Gianni Munari

Gianni Munari
Personal information
Date of birth24 June 1983
Place of birthSassuolo, Italy
Height1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing positionMidfielder
Club information
Current team
Watford (on loan from Parma)
Number3
Youth career
Sassuolo
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2001–2003Sassuolo49(2)
2003–2004Giulianova25(3)
2004–2005Chievo0(0)
2004–2005→ Triestina (loan)35(5)
2005–2006Verona38(4)
2006–2007Palermo0(0)
2007–2011Lecce143(16)
2011–2012Fiorentina11(0)
2012–2013Sampdoria47(4)
2013–Parma11(0)
2014–Watford (loan)28(3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17 March 2015 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).

Gianni Munari (born 24 June 1983 in Sassuolo, Italy) is an Italian footballer presently playing with Watford, on loan from Parma.

Career

From Sassuolo to Palermo

Munari started his career with hometown club Sassuolo, after being promoted to the senior squad from the youth team. He scored 2 goals in 49 appearances during his two-year spell with the club. In 2003 he joined Giulianova (via Chievo in co-ownership deal), where he would spend just one season, scoring three goals in 25 total appearances. He then joined Serie B side Triestina in 2004 in temporary deal with option to co-own the player. He had an impressive season, making 35 appearances and scoring 5 goals in his only season with the Trieste-based club. In June 2005 Triestina excised the option for €175,000.[1] He was snapped up by another Serie B club on 30 August 2005 in the form of Verona, (which Verona bought Munari from Triestina for €350,000[2])[3] where he managed to make 38 appearances and score 4 goals in one season. In June 2006 Verona acquired Munari outright from the cross-town rival for an undisclosed fee.[2]

Following such an impressive spell in Verona, he was purchased by Serie A side U.S. Città di Palermo together with teammate Mattia Cassani.[4] Half of the Munari's registration rights was valued €1 million while full "card" of Cassani was valued €2.5 million.[5] However, Munari never managed to break into the first team at the Sicilian club and did not play at all during the first half of the 2006-2007 Serie A season, being subsequently loaned out to Serie B side Lecce in January 2007. In June 2007 Palermo acquired another half of Munari for €800,000.[5] However in July 2007, Lecce acquired 50% of the player's rights from Palermo for €1 million;[6] Munari then remained at Lecce for four more seasons, making a total of 143 appearances for the club, scoring 16 goals and becoming one of the first team mainstays.

From Fiorentina to Sampdoria

On June 2011, Munari's co-ownership was ultimately solved in favour of Palermo for €391,000,[7] and the player returned to Palermo, but was immediately clarified he was not in the rosanero first team plans after he was not called up to join the Sicilians' pre-season training camp. On 21 July 2011 he moved permanently to Fiorentina for €800,000, signing a three-year contract for the Tuscans.[8] On 31 January 2012, the final day of 2011-12 winter transfer window, he moved to Serie B side Sampdoria.[9]

Loan to Watford

On 4 August 2014, Munari joined English Championship side Watford on a season-long loan deal.[10] He scored his first goal for Watford against Rotherham United on 19 August 2014 in a 2-0 away win for the Hornets.

References

  1. A.C. Chievo-Verona Srl bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2005 (Italian), Italian CCIAA
  2. 2.0 2.1 A.C. Chievo-Verona Srl bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2006 (Italian), Italian CCIAA
  3. "CALCIOMERCATO, ACQUISTATO IL CENTROCAMPISTA GIANNI MUNARI" (in Italian). Hellas Verona FC. 30 August 2005. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  4. "Acquistati Cassani e il 50% di Munari". US Città di Palermo official site (www.ilpalermocalcio.it) (in Italian). 1 July 2006. Retrieved 24 June 2010.
  5. 5.0 5.1 US Città di Palermo Report and Accounts on 30 June 2007 (Italian)
  6. US Città di Palermo Report and Accounts on 30 June 2008 (Italian)
  7. http://palermocalcio.it/it/1112/news/scheda.php?id=25379
  8. "Munari in viola" (in Italian). ACF Fiorentina. 21 July 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
  9. "GIANNI MUNARI DALLA FIORENTINA ALLA SAMP A TITOLO DEFINITIVO" (in Italian). UC Sampdoria. 31 January 2012. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  10. http://www.watfordobserver.co.uk/sport/11386483.Italian_midfielder_joins_Watford_on_loan/

External links