Fabrizio Miccoli
Encyclopedia
Fabrizio Miccoli is an Italian
football striker who currently is playing for Serie A
team Palermo
.
, he returned to his native Apulia in 1995 to join Serie C1
team Casarano
, where he made his professional debut at the age of 17. He then agreed for a move to Serie B
side Ternana
in 1998, where he scored a total 32 goals in four season, 15 of which in his final year at the club. His performances at Ternana had Miccoli dubbed the "new Del Piero
" by many sections of the Italian media.
showed interest in signing the player, and ultimately acquired his transfer rights from Ternana in July 2002, then loaning him to minor Serie A
side Perugia
for the 2002–03 season.
Miccoli showed great qualities during his first season in the top flight, scoring great goals and showing excellent technical ability. He was dubbed the Romario
of the Salento
, the Maradona of the Salento, and bomber tascabile (pocket bomber), due to his small stature, pace and his technical ability. His efforts helped Perugia reach an UEFA Intertoto Cup
spot. For his efforts, he received an Azzurri
call-up during the season and Juventus recalled him back for the following season.
Fabrizio Miccoli played six UEFA Champions League
games for Juventus, and scored one goal. He also scored seven goals in Serie A
for Juventus. However, after a fall-out with Juve manager, Fabio Capello
, he did not get much playing time and the next season, half of Miccoli's registration rights was sold to newly promoted Fiorentina
for €7million. Once in Florence, Miccoli showed his good qualities once again, helping Fiorentina to salvation on the last day of the season, scoring a goal to send Brescia
to Serie B
. At the end of the season there was a blind auction between Fiorentina and Juventus to decide his ownership, and Juventus won it by a lump sum of €6.7million for Miccoli, Maresca
and Chiellini
. Therefore, Miccoli had to return to Turin, but he was sent on loan to Benfica.
appearances. He also became a fan favorite when he scored a magnificent scissors kick goal against Liverpool
during that competition, sending Benfica to the quarterfinals. At Benfica, Miccoli attracted attention from other clubs such as Roma
and Internazionale
. There was suggestion in the media that Roma were interested in a swap deal with problematic striker, Antonio Cassano
but the move never eventuated and Miccoli opted to stay one more year in Lisbon
with Benfica. The empathy between Benfica supporters and Miccoli was always extraordinary, they still miss the "small bomber".
announced on their official website to have signed Miccoli with a 3-year agreement, costing Palermo €4.3 million. He completed a 4-way swap, which Miccoli replaced the left of Andrea Caracciolo
, Caracciolo for Fabio Quagliarella
and Vincenzo Iaquinta
was replaced by Quagliarella. He returned to Italian football in the 2007–08 season, and took part in the rosaneros third UEFA Cup campaign
. He scored a total eight goals in his first season with the Sicilian club, including the winning goal in the Sicilian derby
against Catania
, despite a number of injuries which prevented him from playing continuously in the season.
In 2008–09, Miccoli, now Palermo vice-captain (behind Fabio Liverani
) following the transfers of Andrea Barzagli
and Cristian Zaccardo
to German club Wolfsburg
, enjoyed a remarkable seasonal start, especially after the appointment of Davide Ballardini
as new head coach for the team, creating a prolific striking partnership with Uruguay
an Edinson Cavani, scoring 14 goals each. He renewed his contract on 30 May.
Starting in the 2009–10 season
, Fabrizio Miccoli took the role of captain leading the team through the campaign in place of the injured Fabio Liverani, and being then confirmed after the latter rejoined the team on November 2009. During the 2009–10 season, Miccoli scored 19 goals, tying him for third in the Serie A goal-scoring race. He scored a hat-trick on 27 March 2010 against Bologna, and in a home draw against Sampdoria on the 9 May 2010, Miccoli scored his 41st goal in Serie A for Palermo on a penalty which he had earned, making him the all-time Serie A leading goal scorer for Palermo. The Luciano Zauri foul that earned Miccoli the penalty against Sampdoria, though it resulted in a successfully converted penalty, also caused a moderate injury to Miccoli's knee. As a result, Miccoli underwent right knee surgery on the 13 May 2010 at the Villa Stuart Clinic in Rome. The moderate damage to his cruciate ligament was deemed "successfully repaired" by knee specialist Professor Pier Paolo Mariani, and Miccoli is expected to make a full recovery over the summer months.
