Gaetano Caridi

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Gaetano Caridi
Personal information
Full name Gaetano Caridi
Date of birth July 22, 1980 (1980-07-22) (age 27)
Place of birth    Reggio Calabria, Italy
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9+12 in)
Playing position Attacking midfielder, Deep-lying forward
Club information
Current club Mantova
Number 8
Youth clubs
1996-1999 Pontedera
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1999-2000
2000-2001
2001
2001-2002
2002-
Pontedera
Alzano Virescit
Avellino (loan)
Alzano Virescit
Mantova
22 (4)
15 (1)
10 (3)
15 (0)
181 (33)[1][2]   

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of May 18, 2007.
* Appearances (Goals)

Gaetano Caridi, born on July 22, 1980 in Reggio Calabria, is an Italian footballer currently playing for Mantova.

Caridi began his career playing for minor Tuscan club Pontedera. He made his debut with the then-Serie C2 club in 1999, aged 19, playing 22 matches and scoring four goals. He then earned a move to promotion chasing Serie C1 side Alzano Virescit, where he made 15 appearances before being loaned to Avellino on January 2001.[2] With the biancoverdi, he played 10 matches scoring three goals before returning at Alzano.

After 15 league matches played for Alzano in the first half of the 2001-02 season, he was signed by Serie C2 side Mantova in January 2002 after suggestion by then-head coach Roberto Boninsegna.[2]

The 2002-03 season proved to be a turning point for the 22-year old Caridi. Indeed, he agreed to sign for free with Mantova and proved instrumental to make telling passes as Mantova came close to promotion. In 2003-04 Caridi made 32 appearances, scoring 8 goals as Mantova earned promotion to Serie C1.

In 2004-05 Mantova earned promotion to Serie B at their first attempt, with Caridi helping to create many of the goals with his technique and vision, as well as scoring 10 goals. In their first season in Serie B Caridi was moved up as a deep lying striker, a role more similar to the likes of Gianfranco Zola. Mantova finish fourth, losing a third consecutive promotion on playoffs to Torino, and Caridi scored 14 league goals in the process. In 2006-07 Caridi confirmed his qualities, scoring an impressive 11 goals in 35 matches, many of them coming from direct free kicks.

He is nicknamed "Don Tano" by Mantova fans due to his Southern Italy origins.[2]

[edit] References

  1. ^ MANTOVA - Gaetano Caridi (Italian). Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved on 2007-07-30.
  2. ^ a b c d Mantova - Giocatori: Gaetano Caridi (Italian). Gransito.com. Retrieved on 2007-07-30.

[edit] External links

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