Armando Pantanelli
Encyclopedia
Armando Pantanelli is a former Italian
professional football
goalkeeper
, Pantanelli spent his childhood in Parma
, and began his footballing career with A.C. Reggiana
, and from 1992 to 2006, he played for a host of other clubs, appearing in over 400 matches in the Serie C2, Serie C1, and Serie B, before making his Serie A
debut in the 2006–07 season
after Calcio Catania
earned promotion to the premier division. After a feud with the club management, he moved to U.S. Avellino
in the summer of 2007.
Pantanelli is famous for his mane of hair kept out of his eyes with a baseball
cap rather than the conventional headband. He has also captained Catania
on a number of occasions. He is also well respected for his remarkable reflex saves, as well as his ability to save penalties. He is, however, also known to have made some high profile blunders. Pantanelli has been compared to another Italian goalkeeper, Marco Storari
, for a similar style of goalkeeping, as well as hairstyle. Storari, ironically spent much of his career with Sicilian
rivals F.C. Messina
, in 1986. He spent 5 seasons playing within the club's youth system, and began to earn first team call-ups for the 1989–1990 Italian
Lega Calcio season. He never earned a first team cap for the club, and was sold in July 1990 to Olbia Calcio
.
, Pantanelli soon became a vital part of the team, as after a quiet first season, the goalkeeper eventually earned a starting position, and went on to make 35 league appearances up until his 1994 summer transfer to fellow Serie C
side Carpi F.C. 1909
. Upon his transfer, the young net-minder managed to instantly break into the club's starting XI, and in just two full seasons with the team, Pantanelli made a very impressive 68 appearances for the club, in all competitions. At the conclusion of the 1995–96 season, he transferred to Serie A
giants Inter Milan, following his impressive displays in the lower divisions.
campaign on the bench. Without ever making an appearance for the nerrazzurri, Pantanelli soon returned to the lower divisions, returning to former club A.C. Reggiana in the summer of 1997.
side, he returned to his youth club, and was surprisingly sent out on loan upon his arrival. He was loaned to A.S. Andria BAT
, and in less than a full season, the keeper made 27 appearances, maintaining a starting position. Following the expiration of the loan deal, the 26-year old Pantanelli returned to Reggiana. In between 1997 and 1999, the shot-stopper managed just 25 appearances, and was again sold in the summer of 1999.
based Reggiana, Pantanelli was sold to Perugia Calcio
, in the Italian Serie A, where he was again utilized as a reserve keeper, never making his Serie A debut, or even making a league appearance for the club, in less than one season.
clubs, and lesser Serie A
clubs. With a hefty transfer link in the summer of 2001, he eventually moved to Sardinia
with then-Serie B
side Cagliari Calcio
, for an undisclosed transfer fee.
season, Pantanelli instantly held down a guaranteed starting position, and eventually went on to make well-over 100 league appearances for the club, also appearing for the club in the Coppa Italia
. He also helped to lead his team into the Serie A, but failed to make his Serie A
debut, until the 2006–2007 Serie A
season, with Sicilian
giants, Calcio Catania
. After spending 3 seasons in Sardinia
with Cagliari
, the 33 year old keeper transferred to then-Serie B
side, Calcio Catania
.
in August 2004, and became the club's number goalkeepr, and eventually earned captaincy at the club. During his spell with the Sicilian giants, Pantanelli was an undisputed starter, ahead of Ciro Polito
and Vitangelo Spadavecchia
during the time. He led his club to promotion to the Serie A
, following a 2nd place finish in the Serie B
2005–06 season. During the 2006–2007 Serie A
season, Pantanelli held down his starting place, but at the conclusion to the season, Pantanelli was involved in a controversy with the management of the club.
, accusing the club of bullying him into quitting the club by excluding him from training sessions and keeping him and two other players at a separate hotel at away games. In September 2007 he was allegedly implicated in a betting scandal. An inquest has been opened into betting involving Pantanelli, according to newspaper ‘La Sicilia’. It is alleged that he placed bets on two games that ended with a negative result for Catania, supposedly due to mistakes made by Pantanelli.
club U.S. Avellino
, but he did not manage to return to his highs, and the biancoverdi were ultimately relegated to Lega Pro Prima Divisione that year, but were eventually placed back in Serie B
to fill the void left by the bankrupt FC Messina, who ultimately were relegated to Serie D
. He was successively released for free by Avellino
, and then signed by Lega Pro Prima Divisione club Paganese Calcio 1926
.
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...
professional football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
goalkeeper
Goalkeeper (football)
In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
Career
Born in TurinTurin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Pantanelli spent his childhood in Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....
, and began his footballing career with A.C. Reggiana
A.C. Reggiana 1919
Associazione Calcio Reggiana 1919 is an Italian association football club, based in Reggio Emilia, Emilia-Romagna. The club was founded in 1919 as A.C. Reggiana and refounded in July 2005 as Reggio Emilia F.C., but it was renamed A.C. Reggiana 1919 soon after the start of the 2005–06 season. The...