Miccoli's strong 2009–10 season played a big part in Palermo's campaign, which saw the club finish 5th in Serie A, tied for the best league finish in club history, and narrowly missing out on Champions League football. This also brought transfer interest from English Premier League
side, Birmingham City
, whom despite his injury at the time and the prospect of Miccoli missing most of the first half of the next season, still bid a reported £5 million for the 31 year old striker.
Miccoli made a strong start to the Serie A 2011-12 season, scoring twice in a 4-3 win against Internazionale and helping Palermo to 4th place in Serie A after 5 games, recording 3 goals and 3 assists along the way.
debut against Portugal
in February 2003, creating the only goal for Bernardo Corradi
. On 30 March 2004, Miccoli scored directly from a corner kick in another friendly match versus Portugal.
He was subsequently featured in UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying matches
and received another call-up in a friendly against Finland
in November 2004, which ended in a 1–0 win, with the only goal scored by Miccoli from a free kick.
After leaving Juventus on numerous loan stints, Miccoli did not receive any call ups under Marcelo Lippi and has since still not been called up to the Azzurri under either Roberto Donadoni
or Cesare Prandelli
. Many sections of the Italian media attribute Miccoli's exclusion from the Italian national side under Lippi due Miccoli's role in court during the Calciopoli scandal where Miccoli testified against Juventus, Juventus of whom have very close relations with Lippi. Despite this, Lippi still spoke positively in the media about Miccoli, referring to him in 2005: "I am constantly keeping him under observation, He's a big quality player and technically he is really good. He is a genius. Miccoli is a forward that can be really important for all teams in which he plays." .
During the 2009-10
Serie A season, there were several calls and speculation within the Italian media and high football figures that Miccoli could make a return to the Azzurri for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
, and expressed continued interest in playing for the national team.
Despite these calls, he was not selected for the World Cup and in March 2011 upon return from a serious knee injury, he effectively announced his intentions to not purse an international career any further.
On early 2010, Miccoli gained national news after he managed to buy an earring belonging to his childhood hero Diego Maradona
. The earring had been confiscated by the national tax office during a visit by Maradona to Italy (the Argentine star owing several million euros in taxes to the Italian state). It was sold at a public action for € 25,000. After confirming the purchase, Miccoli revealed that he would return the earring to Maradona were he to meet him.
Miccoli is a supporter of Lecce
, and has expressed an interest in playing for the club in the future. Miccoli has a tattoo of Che Guevara on his right lower leg.
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...
football striker who currently is playing 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...
team Palermo
U.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
.
Early years
After playing at youth level with MilanA.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
, he returned to his native Apulia in 1995 to join Serie C1
Serie C1
Lega Pro Prima Divisione is the name of the third highest football league in Italy. It consists of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 18 teams each. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1....
team Casarano
A.S.D. Virtus Casarano
A.S.D. Virtus Casarano is an Italian association football club located in Casarano, Puglia. It currently plays in Serie D. Its colors are red-azure.-External links:*...
, where he made his professional debut at the age of 17. He then agreed for a move 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 Ternana
Ternana Calcio
Ternana Calcio is an Italian football club based in the city of Terni, Umbria.The team's colours are red and green.The club was founded in 1925 and refounded in 1993. In its history, Ternana have twice played in Serie A...
in 1998, where he scored a total 32 goals in four season, 15 of which in his final year at the club. His performances at Ternana had Miccoli dubbed the "new Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus, of which he is also club captain....
" by many sections of the Italian media.
