Mark Bresciano

Mark Bresciano
Personal information
Date of birth	11 February 1980 (1980-02-11) (age 29)
Place of birth	Melbourne, Australia
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	US Palermo
Number	23
Youth clubs
1995–1996 1997	Bulleen Lions AIS
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1995–1997 1997–1999 1999–2002 2002–2006 2006–present	Bulleen Lions Carlton Empoli Parma Palermo	009 0(4) 028 0(6) 080 (17) 123 (19) 077 0(8)
National team2
1997 1998–1999 1998–2000 2001–present	Australia U17 Australia U20 Australia U23 Australia	005 0(5) 007 0(0) 015 0(0) 046 (11)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 2008-05-19. 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 17:20, 30 October 2008 (UTC). * Appearances (Goals)

Mark "Marco" Bresciano (born on 11 February 1980 in Melbourne) is an Australian football midfielder, who currently plays for US Palermo in the Italian Serie A. He has represented Australia at all youth levels, including appearances at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship and 2000 Olympic Games, and is a regular member of the Socceroos. He played in all of Australia's games at the 2006 World Cup. Since the age of 19 he has played his senior club football in Italy, initially with Empoli before spending four seasons with Parma, and now his current club, Palermo.

Biography

Early days in Australia

Bresciano grew up in Rosanna in Melbourne,^[1] playing football locally and joining the first team of Victorian Premier League side Bulleen Lions in 1995 at age 15. He made little impact until his third year in the first team, scoring four goals in four league games and helping Bulleen to the 1997 VPL grand final. Bresciano's reputation began to grow, and he was selected in an Australian Schoolboys squad that toured the UK in 1996.^[2] In 1997 he featured prominently in Australia's unsuccessful U17 World Cup qualifying campaign, scoring five goals.

At the end of the 1997 season and upon completing high school at Marcellin College,^[1] he was offered a place at the Australian Institute of Sport, where he reunited with childhood pal Vince Grella. The players' careers would mirror in the coming years as the two supported their footballing endeavours on and off the field.^[3] He and Grella signed with new National Soccer League club Carlton for the 1997/98 season, but Bresciano was forced to wait until Round 17 to make his NSL debut. He then played every game for the rest of the year, as Carlton finished second with a place in the finals. Bresciano scored in injury time to win the elimination semi-final and put the club into its first grand final, which they lost 2-1. He stayed with the Blues for the 1998/99 season, scoring four goals in eighteen games, but the club finished well outside the top six. In 1998 and 1999, Bresciano made a number of appearances for Australia in various matches at Under-20 and Under-23 level, including the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship, where the Young Socceroos were eliminated in the first round.

Move to Italy

As for many Australian players, a career in Europe beckoned for Bresciano as he sought to develop his game and further his career. Bresciano and Grella had sights set on a move to Italy, spurred in part by their Italian heritage.^[3] The pair joined Empoli in 1999, who had been relegated to Serie B the previous season, and became regular selections in the first team. In Bresciano's third year at the club, he scored ten goals and helped Empoli to fourth position and promotion back to Serie A. The pair also appeared several times in the Australian Under-23 team in the lead-up to the 2000 Olympics, particularly in friendlies held in Europe. They were both included in the team for the Sydney Olympics, although Bresciano only saw limited action as a substitute. The following year his efforts with the Olympic squad were rewarded with a call-up to the Socceroos. On 1 June 2001, Bresciano received his first cap for Australia in a Confederations Cup match against France, coming on as a substitute 12 minutes from time for Josip Skoko. He made a further five appearances that year for the Socceroos, including another match against France in a friendly at the MCG, again replacing Skoko as a substitute.

In the summer of 2002 he joined Parma for €7 million, at the time a record transfer fee for an Australian player.^[4] "Moving to Parma was a big change in every way, not just money-wise but it is a big club. The structure of the club, the facilities, its popularity means you are under a lot more pressure to get a result" he said following the close of the season, well aware of his profile.^[1] Though he was hampered by a series of injuries, his 24 appearances in 2002-03 helped Parma to fifth and a UEFA Cup place. With Empoli being relegated again, he was reunited with Grella who stayed in Serie A with a transfer to Parma.

