Fabio Grosso

Fabio Grosso

Grosso with Italy in 2008
Personal information
Date of birth28 November 1977
Place of birthRome, Italy
Height1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing positionLeft back
Youth career
1994–1995Renato Curi
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1995–1998Renato Curi57(13)
1998–2001Chieti68(8)
2001–2004Perugia67(6)
2004–2006Palermo90(2)
2006–2007Internazionale23(2)
2007–2009Lyon52(2)
2009–2012Juventus47(2)
Total404(35)
National team‡
2003–2009Italy48(4)
Teams managed
2014–Juventus Primavera
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18 September 2011.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14 November 2009

Fabio Grosso, Ufficiale OMRI[1][2] (Italian pronunciation: [ˈfabjo ˈɡrɔsso]; born 28 November 1977) is an Italian former footballer who played as left back. He was a physical, quick, energetic player, who was sound defensively and adept with his crossing ability, which allowed him to be deployed as a right-winger on occasion.[3] Unusually for a defender, he was also a free kick, penalty and corner kick specialist, responsibilities usually held by a striker or midfielder.[4] Grosso made 48 appearances for Italy and scored the decisive late first goal against Germany in the 2006 World Cup semi-final and also scored the winning penalty in the penalty shootout against France in the final that won the trophy for the Azzurri.

Grosso retired in 2012 after winning the Scudetto. In March 2014 he was named head coach of the Juventus F.C. Youth Sector's Primavera (U-20) team.[5][6]

Club career

Renato Curi

Grosso was born in Rome, but hails from Chieti in Abruzzo, where his family soon returned to. Grosso joined Renato Curi Angolana in 1994, and played in the club's youth system until 1995. He was promoted to the senior squad for the 1995–1996 season, and soon became a key part of the first team. Following the 1997–1998 season, he left the Eccellenza club, to join Calcio Chieti for an undisclosed transfer fee. Grosso made 108 official appearances for Renato Curi, scoring a very impressive 47 goals as an attacking midfielder and left winger.

Chieti

Grosso transferred to Calcio Chieti of Serie C2 in the summer of 1998. An attacking midfielder at the time, he again impressed in his three season spell with Chieti. He scored 17 goals in 68 league appearances. Following several impressive performances, he was scouted by Serie A club, Perugia Calcio in 2001, and in mid-summer, Grosso officially transferred to the club.

Perugia

He officially joined Perugia Calcio of the Serie A in July 2001, and in his debut Serie A season, Grosso managed an impressive 24 appearances with a single goal. By now he had been converted into a left wing back by coach Serse Cosmi, and in his second season in Perugia, Grosso maintained a starting position and made 30 league appearances with 4 goals. In his third season with Perugia, Grosso made just 12 appearances in the first 6 months of the 2003–04 season. To some surprise, Grosso transferred away from Perugia in January 2004, and was sold to Palermo, who, at the time, played in the Italian Serie B. In 2003, during his time with Perugia, Grosso earned his first Italy cap.

Palermo

In January 2004, during the winter transfer window, Grosso transferred to the Sicilian side, and they earned promotion at the conclusion to the season, and Grosso made 21 appearances for his new club in the latter portion of the 2003–2004 season, scoring 1 goal. Palermo's first season in Serie A was very successful as the club managed a very impressive 6th place finish, with just 9 losses, also qualifying for the UEFA Cup. Grosso contributed as a regular starter, making 36 league appearances, also scoring a single goal. Grosso made 33 appearances for his club, during the 2005–2006 Serie A season, and Palermo impressed, finishing a solid 8th in the league. He was one of 4 Palermo players who made Marcello Lippi's FIFA World Cup winning squad, but at the conclusion of the tournament, Grosso was sold to Internazionale.

Internazionale

Grosso joined Inter for a fee reported of €5 million plus Hernán Paolo Dellafiore on 6 July 2006.[7] Grosso, however, was in and out of the club's starting line-up and was mostly used as a substitute. He made just 23 appearances for Inter in the league, and scored two goals. Following the disappointing season with Inter, Grosso opted to move abroad, and was sold to Olympique Lyonnais in the summer of 2007, just one year after his move to Inter.

Lyon

In July 2007 he moved abroad and signed a four-year contract with Olympique Lyonnais after passing a medical and agreeing personal terms. The transfer fee was €7.5 million[8] He was given the number 11 shirt.[9] His first season with proved a successful one as he was a key part of the club's starting line-up in both the UEFA Champions League and Ligue 1. In his second season with Lyon, Grosso was limited to just 22 league appearances, partially due to injury, but was heavily linked with a move back to Italy during the 2009 summer transfer window, and in August 2009, he officially returned to Italy, to Juventus of Serie A.

Juventus

On 31 August 2009 it was confirmed that Grosso had returned to Serie A following his two-year spell in France. After chasing the defender all summer long a deal was met on the final day of the transfer market at a €2 million plus bonus up to €1 million.[10] He was instantly inserted into Juventus' starting eleven, and began the season in good form. He scored his first goal in a league game against Udinese Calcio in November 2009. He has made 28 appearances this season thus far and has scored two goals.

In 2010–11 season Juventus released several elder players, but Grosso reportedly refused any transfer. Paolo De Ceglie took back the starting place and Grosso was frozen from the start of season and excluded from 25-men squad for 2010–11 UEFA Europa League.[11] However, after Juventus lost numbers of players due to injury, Grosso and Hasan Salihamidžić were recalled for the first time on 6 November.[12]

At the start of the 2013/14 season, Grosso came back to Juventus, where he will be assistant manager of the Primavera (youth team). On 11 March 2014, Grosso was appointed as the new manager of the Juventus Primavera youth team following a string of poor performances under manager Andrea Zanchetta (who will take up another position in the Juventus Youth Academy following Grosso's appointment).