, and from 1992 to 2006, he played for a host of other clubs, appearing in over 400 matches in the Serie C2, Serie C1, and Serie B, before making his 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...
debut in the 2006–07 season
Serie A 2006-07
The Serie A 2006–2007 season began September 10, 2006. It was scheduled to begin on August 26 and 27, but was then postponed due to the Serie A scandal of 2006. It is the 104th Italian championship ever held, the first without the presence of Juventus, and the 75th Serie A league, the first...
after Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and based in Catania, Sicily. The club has spent much of its history in Serie B, gaining promotion to Italy's top league Serie A five times...
earned promotion to the premier division. After a feud with the club management, he moved to U.S. Avellino
U.S. Avellino
Associazione Sportiva Avellino 1912 , since summer 2010, is the new name of the Italian football club, based in Avellino, Campania. The club was founded in 1912 and its traditional colours are green and white...
in the summer of 2007.
Pantanelli is famous for his mane of hair kept out of his eyes with a baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
cap rather than the conventional headband. He has also captained Catania
Catania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
on a number of occasions. He is also well respected for his remarkable reflex saves, as well as his ability to save penalties. He is, however, also known to have made some high profile blunders. Pantanelli has been compared to another Italian goalkeeper, Marco Storari
Marco Storari
Marco Storari is an Italian professional footballer who plays for Juventus F.C. as a goalkeeper.After a lengthy spell in Italy's lower leagues, he arrived in Serie A aged 27. Steady performances for Messina prompted his signing by country giants A.C...
, for a similar style of goalkeeping, as well as hairstyle. Storari, ironically spent much of his career with 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,...
rivals F.C. Messina
A.C. Reggiana
Pantanelli began his professional career with A.C. Reggiana 1919A.C. Reggiana 1919
Associazione Calcio Reggiana 1919 is an Italian association football club, based in Reggio Emilia, Emilia-Romagna. The club was founded in 1919 as A.C. Reggiana and refounded in July 2005 as Reggio Emilia F.C., but it was renamed A.C. Reggiana 1919 soon after the start of the 2005–06 season. The...
, in 1986. He spent 5 seasons playing within the club's youth system, and began to earn first team call-ups for the 1989–1990 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...
Lega Calcio season. He never earned a first team cap for the club, and was sold in July 1990 to Olbia Calcio
Olbia Calcio
U.S. Olbia 1905 is an Italian association football club, based in Olbia, Sardinia. The club was founded in 1905. Olbia currently plays in Eccellenza...
.
Olbia Calcio – Carpi F.C.
Following his official transfer to Olbia CalcioOlbia Calcio
U.S. Olbia 1905 is an Italian association football club, based in Olbia, Sardinia. The club was founded in 1905. Olbia currently plays in Eccellenza...
, Pantanelli soon became a vital part of the team, as after a quiet first season, the goalkeeper eventually earned a starting position, and went on to make 35 league appearances up until his 1994 summer transfer to fellow Serie C
Serie C
The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico , commonly known as Lega Pro , is the governing body that runs the third and fourth highest football divisions in Italy, the Prima Divisione and Seconda Divisione respectively. It also includes the sole professional club of San Marino...
side Carpi F.C. 1909
Carpi F.C. 1909
Carpi Football Club 1909 is an Italian football club located in Carpi, Emilia-Romagna.The club currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione.- A.C. Carpi :...
. Upon his transfer, the young net-minder managed to instantly break into the club's starting XI, and in just two full seasons with the team, Pantanelli made a very impressive 68 appearances for the club, in all competitions. At the conclusion of the 1995–96 season, he transferred to 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...
giants Inter Milan, following his impressive displays in the lower divisions.
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Following his impending transfer to the northern Italian giants, Pantanelli was signed as a reserve goalkeeper, and spent the entire 1996–1997 Serie ASerie 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...
campaign on the bench. Without ever making an appearance for the nerrazzurri, Pantanelli soon returned to the lower divisions, returning to former club A.C. Reggiana in the summer of 1997.
Return to Reggio Emilia
Following his adventure with the MilanMilan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
side, he returned to his youth club, and was surprisingly sent out on loan upon his arrival. He was loaned to A.S. Andria BAT
A.S. Andria BAT
Associazione Sportiva Andria BAT or simply A.S. Andria is an Italian football club, based in Andria, Apulia.The team currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione.The team's colors are blue and white.- Fidelis Andria :...
, and in less than a full season, the keeper made 27 appearances, maintaining a starting position. Following the expiration of the loan deal, the 26-year old Pantanelli returned to Reggiana. In between 1997 and 1999, the shot-stopper managed just 25 appearances, and was again sold in the summer of 1999.
Perugia Calcio
At the conclusion of his second spell with the Emilia-RomagnaEmilia-Romagna
Emilia–Romagna is an administrative region of Northern Italy comprising the two historic regions of Emilia and Romagna. The capital is Bologna; it has an area of and about 4.4 million inhabitants....
based Reggiana, Pantanelli was sold to Perugia Calcio
Perugia Calcio
Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio is an Italian association football club based in Perugia, Umbria, direct heir of the old Perugia Calcio and A.C. Perugia, excluded from Italian football because of financial troubles....