Goal scoring for Parma and Socceroos

Setting himself a target for the 2003-04 season of five goals,^[1] Bresciano surpassed that and eight goals from 33 appearances, the most of any midfielder in the Serie A, as Parma finished fifth again. Bresciano had also claimed a regular spot in the Socceroos line-up,^[5] justifying his selection with a string of goals, including a match-winning free-kick against New Zealand^[6] and the only goal in a one-nil victory against South Africa.^[7] Parma's fifth place qualified them for the UEFA Cup, where the club advanced through to the semi-finals before being eliminated by eventual winners CSKA Moscow. Their league performance that year was in stark contrast to their UEFA Cup form, as they were forced in to a play-off to retain their Serie A status by finishing 18th in the league. Bresciano and Grella were excused from the 2005 Confederations Cup by the then-Australian manager Frank Farina^[8] to allow them to take part in the play-off against Bologna - Parma went on to win the tie and remained in Serie A for the following season. Both players returned to the Australian squad in September 2005, now under the direction of Guus Hiddink, for World Cup qualification playoff against Solomon Islands, followed by a friendly against Jamaica where Bresciano scored the first of Australia's five goals. After playing the first leg of the CONMEBOL-OFC World Cup qualification playoff against Uruguay on 12 November, Bresciano scored the only goal in the second leg four days later. The 1-0 win levelled the playoff 1-1 on aggregate after extra time, and the Socceroos won the ensuing penalty shootout to advance to the World Cup.

Parma recovered well in the 2005-06 season with Bresciano playing the majority of games, finishing a respectable tenth by season's end in May 2006 (later rising to seventh and a UEFA Cup place after the Calciopoli findings). Bresciano described their resurgence as physically finding their form. Despite starting poorly, the team went from "strength to strength" as the season went on, with Bresciano himself becoming mentally tougher for the experience.^[9]

2006 World Cup

Buoyed by his strong club season, Bresciano played in Australia's opening game of the 2006 World Cup, being substituted before the team went on to score three goals and defeat Japan.^[10] He came on as a substitute in the second game against Brazil^[11] and, in the third Group Stage game, was instrumental in the 79th minute goal scored by Harry Kewell against Croatia.^[12] The goal resulted in a 2-2 draw, a result securing Australia's place in the second round. Against Italy, Bresciano was judged to be in a scoring position in the 50th minute when fouled by Marco Materazzi, the Italian receiving a red card. Italy went on to win after being awarded a penalty in the dying minutes of the game, eliminating the Socceroos.^[13] After being identified as a key player for Australia, Bresciano's overall performance at the tournament failed to live up to expectations, described by an FFA writer as "solid without being spectacular", although his role as a set-piece-specialist was highlighted.^[14]

Palermo and Asian Cup

Shortly after the end of the World Cup, Bresciano was signed by Palermo on a four-year contract,^[15] and made regular first team appearances in the Serie A and Europe. In October 2006 Bresciano scored what some - including Socceroos Assistant Coach John Kosmina - have described as the greatest goal ever scored for Australia in a full international match.^[16] In an Asian Cup qualification match against Bahrain, Mile Sterjovski received a cross-field pass which was played first-time back in to the penalty area, Bresciano reacting quickly to turn his body horizontally and strike the ball on the volley into the net. The goal drew comparisons to his first goal for Palermo in Serie A, two months earlier, against Reggina on the opening day of the 2006-07 season.^[17] Bresciano was on the pitch on 2 February 2007, when violence broke out outside the stadium in the Catania-Palermo match. He was affected by tear gas as it drifted into the stadium and afterwards described the incident as "completely terrifying".^[18][19] He scored his ninth international goal against China in March 2007. A hamstring injury suffered in May caused him to miss the final round match for Palermo, Australia's friendly against Uruguay on 2 June^[20] and hampered his preparations for the 2007 AFC Asian Cup. However, he recovered in time for a warmup match against Singapore and played all of Australia's first two Asian Cup matches. He was substituted in the second half against Thailand and the quarter-final against Japan before the Socceroos' elimination on penalties. The Sydney Morning Herald rated the 71 minutes played against Japan as his best performance of the tournament, after average displays in the early matches.^[21]

Bresciano returned to the national team in February 2008 for Australia's opening World Cup qualification match against Qatar, starting the match and scoring the Socceroos third goal.^[22] He also played a full 90 minutes in the second group match, away to China. The new campaign has also seen Bresciano change squad numbers, wearing '18' in the two qualifiers, as opposed to his traditional '23' which he has worn for the majority of his Socceroo career.

