place, while in fact another, or e ...

, he usually played in a central role; his nicknames were ''piede caldo'' (Hot Foot) and ''Dinamite'' (Dynamite), due to his eye for goal. He is currently the sporting director of Palermo.

Club career

Amoruso grew up in the

Sampdoria Unione Calcio Sampdoria, commonly referred to as Sampdoria (), is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, ...

youth system, and 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 12 December 1993, in a 2–0 away defeat to

Inter Inter may refer to: Association football clubs * Inter Milan, an Italian club * SC Internacional, a Brazilian club * Inter Miami CF, an American club * FC Inter Sibiu, a Romanian club * FC Inter Turku, a Finnish club * FK Inter Bratislava, a form ...

. During his first season with the club he won 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 ...

, scoring 3 goals in 8 appearances throughout the competition. He has also later played with

Fidelis Andria Fidelis Andria 2018 or simply Fidelis Andria is an Italian football club based in Andria, Apulia. The club was founded in 1971 and re-founded in 2005, 2013 and 2018. The team competes in . Fidelis Andria play their home matches at Stadio Deg ...

(1994–95),

Padova Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...

(1995–96), Juventus (1996–2002),

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 pa ...

(1999–2002),

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 ...

(2000–2001),

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 h ...

(2003), Modena (2003–04), Messina (2004–05),

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 n ...

(2005–08),

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 ...

(2008–09),

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 ...

(2009),

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 ...

(2009–10), and

Atalanta Atalanta (; grc-gre, Ἀταλάντη, Atalantē) meaning "equal in weight", is a heroine in Greek mythology. There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia (region), Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene (mythology ...

(2010–11).

Juventus

Amoruso joined Juventus in 1996; he scored 4 goals in Juventus's 1996–97 UEFA Champions League campaign, including one each in both of the semifinal legs against

AFC Ajax Amsterdamsche Football Club Ajax (), also known as AFC Ajax, Ajax Amsterdam, or simply Ajax, is a Dutch professional football club based in Amsterdam, that plays in the , the top tier in Dutch football. Historically, Ajax (named after the l ...

. He only came on as a late substitute in 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 ...

that Juventus lost to

Borussia Dortmund Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, commonly known as Borussia Dortmund (), BVB (), or simply Dortmund (), is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its men's professional fo ...

, although he was able to capture the

1996 UEFA Super Cup The 1996 UEFA Super Cup was a two-legged match that took place on 15 January 1997 and 5 February 1997 between Paris Saint-Germain of France, champions of the 1995–96 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, and Juventus of Italy as winners of the 1995–96 UEFA ...

, the

1996 Intercontinental Cup The 1996 Intercontinental Cup was an association football match played on 26 November 1996, between Juventus, winners of the 1995–96 UEFA Champions League, and River Plate, winners of the 1996 Copa Libertadores. The match was played at the Na ...

, and the

1996–97 Serie A The 1996–97 Serie A title was won by Juventus, under head coach Marcello Lippi. Cagliari, Perugia, Hellas Verona and Reggiana were relegated. Teams Bologna, Hellas Verona, Perugia and Reggiana had been promoted from Serie B. Events Followi ...

title with Juventus that season. The following season, he won the

1997 Supercoppa Italiana The 1997 Supercoppa Italiana was a match contested by Juventus, the 1996–97 Serie A winner, and Vicenza, the 1996–97 Coppa Italia winner. It was the third appearance for Juventus, after the victory in 1995 and the defeat in 1990, ...

, and the

1997–98 Serie A The 1997–98 Serie A saw Juventus win their 25th national title, with Internazionale placing second; both teams qualified for the 1998–99 UEFA Champions League. Udinese, Roma, Fiorentina, Parma qualified for the 1998–99 UEFA Cup. Lazio qua ...

title with Juventus. He scored in the return leg of the

1997–98 UEFA Champions League The 1997–98 UEFA Champions League was the 43rd season of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA's premier club football tournament, and the sixth since its re-branding from the "European Champion Clubs' Cup" or "European Cup". The tournament was won by ...

semifinal against

AS Monaco FC Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club SA, commonly referred to as AS Monaco () or Monaco, is a professional football club based in Monaco that is member of French Football Federation (FFF) and competes in Ligue 1, the top tier of Frenc ...

, but was an unused substitute in the

, as Juventus suffered yet another defeat, at the hands of Real Madrid on this occasion. The 1998–99 season was less successful, as Juventus only managed to capture the

1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup The 1999 UEFA Intertoto Cup finals were won by Montpellier, Juventus, and West Ham United. All three teams advanced to the UEFA Cup. Qualified teams First round First leg ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ...

. Amoruso spent the 1999–2000 season on loan with Perugia, and the 2000–01 season on loan with Napoli, beforing returning to Juventus the following season. Amoruso won the

2001–02 Serie A The 2001–02 Serie A (known as the Serie A TIM for sponsorship reasons) was the 100th season of top-tier Italian football, the 70th in a round-robin tournament. It was composed by 18 teams, for the 14th consecutive time from season 1988–89. ...

title with Juventus, only making 9 appearances in the league, but helping the club to reach the

2002 Coppa Italia Final The 2002 Coppa Italia Final was the final of the 2001–02 Coppa Italia, the 55th season of the top cup competition in Italian football. The match was played over two legs on 25 April and 10 May 2002 between Juventus and Parma. This was the third ...