Juventus and Perugia
Following his impressive performances, JuventusJuventus 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...
showed interest in signing the player, and ultimately acquired his transfer rights from Ternana in July 2002, then loaning him to minor 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...
side Perugia
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....
for the 2002–03 season.
Miccoli showed great qualities during his first season in the top flight, scoring great goals and showing excellent technical ability. He was dubbed the Romario
Romário
Romário de Souza Faria , better known simply as Romário , is a former footballer who played striker,manager and current politician where is currently running for a mayor like position in his hometown...
of the Salento
Salento
Salento is the south-eastern extremity of the Apulia region of Italy. It is a sub-peninsula of the main Italian Peninsula, sometimes described as the "heel" of the Italian "boot"...
, the Maradona of the Salento, and bomber tascabile (pocket bomber), due to his small stature, pace and his technical ability. His efforts helped Perugia reach an UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
spot. For his efforts, he received an Azzurri
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
call-up during the season and Juventus recalled him back for the following season.
Fabrizio Miccoli played six UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
games for Juventus, and scored one goal. He also scored seven goals in 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...
for Juventus. However, after a fall-out with Juve manager, Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello is an Italian football manager and former player. He is the manager of the England national football team.Capello has the distinction of winning the domestic league title with every club he has coached throughout his career...
, he did not get much playing time and the next season, half of Miccoli's registration rights was sold to newly promoted Fiorentina
ACF 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...
for €7million. Once in Florence, Miccoli showed his good qualities once again, helping Fiorentina to salvation on the last day of the season, scoring a goal to send 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...
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...
. At the end of the season there was a blind auction between Fiorentina and Juventus to decide his ownership, and Juventus won it by a lump sum of €6.7million for Miccoli, Maresca
Enzo Maresca
Enzo Maresca is an Italian footballer, who currently plays for Málaga CF in Spanish La Liga.-Youth career:Maresca started playing youth football at A.C. Milan, before joining Cagliari...
and Chiellini
Giorgio Chiellini
Giorgio Chiellini is an Italian footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus. He is a centre back, who started his career playing as a left back.-Livorno:...
. Therefore, Miccoli had to return to Turin, but he was sent on loan to Benfica.
Benfica
In July 2006, his loan to Benfica was confirmed despite initial interest from Aston Villa. Miccoli scored two goals for Benfica in six Champions LeagueUEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
appearances. He also became a fan favorite when he scored a magnificent scissors kick goal against Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
during that competition, sending Benfica to the quarterfinals. At Benfica, Miccoli attracted attention from other clubs such as Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
and Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
. There was suggestion in the media that Roma were interested in a swap deal with problematic striker, Antonio Cassano
Antonio Cassano
Antonio Cassano is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan as a striker. Nicknamed Il Gioiello di Bari Vecchia , he is known for his short temper as much as his ability on the pitch, which led to the coining of the neologism Cassanata by his former coach, Fabio Capello, in November...
but the move never eventuated and Miccoli opted to stay one more year in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
with Benfica. The empathy between Benfica supporters and Miccoli was always extraordinary, they still miss the "small bomber".
Palermo
On 5 July 2007, PalermoU.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
announced on their official website to have signed Miccoli with a 3-year agreement, costing Palermo €4.3 million. He completed a 4-way swap, which Miccoli replaced the left of Andrea Caracciolo
Andrea Caracciolo
Andrea Caracciolo , is an Italian footballer who plays for Genoa.-Career:His first football appearances were for Sancolombano of Italian Serie D ; later playing for Como and Pro Vercelli, both in professional leagues, before being signed by Brescia, the team in which he made his Serie A debut on 6...