To England and back

On return from Australia's Asian Cup exit, Bresciano became the target of a transfer to English Premier League side Manchester City. After confirmation from new Palermo manager Stefano Colantuono that he would be leaving Palermo for Manchester,^[23] the clubs agreed to a four-year contract with a transfer price of £5 million^[24] and he began training with the City squad.^[25] "I needed a new challenge and I wanted to get the excitement factor back into my game," Mark stated in confirming his desire to play in England, also citing the chance to play under Sven-Göran Eriksson as a big reason for seeking to make the switch.^[26] However, talks between the two clubs broke down in finalising the move, with the timing of the transfer fee given as the primary issue - as City sought to delay payment - and Bresciano returned to Palermo to rejoin their pre-season preparations.^[27][28] As the transfer deadline passed and the deal was put off indefinitely, Bresciano continued training with Palermo. He came off the bench for their opening-day loss to Roma,^[29] and remained a regular selection under new manager Francesco Guidolin, although more commonly from the substitute bench. He came off the bench in the first match of the 2008-09 season to score a goal, although Palermo lost 3-1 to Udinese.

Mark is currently being linked with a January switch to Bolton Wanderers F.C.

Style

Bresciano is one of Australia's most talented footballers and has a renowned eye for goal. He usually plays his football on the left side of midfield but can also play as a forward and in the central or right midfield role. Bresciano is a versatile player who often assists in both attack and defence and is also a set-piece specialist.^[4]

Personal

Name

His correct first name is Mark and not, as is often reported, "Marco" though he is commonly referred to as Marco in Australia.^[30] Interviewed for the TV documentary The Away Game, he said "In Australia, it's Marco. In Italy, it's Mark. Work that one out. My birth certificate says Mark. But I'm named after my grandfather Marco. I like Marco but not Mark-O. I prefer Mark".

Family

His father is Italian and his mother Croatian. His younger brother Robert currently plays for Fawkner Blues in the Victorian Premier League.^[31] Bresciano married his childhood sweetheart Renee Capitanio in May 2006 in Heidelberg, Melbourne, after proposing to her at the Romeo and Juliet House in Verona.^[32] In February 2007, the couple welcomed their first child, a daughter named Alessia.^[33]

Career statistics

Club career

(correct as of 15 January 2008)

Cup includes domestic cups, promotion/relegation playoffs and NSL/VPL Finals series

International career

References

External links

• US Palermo Player Profile
• Football Federation Australia Player Profile

Australia squad – 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup 1 Schwarzer • 2 Muscat • 3 Moore • 4 Okon • 5 T. Vidmar • 6 Popovic • 7 Lazaridis • 8 Skoko • 9 Aloisi • 10 Emerton • 11 Zdrilic • 12 Bolton • 13 Bresciano • 14 Murphy • 15 Foxe • 16 Horvat • 17 Corica • 18 Chipperfield • 19 A. Vidmar • 20 Zane • 21 Thompson • 22 Sterjovski • 23 Jurić • Coach: Farina

Australia squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup 1 Schwarzer • 2 Neill • 3 Moore • 4 Cahill • 5 Culina • 6 Popovic • 7 Emerton • 8 Skoko • 9 Viduka • 10 Kewell • 11 Lazaridis • 12 Covic • 13 Grella • 14 Chipperfield • 15 Aloisi • 16 Beauchamp • 17 Thompson • 18 Kalac • 19 Kennedy • 20 Wilkshire • 21 Sterjovski • 22 Milligan • 23 Bresciano • Coach: Hiddink

Australia squad – 2007 AFC Asian Cup 1 Schwarzer • 2 Neill • 3 Kisnorbo • 4 Cahill • 5 Čulina • 6 Beauchamp • 7 Emerton • 8 Wilkshire • 9 Viduka • 10 Kewell • 11 Thompson • 12 Jones • 13 Grella • 14 Holman • 15 Aloisi • 16 Thwaite • 17 Valeri • 18 Petkovic • 19 Carle • 20 Burns • 21 Sterjovski • 22 Milligan • 23 Bresciano • Coach: Arnold