, in the Italian Serie A, where he was again utilized as a reserve keeper, never making his Serie A debut, or even making a league appearance for the club, in less than one season.
A.S. Cosenza Calcio
After another sub-par adventure in the Italian Serie A, Armando returned again to the lower divisions of the Lega Calcio, and joined A.C. Cosenza Calcio in 1999. It was here, where the golie made a name for himself, and in just 2 seasons, he made over 65 appearances for the club, in all competitions, and was soon linked again to several Serie BSerie 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...
clubs, and lesser 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...
clubs. With a hefty transfer link in the summer of 2001, he eventually moved to Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
with then-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 Cagliari Calcio
Cagliari Calcio
Cagliari Calcio is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. The club was formed in 1920 and currently plays in Italian Serie A, having spent a large part of recent years mainly in Serie A and Serie B....
, for an undisclosed transfer fee.
Cagliari Calcio
With his permanent move to the club for the 2001–2002 Serie BSerie 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...
season, Pantanelli instantly held down a guaranteed starting position, and eventually went on to make well-over 100 league appearances for the club, also appearing for the club in the Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
. He also helped to lead his team into the Serie A, but failed to make his 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...
debut, until the 2006–2007 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...
season, with 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,...
giants, Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and based in Catania, Sicily. The club has spent much of its history in Serie B, gaining promotion to Italy's top league Serie A five times...
. After spending 3 seasons in Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
with Cagliari
Cagliari
Cagliari is the capital of the island of Sardinia, a region of Italy. Cagliari's Sardinian name Casteddu literally means castle. It has about 156,000 inhabitants, or about 480,000 including the outlying townships : Elmas, Assemini, Capoterra, Selargius, Sestu, Monserrato, Quartucciu, Quartu...
, the 33 year old keeper transferred to then-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, Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and based in Catania, Sicily. The club has spent much of its history in Serie B, gaining promotion to Italy's top league Serie A five times...
.
Calcio Catania
Following his transfer to eastern SicilySicily
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,...
in August 2004, and became the club's number goalkeepr, and eventually earned captaincy at the club. During his spell with the Sicilian giants, Pantanelli was an undisputed starter, ahead of Ciro Polito
Ciro Polito
Ciro Polito is an Italian footballer currently contracted to Atalanta, in the Italian Serie A.-Salernitana:Ciro Polito began his footballing career with the youth system of Salerno based club, Salernitana Sport, in the mid 1990s, and began to earn senior call-ups in 1997...
and Vitangelo Spadavecchia
Vitangelo Spadavecchia
Vitangelo Spadavecchia is an Italian football goalkeeper who currently plays for A.S. Andria BAT.-Career:...
during the time. He led his club to promotion to the 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...
, following a 2nd place finish in the 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...
2005–06 season. During the 2006–2007 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...
season, Pantanelli held down his starting place, but at the conclusion to the season, Pantanelli was involved in a controversy with the management of the club.
Catania Controversy
At the end of the 2006–2007 season Pantanelli was involved in a feud with CataniaCatania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
, accusing the club of bullying him into quitting the club by excluding him from training sessions and keeping him and two other players at a separate hotel at away games. In September 2007 he was allegedly implicated in a betting scandal. An inquest has been opened into betting involving Pantanelli, according to newspaper ‘La Sicilia’. It is alleged that he placed bets on two games that ended with a negative result for Catania, supposedly due to mistakes made by Pantanelli.
Later years
As he was sent off the first team roster, Pantanelli had to find a new club where to play to. In summer 2007 he then joined Serie BSerie 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...
club U.S. Avellino
U.S. Avellino
Associazione Sportiva Avellino 1912 , since summer 2010, is the new name of the Italian football club, based in Avellino, Campania. The club was founded in 1912 and its traditional colours are green and white...
, but he did not manage to return to his highs, and the biancoverdi were ultimately relegated to Lega Pro Prima Divisione that year, but were eventually placed back in 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...
to fill the void left by the bankrupt FC Messina, who ultimately were relegated to Serie D
Serie D
Serie D is the top level of the Italian non-professional football association called Lega Nazionale Dilettanti. The association represents over a million football players and thousands of football teams across Italy. Serie D ranks just below Lega Pro Seconda Divisione , and is thus considered the...
. He was successively released for free by Avellino
Avellino
Avellino is a town and comune, capital of the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is situated in a plain surrounded by mountains 42 km north-east of Naples and is an important hub on the road from Salerno to Benevento.-History:Before the Roman conquest, the...
, and then signed by Lega Pro Prima Divisione club Paganese Calcio 1926
Paganese Calcio 1926
Paganese Calcio 1926 is an Italian association football club from Pagani, Campania.It currently plays in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione.-History:The club was founded in 1926....
.
External links
- http://aic.football.it/scheda/2000/pantanelli-armando.htm