, Caracciolo for Fabio Quagliarella
Fabio Quagliarella
Fabio Quagliarella is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Juventus and internationally for the Italian national team. He is known for scoring incredible goals from unconventional angles that often catch the goalkeeper by surprise.-Early career:Quagliarella began his...
and Vincenzo Iaquinta
Vincenzo Iaquinta
Vincenzo Iaquinta, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus. He is a strong striker who can also play on the wing.-Reggiolo:...
was replaced by Quagliarella. He returned to Italian football in the 2007–08 season, and took part in the rosaneros third UEFA Cup campaign
UEFA Cup 2007–08
The 2007–08 UEFA Cup was the 37th edition of the UEFA Cup, UEFA's second tier club football tournament. The final was played at the City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester, England on 14 May 2008 between Rangers of Scotland and Zenit St. Petersburg of Russia. Zenit won the match 2–0, with...
. He scored a total eight goals in his first season with the Sicilian club, including the winning goal in the Sicilian derby
Sicilian derby
The Derby di Sicilia is a local derby between Italian football clubs Calcio Catania and U.S. Città di Palermo. Catania and Palermo are the two main cities on the island of Sicily, and the teams are fierce rivals...
against 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...
, despite a number of injuries which prevented him from playing continuously in the season.
In 2008–09, Miccoli, now Palermo vice-captain (behind Fabio Liverani
Fabio Liverani
Fabio Liverani is an Italian football coach and former midfielder of partial Somali descent, currently working as youth coach of Genoa.-Club career:...
) following the transfers of Andrea Barzagli
Andrea Barzagli
Andrea Barzagli, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Juventus.- Club career :...
and Cristian Zaccardo
Cristian Zaccardo
Cristian Zaccardo, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer, who plays for Italian Serie A club Parma...
to German club 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...
, enjoyed a remarkable seasonal start, especially after the appointment of Davide Ballardini
Davide Ballardini
Davide Ballardini is an Italian association football manager who is currently the head coach at Serie A club Cagliari...
as new head coach for the team, creating a prolific striking partnership with Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an Edinson Cavani, scoring 14 goals each. He renewed his contract on 30 May.
Starting in the 2009–10 season
2009–10 Serie A
The 2009–10 Serie A was the seventy-eighth season since its establishment. There were three promoted teams from the Serie B, replacing the three teams that were relegated following the 2008–09 season. Nike provided a new match ball - the T90 Ascente - for this season...
, Fabrizio Miccoli took the role of captain leading the team through the campaign in place of the injured Fabio Liverani, and being then confirmed after the latter rejoined the team on November 2009. During the 2009–10 season, Miccoli scored 19 goals, tying him for third in the Serie A goal-scoring race. He scored a hat-trick on 27 March 2010 against Bologna, and in a home draw against Sampdoria on the 9 May 2010, Miccoli scored his 41st goal in Serie A for Palermo on a penalty which he had earned, making him the all-time Serie A leading goal scorer for Palermo. The Luciano Zauri foul that earned Miccoli the penalty against Sampdoria, though it resulted in a successfully converted penalty, also caused a moderate injury to Miccoli's knee. As a result, Miccoli underwent right knee surgery on the 13 May 2010 at the Villa Stuart Clinic in Rome. The moderate damage to his cruciate ligament was deemed "successfully repaired" by knee specialist Professor Pier Paolo Mariani, and Miccoli is expected to make a full recovery over the summer months.
Miccoli's strong 2009–10 season played a big part in Palermo's campaign, which saw the club finish 5th in Serie A, tied for the best league finish in club history, and narrowly missing out on Champions League football. This also brought transfer interest from English Premier League
FA Premier League
The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier...
side, Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
, whom despite his injury at the time and the prospect of Miccoli missing most of the first half of the next season, still bid a reported £5 million for the 31 year old striker.
Miccoli made a strong start to the Serie A 2011-12 season, scoring twice in a 4-3 win against Internazionale and helping Palermo to 4th place in Serie A after 5 games, recording 3 goals and 3 assists along the way.
International career
Fabrizio Miccoli made his AzzurriItaly national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
debut against Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
in February 2003, creating the only goal for Bernardo Corradi
Bernardo Corradi
Bernardo Corradi is an Italian footballer, who is currently a free agent. He was a former Italian international.-Early career:...
