Andrea Barzagli
Encyclopedia
Andrea Barzagli, Ufficiale OMRI
(anˈdrɛa barˈdzaʎʎi; born 8 May 1981 in Fiesole
) is an Italian
World Cup
-winning footballer who plays as a defender
for Serie A
club Juventus
.
before moving to Serie B
side A.C. Pistoiese
in 2000–01, in a co-ownership deal
. The journey was short because the year later he rejoined Rondinella Calcio in Serie C2
. He then signed Ascoli Calcio 1898
in season 2001–02 (from Piacenza
, a Serie A from 2001 to 2003) and helped them to Serie B
promotion. He remained in Ascoli for another year without further success. In July 2003 he was sold by Piacenza in another co-ownership deal. His first Serie A
cap was won with ChievoVerona
in the 1-1 draw at Brescia
on August 2003. The year later the commanding defender was signed by Serie A outfit
Palermo. Barzagli was bestowed with the captains armband after Eugenio Corini
controversially left the Sicilian
club in the summer of 2007–08.
and was widely expected to sign. To everyone's surprise the deal fell through as Barzagli, a native Florentine, had already stated his eagerness to join. Barzagli's agent spoke to media saying: "The difference between what we were asking and what they offered was minimal – it amounted to £100,000. Andrea was willing to give up a lot of money to play for Fiorentina, but they didn’t take our requests into consideration". Instead Barzagli choose to join VfL Wolfsburg
and the Bundesliga
following fellow Italian
and team-mate Cristian Zaccardo
. He was given the number 43. It was later reported that the Italian international snubbed Fiorentina's five years £1.2 million contract over VfL Wolfsburg's 3 years £2.5 million offer. The transfer fee was 12.95 million Euro. Barzagli played every minute of the 2008–09 Bundesliga championship winning season for Wolfsburg. He scored his first goal for Wolfsburg in a 4–0 win over TSG Hoffenheim on 4 April 2010.
With Juve, he quickly found a place as the third centre-back, pushed Nicola Legrottaglie
out of bench on the match against Udinese
on 30 January 2011.
. He was called up for 2006 FIFA World Cup
and, while not expecting to play at all, was deployed as a substitute in the second round match against Australia and again for a full 90 minutes in the quarter-final against Ukraine
due to the suspension of Marco Materazzi
. Barzagli was deployed six times under the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying matches and appeared in the crucial 2-1 victory over Scotland
. He was recalled to Italy's UEFA Euro 2008 squad and partnered Materazzi in the heavy 0-3 defeat against The Netherlands after Italian skipper Fabio Cannavaro
on June 2 suffered an injury in training. Barzagli has since then only appeared for the Azzurri one time in the 1-2 World Cup qualifer win against Cyprus
after Alessandro Gamberini
fell injured after 60 seconds.
On 7 October 2011, after three years of absence, he came back to the national team playing as a starter in the Euro 2012 qualifier
away match against Serbia
.
Gold: 2004
Bronze: 2004
Gold: 2006
2008–09
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic was founded as the senior order of knighthood by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi in 1951...
(anˈdrɛa barˈdzaʎʎi; born 8 May 1981 in Fiesole
Fiesole
Fiesole is a town and comune of the province of Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany, on a famously scenic height above Florence, 8 km NE of that city...
) is an Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
-winning footballer who plays as a defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
for Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
club Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
.
Club career
In the season 1998–1999 Barzagli had his first professional football appearance with semi-pros Rondinella CalcioRondinella Calcio
San Frediano Rondinella Società Sportiva are a semi-professional Italian association football club based in Florence ....
before moving to Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
side A.C. Pistoiese
A.C. Pistoiese
Unione Sportiva Pistoiese 1921 is an Italian association football club, based in Pistoia, Tuscany.At the end of the 2010-11 Eccellenza season, Pistoiese was promoted to Serie D....
in 2000–01, in a co-ownership deal
Co-ownership (football)
Co-ownership is a system whereby two football clubs own the contract of a player jointly, although the player is only registered to play for one club...
. The journey was short because the year later he rejoined Rondinella Calcio in Serie C2
Serie C2
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione is the name of the fourth highest football league in Italy, the lowest with a professional status. Usually it consists of 54 teams, but in the season 2010–11 the teams are only 49 divided geographically into three divisions of 17, 16 and 16 teams each...
. He then signed Ascoli Calcio 1898
Ascoli Calcio 1898
Ascoli Calcio 1898 is an Italian football club based in Ascoli Piceno, Marche. The club was formed in 1898 and currently plays in Italian Serie B, having returned to it after two seasons spent in Serie A...
in season 2001–02 (from Piacenza
Piacenza Calcio
Piacenza Calcio is an Italian association football club based in Piacenza. The club was formed in 1919 and currently plays in Italian Lega Pro Prima Divisione B. The team's colors are red and white, prompting one of the team's nicknames, the Biancorossi. They are also known as the Papaveri , and...
, a Serie A from 2001 to 2003) and helped them to Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
promotion. He remained in Ascoli for another year without further success. In July 2003 he was sold by Piacenza in another co-ownership deal. His first Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
cap was won with ChievoVerona
A.C. ChievoVerona
Associazione Calcio Chievo Verona is a professional Italian football club named after and based in Chievo, a suburb of 2,800 inhabitants in Verona, Veneto, and owned by Paluani, a cake company and the inspiration for their original name, Paluani Chievo...
in the 1-1 draw at Brescia
Brescia Calcio
Brescia Calcio , known simply as Brescia, is the largest football club in the Lombard city of Brescia, where it was founded in 1911.In the 2009–10 season, in the return leg of the Serie B playoff final, they defeated Torino 2-1 at home , returning to Serie A after a 5-year absence...
on August 2003. The year later the commanding defender was signed by Serie A outfit
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
Palermo. Barzagli was bestowed with the captains armband after Eugenio Corini
Eugenio Corini
Eugenio Corini is an Italian association football coach of Frosinone in Lega Pro Prima Divisioneand former player....
controversially left the Sicilian
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
club in the summer of 2007–08.
