Riccardo Maspero

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Riccardo Maspero (born February 19, 1970 in Lodi, Italy) is an Italian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder, most notably with Cremonese.

Maspero came to prominence as a teenager at Cremonese, and played in two one-year spells in Serie A. He came into his own during the promotion season of 1992-93 and impressed greatly in a side coached by Luigi Simoni which finished 10th in Serie A in 1994. He established a reputation as a gifted playmaker.

A move to Sampdoria followed, but he failed to make his mark and returned to Cremonese after one season. Despite outstanding form and a healthy return of goals from midfield, he was unable to prevent successive relegations.

His career declined after a move to Lecce in 1997, where he found opportunities limited. He was loaned to Vicenza and Perugia, playing limited first-team football over the next three seasons before joining Torino for the 2000-01 season.

Maspero's career was rejuvenated with the Granata, and he played a role in the team's return to Serie A. In the 2001-02 season, he earned hero status among the club's fans with a late equaliser in a 3-3 draw with Juventus. He moved on to Fiorentina before playing in the amateur leagues.