. On 30 March 2004, Miccoli scored directly from a corner kick in another friendly match versus Portugal.
He was subsequently featured in UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying matches
2004 UEFA European Football Championship qualifying
Qualification for the 2004 UEFA European Football Championship took place between September 2002 and November 2003.Fifty teams were divided into ten groups, with each team playing the others in their group twice, once at home and once away...
and received another call-up in a friendly against Finland
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
in November 2004, which ended in a 1–0 win, with the only goal scored by Miccoli from a free kick.
After leaving Juventus on numerous loan stints, Miccoli did not receive any call ups under Marcelo Lippi and has since still not been called up to the Azzurri under either Roberto Donadoni
Roberto Donadoni
Roberto Donadoni is an Italian football manager and former player, last in charge of Serie A club Cagliari.An attacking midfielder or winger known for pace and technique, he was a pillar of the powerhouse AC Milan teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s and one of the pioneers of Major League...
or Cesare Prandelli
Cesare Prandelli
Cesare Claudio Prandelli is an Italian football coach and former player. He is currently the manager of the Italy national football team.-Playing career:...
. Many sections of the Italian media attribute Miccoli's exclusion from the Italian national side under Lippi due Miccoli's role in court during the Calciopoli scandal where Miccoli testified against Juventus, Juventus of whom have very close relations with Lippi. Despite this, Lippi still spoke positively in the media about Miccoli, referring to him in 2005: "I am constantly keeping him under observation, He's a big quality player and technically he is really good. He is a genius. Miccoli is a forward that can be really important for all teams in which he plays." .
During the 2009-10
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...
Serie A season, there were several calls and speculation within the Italian media and high football figures that Miccoli could make a return to the Azzurri for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
, and expressed continued interest in playing for the national team.
Despite these calls, he was not selected for the World Cup and in March 2011 upon return from a serious knee injury, he effectively announced his intentions to not purse an international career any further.
Career statistics
.| Club | League | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assis | Apps | Goals | Assis | Apps | Goals | Assis | Apps | Goals | Assis | |||
| Casarano A.S.D. Virtus Casarano A.S.D. Virtus Casarano is an Italian association football club located in Casarano, Puglia. It currently plays in Serie D. Its colors are red-azure.-External links:*... |
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... |
1996-97 | 27 | 8 | ||||||||||
| 27 | 8 | |||||||||||||
| 1997-98 | 30 | 11 | ||||||||||||
| 30 | 11 | |||||||||||||
| Total | 57 | 18 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 57 | 18 | - | |||||
| Ternana Ternana Calcio Ternana Calcio is an Italian football club based in the city of Terni, Umbria.The team's colours are red and green.The club was founded in 1925 and refounded in 1993. In its history, Ternana have twice played in Serie A... |
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... |
1998–99 Serie B 1998-99 This article contains information on the 1998-1999 season of Serie B, the second highest football league in Italy.-Final classification:-Results:... |
30 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 1 | 3 | |||
| 1999-00 Serie B 1999-00 This article contains information on the 1999-2000 season of Serie B, the second highest football league in Italy.-Final classification:-Results:... |
33 | 9 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 40 | 9 | 7 | |||||
| 2000–01 Serie B 2000-01 This article contains information on the 2000-2001 season of Serie B, the second highest football league in Italy.-Final classification:-Results:... |
23 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 7 | 2 | |||||
| 2001–02 Serie B 2001-02 This article contains information on the 2001-2002 season of Serie B, the second highest football league in Italy.-Final classification:-Results:... |
34 | 15 | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 37 | 18 | 15 | |||||
| Total | 120 | 32 | 22 | 15 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 135 | 35 | 27 | ||
| Perugia 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.... |
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... |