Wolfsburg
In 2008 Barzagli was in contract negotiations with ACF FiorentinaACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
and was widely expected to sign. To everyone's surprise the deal fell through as Barzagli, a native Florentine, had already stated his eagerness to join. Barzagli's agent spoke to media saying: "The difference between what we were asking and what they offered was minimal – it amounted to £100,000. Andrea was willing to give up a lot of money to play for Fiorentina, but they didn’t take our requests into consideration". Instead Barzagli choose to join VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg is a professional German association football club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, who play in the Bundesliga football competition. Wolfsburg have won the Bundesliga once in their history, in the 2008–09 season, and were DFB-Pokal runners-up in 1995. The current head coach is Felix...
and the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
following fellow Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
and team-mate Cristian Zaccardo
Cristian Zaccardo
Cristian Zaccardo, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer, who plays for Italian Serie A club Parma...
. He was given the number 43. It was later reported that the Italian international snubbed Fiorentina's five years £1.2 million contract over VfL Wolfsburg's 3 years £2.5 million offer. The transfer fee was 12.95 million Euro. Barzagli played every minute of the 2008–09 Bundesliga championship winning season for Wolfsburg. He scored his first goal for Wolfsburg in a 4–0 win over TSG Hoffenheim on 4 April 2010.
Juventus
On 26 January 2011, he left Wolfsburg to return to Italy, joining Serie A giants Juventus for €300,000 fixed and €300,000 variable. Barzagli's contract with Wolfsburg was due to expire on 30 June 2011.With Juve, he quickly found a place as the third centre-back, pushed Nicola Legrottaglie
Nicola Legrottaglie
Nicola Legrottaglie is an Italian footballer who plays for Calcio Catania in Serie A, as a central defender.-Early years:...
out of bench on the match against Udinese
Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa....
on 30 January 2011.
International career
Barzagli won his first international cap on November 2004 against Finland under Italian coach LippiMarcello Lippi
Marcello Lippi, Commendatore OMRI is a former Italian World Cup-winning football manager and former player. He served as Italian national team head coach from 16 July 2004 to 12 July 2006 and led Italy to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was re-appointed as Italian head coach in the summer of 2008...
. He was called up for 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
and, while not expecting to play at all, was deployed as a substitute in the second round match against Australia and again for a full 90 minutes in the quarter-final against Ukraine
Ukraine national football team
The Ukraine national football team is the national football team of Ukraine and is controlled by the Football Federation of Ukraine. After Ukrainian Independence and breakaway from the Soviet Union, they played their first match against Hungary on 29 April 1992...
due to the suspension of Marco Materazzi
Marco Materazzi
Marco Materazzi , is an Italian footballer who plays as a defender, and is currently a free agent.At the beginning of his career, Materazzi played with various Italian teams in Serie B and Serie C, and with Premier League side Everton. He spent two periods with Perugia and signed for...
. Barzagli was deployed six times under the UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying matches and appeared in the crucial 2-1 victory over Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
. He was recalled to Italy's UEFA Euro 2008 squad and partnered Materazzi in the heavy 0-3 defeat against The Netherlands after Italian skipper Fabio Cannavaro
Fabio Cannavaro
Fabio Cannavaro, Ufficiale OMRI is a former Italian footballer considered one of the greatest defenders of all time and was given the name "Muro di Berlino" which means The Berlin wall by Italian supporters. He spent the majority of his career in Italy...
on June 2 suffered an injury in training. Barzagli has since then only appeared for the Azzurri one time in the 1-2 World Cup qualifer win against Cyprus
Cyprus national football team
The Cyprus national football team represents Cyprus in association football and is controlled by the Cyprus Football Association, the governing body for football in Cyprus. Cyprus' home ground is the GSP Stadium in Nicosia and the current coach is Nikos Nioplias...
after Alessandro Gamberini
Alessandro Gamberini
Alessandro Gamberini is an Italian footballer who plays for ACF Fiorentina in Serie A, as a central defender.-Club career:...
fell injured after 60 seconds.
On 7 October 2011, after three years of absence, he came back to the national team playing as a starter in the Euro 2012 qualifier
UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying
The qualifying competition for UEFA Euro 2012 is a series of parallel association football competitions held over 2010 and 2011 to decide the qualifiers for UEFA Euro 2012, to be held in Poland and Ukraine...
away match against Serbia
Serbia national football team
The Serbia national football team represents Serbia in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Serbia, the governing body for football in Serbia. Serbia's home ground is Stadion Crvena Zvezda in Belgrade and their last head coach was Vladimir Petrović...
.
Honours
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship:
Gold: 2004
2004 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
UEFA U-21 Championship 2004 was the 14th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Football Championship. The final tournament was hosted by Germany between 27 May and 8 June 2004.Italy U-21s won the competition for the fifth time...
- The OlympicsFootball at the 2004 Summer OlympicsThe football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics started on 11 August, , and ended on 28 August.The men's tournament is played by U-23 national teams, with up to three over age players allowed per squad...
::
Bronze: 2004
Football at the 2004 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics started on 11 August, , and ended on 28 August.The men's tournament is played by U-23 national teams, with up to three over age players allowed per squad...
- FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
:
Gold: 2006
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
- German Bundesliga:
2008–09