Albano Bizzarri

Albano Bizzarri
Personal information
Full name Albano Benjamín Bizzarri
Date of birth (1977-11-09) 9 November 1977
Place of birth Etruria, Argentina
Height 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Chievo
Number 1
Youth career
1995–1996 Racing Club
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1996–1999 Racing Club 38 (0)
1999–2000 Real Madrid 7 (0)
2000–2006 Valladolid 174 (0)
2006–2007 Gimnàstic 22 (0)
2007–2009 Catania 39 (0)
2009–2013 Lazio 12 (0)
2013–2014 Genoa 1 (0)
2014– Chievo 50 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:00, 1 February 2016 (UTC).

† Appearances (goals)

Albano Benjamín Bizzarri (born 9 November 1977) is an Argentine footballer who plays for Italian club A.C. Chievo Verona as a goalkeeper.

He spent the vast majority of his professional career playing in Spain and Italy.

Club career

Born in Etruria, Córdoba, Bizzarri began his career with Racing Club de Avellaneda in the Argentine Primera División, where his good performances drew attention from La Liga powerhouse Real Madrid, which signed him in 1999. Unsettled and blocked by the emergence of 18-year-old Iker Casillas he battled for second-choice status with Bodo Illgner, being a used player in the club's victorious campaign in the UEFA Champions League.[1]

During the summer of 2000 Bizzarri was transferred to Real Valladolid, eventually becoming first-choice. From 2002 to 2004 he did not miss one single league game, but his team would be relegated from the top flight in the latter season.

In 2006–07 Bizzarri played for Gimnàstic de Tarragona, in another campaign that ended in top level demotion. In June 2007 he signed a two-year deal with Italy's Calcio Catania,[2] a link that would be renewed at the end of the season for an equal period.

During 2008–09, Bizzarri became Catania's first-choice under new coach Walter Zenga, after spending most of his first season as a reserve behind Ciro Polito. His performances were consistent throughout the campaign as the Sicily side retained its league status, and the player's performances also allowed him to be part of Goal.com's weekly "Serie A Team of the Week" more than any other goalkeeper in the competition.

Despite some stellar performances Bizzarri admitted, towards the end of the season, he would not be renewing his contract with Catania. Following this announcement coach Zenga opted to drop him to the bench, so young Tomáš Košický could gain some top flight experience.

In June 2009 Bizzarri signed for fellow league club S.S. Lazio, on a free transfer.[3] In his first year he backed up another South American, Uruguayan Fernando Muslera, as the Rome team barely avoided relegation; he added four appearances in the UEFA Europa League, winning two and losing two (seven goals conceded).

36-year-old Bizzarri joined A.C. Chievo Verona in the 2014 summer, renewing his link for two years at the end of the season.[4]

International career

Although he never gained a cap for Argentina, Bizzarri was part of the nation's final squad at the 1999 Copa América.

Honours

Real Madrid
Lazio

References

  1. ↑ "What happened to Albano Bizarri?" (in Italian). Real Madrid News. 20 November 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  2. ↑ "Conferenza stampa presentazione Bizzarri" [Press conference Bizzarri presentation] (in Italian). Calcio Catania. 25 June 2007. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  3. ↑ Bizzarri signs for Lazio
  4. ↑ "Ufficiale: Bizzarri in gialloblù fino al 2017!" [Official: Bizzarri will don yellow-blue until 2017!] (in Italian). A.C. Chievo Verona. 11 June 2015. Retrieved 15 June 2015.

External links

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