2002–03 Serie A 2002-03 In the 2002-03 season, the Serie A, the major football Italian professional league, was composed by 18 teams, for the 15th consecutive time from season 1988-89.... |
34 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 42 | 16 | 10 |
| Total | 34 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 42 | 16 | 10 | ||
| Juventus | 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... |
2003–04 Serie A 2003-04 The 2003-2004 season in Italian Serie A football contained 18 teams for the 16th and last time from the 1988-89 season. With the bottom three being relegated, the 15th placed side would face the 6th highest team from Serie B, with the winner playing in the Serie A in 2004-2005.As usual, the top two... |
25 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 37 | 10 | 7 |
| 2004–05 Serie A 2004-05 In the 2004–05 season, the Serie A, the highest professional football league in Italy, was composed of 20 teams for the first time in several years.... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 25 | 8 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 38 | 10 | 7 | ||
| Fiorentina | 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... |
2004–05 Serie A 2004-05 In the 2004–05 season, the Serie A, the highest professional football league in Italy, was composed of 20 teams for the first time in several years.... |
35 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 38 | 12 | 10 | |||
| Total | 35 | 12 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 12 | 10 | ||
| Benfica SL Benfica Sport Lisboa e Benfica , commonly known as simply Benfica or occasionally as Benfica Lisbon, is a Portuguese multi-sports club based in Lisbon. Although they successfully compete in a number of different sports, Benfica is mostly known for its association football team... |
Primeira Liga | 2005–06 Portuguese Liga 2005-06 The 2005–06 Portuguese Liga season started on 19 August 2005 with a match between Sporting Clube de Portugal and Os Belenenses and ended on 7 May 2006. Futebol Clube do Porto was the new champion with 79 points, winning their 21st championship... |
17 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 23 | 6 | 2 |
| 2006–07 | 22 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | 0 | 33 | 13 | 3 | ||
| Total | 39 | 14 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 5 | 0 | 56 | 19 | 10 | ||
| Palermo U.S. Città di Palermo Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently... |
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... |
2007–08 Serie A 2007-08 The 2007-08 Serie A football season was the seventy-sixth since its establishment, and started on August 26, 2007 and ended on May 18, 2008. Internazionale successfully defended the championship on the final day of the season, finishing first with 85 points, three ahead of Roma.-Plusvalenze... |
22 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 8 | 5 |
| 2008–09 Serie A 2008-09 The 2008–09 Serie A was the seventy-seventh season since its establishment. It began on 30 August 2008 and ended on 31 May 2009, with the announcement of the list of fixtures made on 25 July 2008... |
30 | 14 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 14 | 10 | |||||
| 2009–10 | 35 | 19 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 38 | 22 | 11 | |||||
| 2010–11 | 21 | 9 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 28 | 10 | 4 | ||
| 2011–12 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 3 | ||
| Total | 112 | 54 | 30 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 125 | 59 | 33 | ||
| Career total | 421 | 146 | 74 | 40 | 13 | 13 | 30 | 9 | 5 | 491 | 168 | 92 | ||
Personal life
Miccoli is married to Flaviana, a girl he met first when he was 17 and she was 14. Together they have a daughter, Suami, named after the Hindi word for love, and born on March 2003. His second child, a son named Diego, was born on June 2008.On early 2010, Miccoli gained national news after he managed to buy an earring belonging to his childhood hero Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
. The earring had been confiscated by the national tax office during a visit by Maradona to Italy (the Argentine star owing several million euros in taxes to the Italian state). It was sold at a public action for € 25,000. After confirming the purchase, Miccoli revealed that he would return the earring to Maradona were he to meet him.
Miccoli is a supporter of Lecce
U.S. Lecce
Unione Sportiva Lecce or simply U.S. Lecce is an Italian football club based in Lecce, Apulia who play in the Italian Serie A. After being crowned Serie B champions in 2009–10, the team successfully managed to avoid relegation in 2010-11....
, and has expressed an interest in playing for the club in the future. Miccoli has a tattoo of Che Guevara on his right lower leg.