Gaetano Caridi
Encyclopedia
Gaetano Caridi, born on July 22, 1980 in Reggio Calabria
, is an Italian
footballer
currently playing for Grosseto.
Caridi began his career playing for minor Tuscan
club Pontedera
. He made his debut with the then-Serie C2
club in 1999, aged 19, playing 22 matches and scoring four goals. He then earned a move to promotion chasing Serie C1
side Alzano Virescit, where he made 15 appearances before being loaned to Avellino
on January 2001. With the biancoverdi, he played 10 matches scoring three goals before returning at Alzano.
After 15 league matches played for Alzano in the first half of the 2001-02 season, he was signed by Serie C2
side Mantova
in January 2002 after suggestion by then-head coach Roberto Boninsegna
.
The 2002-03 season proved to be a turning point for the 22-year old Caridi. Indeed, he agreed to sign for free with Mantova and proved instrumental to make telling passes as Mantova came close to promotion. In 2003-04 Caridi made 32 appearances, scoring 8 goals as Mantova earned promotion to Serie C1
.
In 2004-05 Mantova earned promotion to Serie B
at their first attempt, with Caridi helping to create many of the goals with his technique and vision, as well as scoring 10 goals. In their first season in Serie B
Caridi was moved up as a deep lying striker, a role more similar to the likes of Gianfranco Zola
. Mantova finish fourth, losing a third consecutive promotion on playoffs to Torino
, and Caridi scored 14 league goals in the process. In 2006-07 Caridi confirmed his qualities, scoring an impressive 11 goals in 35 matches, many of them coming from direct free kicks.
During the 2010 summer transfer market he completed his move to tuscan Serie B
team U.S. Grosseto.
He was nicknamed "Don Tano" by Mantova fans due to his Southern Italy origins.
Reggio Calabria
Reggio di Calabria , commonly known as Reggio Calabria or Reggio, is the biggest city and the most populated comune of Calabria, southern Italy, and is the capital of the Province of Reggio Calabria and seat of the Council of Calabrian government.Reggio is located on the "toe" of the Italian...
, is an 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...
footballer
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...
currently playing for Grosseto.
Caridi began his career playing for minor Tuscan
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
club Pontedera
U.S. Pontedera 1912
Unione Sportiva Città di Pontedera Società Sportiva Dilettantistica is an Italian association football club located in Pontedera, Tuscany. It currently plays in Serie D...
. He made his debut with the then-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...
club in 1999, aged 19, playing 22 matches and scoring four goals. He then earned a move to promotion chasing 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....
side Alzano Virescit, where he made 15 appearances before being loaned to 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...
on January 2001. With the biancoverdi, he played 10 matches scoring three goals before returning at Alzano.
After 15 league matches played for Alzano in the first half of the 2001-02 season, he was signed by 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...
side Mantova
A.C. Mantova
Mantova Football Club is an Italian football club, based in Mantua, Lombardy. Mantova had played consecutively in the Italian Serie B from the 2005–06 season to 2009–10 as Associazione Calcio Mantova, when they were relegated after ending the season in 20th place.During the summer 2010, the club...
in January 2002 after suggestion by then-head coach Roberto Boninsegna
Roberto Boninsegna
Roberto Boninsegna is an Italian former football player.He started his career in Serie B with Prato in 1963-64 season. He transferred to FC Potenza, who was Serie B team in 1964-65 season. He also played for Varese in 1965-66 and Cagliari between 1966-1969...
.
The 2002-03 season proved to be a turning point for the 22-year old Caridi. Indeed, he agreed to sign for free with Mantova and proved instrumental to make telling passes as Mantova came close to promotion. In 2003-04 Caridi made 32 appearances, scoring 8 goals as Mantova earned promotion to 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....
.
In 2004-05 Mantova earned promotion 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 their first attempt, with Caridi helping to create many of the goals with his technique and vision, as well as scoring 10 goals. In their first season 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...
Caridi was moved up as a deep lying striker, a role more similar to the likes of Gianfranco Zola
Gianfranco Zola
Gianfranco Zola, OBE, Ufficiale OMRI is a retired Italian footballer and manager, who most recently managed West Ham United from 2008 to 2010, after having been assistant manager of the Italy U-21 under Pierluigi Casiraghi...
. Mantova finish fourth, losing a third consecutive promotion on playoffs to Torino
Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....
, and Caridi scored 14 league goals in the process. In 2006-07 Caridi confirmed his qualities, scoring an impressive 11 goals in 35 matches, many of them coming from direct free kicks.
During the 2010 summer transfer market he completed his move to tuscan 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...
team U.S. Grosseto.
He was nicknamed "Don Tano" by Mantova fans due to his Southern Italy origins.