International career

Grosso was a member of the 2006 FIFA World Cup winning team.

In added time of the Round of Sixteen against Australia, he was fouled in the penalty area by Lucas Neill. Francesco Totti converted the penalty as Italy advanced.[13]

On 4 July 2006, Grosso scored the first goal against Germany in the 119th minute, with a curling left-footed strike beyond the reach of Jens Lehmann into the Germans' net from the edge of the box, which commentator John Motson would describe as "magnificent", and would lead to Grosso famously ran about screaming "I don't believe it!" as his teammates celebrated.[14] In the final five days later, he scored the winning penalty against France, giving Italy their fourth World Cup.[15]

Grosso was also included in Roberto Donadoni's European Cup team in 2008 and was the first choice left back in Marcello Lippi's Azzurri squad.

For the 2010 World Cup held in South Africa, he was called up to the pre-World Cup training camp along with team-mates Gianluigi Buffon, Giorgio Chiellini, Fabio Cannavaro, Nicola Legrottaglie, Mauro Camoranesi, Antonio Candreva, Claudio Marchisio and Vincenzo Iaquinta on 4–5 May[16] and was included in the 30-men preliminary squad announced on 11 May.[17] However in the second training camp, he was dropped along with Juventus team-mate Candreva.[18][19]

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 3 September 2005 Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland  Scotland 1 – 1 1 – 1 2006 FIFA World Cup Qualification
2. 7 July 2006 Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany  Germany 1 – 0 2 – 0 2006 FIFA World Cup
3. 13 October 2006 Stadio Luigi Ferraris, Genoa, Italy  Georgia 2 – 0 2 – 0 UEFA Euro 2008 qualification
4. 9 September 2009 Stadio Olimpico di Torino, Turin, Italy  Bulgaria 1 – 0 2 – 0 2010 FIFA World Cup Qualification

Personal life

Fabio Grosso is married to Jessica Repetto. They have two sons: Filippo, who was born shortly after World Cup 2006, and Giacomo, who was born on 26 October 2009.

Grosso studied political science and is fluent in French.

Honours

Club

Internazionale
Lyon
Juventus

National team

Italy

Orders

  • Collar of Merit Sports: 2006[20]
  • 4th Class / Officer: Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana:(2006)[21]

References

  1. ↑ FIFA.com
  2. ↑ AscotSportal.com
  3. ↑ Penza, Danny. "Juventus' Fabio Grosso Signing Is a Strong Move for Team Weak on Defense". bleacherreport.com. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  4. ↑ http://www.tuttocalciatori.net/index.php?mod=cc1&par=316
  5. ↑ "Fabio Grosso allenatore della Juve Primavera" (in Italian). Corriere dello Sport. 11 March 2014.
  6. ↑ "Grosso takes charge of Juventus Primavera". juventus.com. 11 March 2014.
  7. ↑ "Inter agree Grosso deal". Sky Sports. 6 June 2006. Retrieved 2010-06-04.
  8. ↑ "OL GROUPE FAIT LE POINT SUR LES TRANSFERTS" (PDF). OL Group (in French). 10 July 2007. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
  9. ↑ OLWEB.fr | Site officiel de l'Olympique Lyonnais
  10. ↑ "Agreement with Olympique Lyonnais for the acquisition of the registration rights of the player Fabio Grosso" (PDF). Juventus FC. 31 August 2009. Retrieved 14 June 2012.
  11. ↑ "La nuova Lista Uefa per la fase a gironi di Europa League". Juventus FC (in Italian). 1 September 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
  12. ↑ "21 convocati da Del Neri. Rientrano Melo, Iaquinta e Lanzafame". Juventus FC (in Italian). 6 November 2010. Retrieved 6 November 2010.
  13. ↑ Late Totti penalty kick sends Italy past Australia, Andy Gardiner, USA Today, 27 June 2006
  14. ↑ "Germany 0–2 Italy: Azzurri's late, late show". ESPNsoccernet (ESPN). 4 July 2006. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
  15. ↑ "Italy 1–1 France: Italy triumph as Zizou explodes". ESPNsoccernet (ESPN). 9 July 2006. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
  16. ↑ "VERSO IL MONDIALE. VENTINOVE AZZURRI CONVOCATI PER LO STAGE DI ROMA". FIGC.it (in Italian) (Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio). 2 May 2010. Retrieved 11 May 2010.
  17. ↑ "Release list of up to 30 players" (PDF). fifa.com. FIFA. 13 May 2010. p. 17. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  18. ↑ "Ecco i 28 Azzurri che Lippi porterà in ritiro a Sestriere da domenica". FIGC.it (in Italian) (Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio). 18 May 2010. Retrieved 18 May 2010.
  19. ↑ "Grosso left at home by Lippi". ESPNsoccernet (ESPN). 18 May 2010. Retrieved 2010-05-29.
  20. ↑ "Coni: Consegnati i Collari d’oro e diplomi d’onore ai campionissimi". Coni.it. 23 February 2014.
  21. ↑ "ONORIFICENZE - 2006". http://www.quirinale.it/'' (in Italian). 12 December 2006. Retrieved 19 March 2015.

External links