, finishing the competition as the top-scorer, with 6 goals. In 2002, he moved to Perugia once again for half a season, and in January 2003, he subsequently played with Como, later moving to Modena for the 2003–04 Serie A season, and Messina for the 2004–05 Serie A season.

Messina

In 2004, Amoruso signed with Messina on free transfer, after terminated his contract with Modena.

Reggina

In 2005 Amoruso signed with

. Along with

Rolando Bianchi Rolando Bianchi (; born 15 February 1983) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a striker. With 77 total goals, he is Torino's 11th-highest all-time goal scorer. Bianchi was primarily known for his ability in the air. Cl ...

, they formed an effective striking partner for Reggina's survival battle. In 2007–08 season, Bianchi left the club and Amoruso became the team top-scorer, ahead

Franco Brienza Franco Brienza (; born 19 March 1979) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a forward or attacking midfielder. Throughout his career, he played for several Italian clubs, but is mainly known for his time with Palermo. At in ...

and midfielder Francesco Cozza. Reggina almost relegated that season, as ineffective of striker

Christian Stuani Cristhian Ricardo Stuani Curbelo (; born 12 October 1986) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays as a striker for La Liga club Girona. He started out at Danubio, being bought by Reggina in 2008. He went on to spend the vast majori ...

Joelson Joelson is both a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: People with the given name * Joelson Santos Silva or Joelson (born 1980), Brazilian footballer * Joelson José Inácio (born 1983), Brazilian footballer People with ...

Stephen Makinwa Stephen Ayodele Makinwa (born 26 July 1983) is a retired Nigerian footballer who played as a striker. Makinwa also played for the Nigerian national team. His name, Ayodele, means "''Joy has come home''". Club career Early career Makinwa was ...

and

Fabio Ceravolo Fabio Giovanni Ceravolo (born 5 March 1987) is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for club Padova. Career Ceravolo played twice for Reggina in the Coppa Italia before joining Atalanta on loan on 20 August 2009, two days before the sta ...

Torino, Siena, Parma & Atalanta

On 8 July 2008, he agreed a move to

, signed a 2-year contract and reunited with

, but during the January 2009

transfer window A transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other playing staff into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA. "Transfer wi ...

he transferred on loan with A.C. Siena. After played the opening match of 2009–10 Serie B season for ''Toro'', Amoruso moved to

with Julio César de León and

Manuel Coppola Manuel Coppola (born 11 May 1982) is an Italian former footballer who played as a midfielder. Career Early career Born in Rome, Lazio, Coppola started his professional career at Tivoli. In January 2004 he was signed by Messina, but spent the ...

move to opposite direction on loan on 28 August. In January 2010, Amoruso signed a contract with

Atalanta B.C. Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly referred to as Atalanta, is a professional football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy, Italy. The club plays in Serie A, having gained promotion from Serie B in 2010–11. Atalanta was founded in 1907 by Lice ...

which last until June 2011. Robert Acquafresca, moved back to Genoa from Atalanta, while

Hernán Crespo Hernán Jorge Crespo (; born 5 July 1975) is an Argentine professional football coach and former player. He is the current manager of Qatari club Al-Duhail. A prolific striker, Crespo scored over 300 goals in a career spanning 19 years. At in ...

moved to Parma from Genoa. Atalanta also paid Parma €1 million for the service of Amoruso. He retired in September 2011.

International career

Amoruso represented the Italy under-21 team on 4 occasions between 1994 and 1996, scoring once. He was the unused member of the Italy Olympic team that won the

1997 Mediterranean Games The XIII Mediterranean Games, commonly known as the 1997 Mediterranean Games, were the 13th Mediterranean Games. The Games were held in Bari, Italy, from 13 to 25 June 1997, where 2,956 athletes (2,166 men and 790 women) from 21 countries partici ...

. He also won the

1996 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship The 1996 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, which spanned two years (1994–96), had 44 entrants. After the quarter-finals stage, Spain were chosen as the hosts of the final stages, consisting of four matches in total. Italy U-21s won the compe ...

with Italy.

Honours

Club

;

: 1993–94 ; Juventus *

: 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02 * Supercoppa Italiana:

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

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: 1996–97, 1997–98 *

UEFA Super Cup The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions; the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's official name was original ...

: 1996 ;

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 ...

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. ...

International

; Italy under-21 *

UEFA European Under-21 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 comp ...

: 1996

Individual

Top-scorer: 2001–02 (6 goals)

References

External links

FIGC

Gazzetta dello Sport
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Amoruso, Nicola 1974 births Italian footballers Italy under-21 international footballers People from Cerignola U.C. Sampdoria players S.S. Fidelis Andria 1928 players Calcio Padova players Juventus F.C. players A.C. Perugia Calcio players S.S.C. Napoli players Como 1907 players Modena F.C. players A.C.R. Messina players Reggina 1914 players Torino F.C. players A.C.N. Siena 1904 players Parma Calcio 1913 players Atalanta B.C. players Serie A players Serie B players Association football forwards Living people Footballers from Apulia Sportspeople from the Province of Foggia