Nicola Amoruso is a former Italian association football

Football in Italy

Football is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italian national football team has won the FIFA World Cup 4 times , trailing only Brazil . Italy's club sides have won 27 major European trophies, making them the most successful European nation in the subject of football...

 player who played as a striker

Striker

Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...

. His nicknames were piede caldo (Hot Foot) and Dinamite.

Career

Amoruso grew up in the Sampdoria youth system, and made 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 on 12 December 1993 (Inter-Sampdoria 2–0). He has also played with Fidelis Andria, Padova

Calcio Padova

Calcio Padova is an Italian football club, based in Padua, Veneto. The club was founded in 1910. Padova is playing in Serie B, having last been in Serie A in 1996...

, Juventus, 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....

, SSC Napoli

S.S.C. Napoli

Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....

, Como, Modena

Modena F.C.

Modena Football Club is an Italian football club based in Modena, Emilia-Romagna. The club was formed in 1912 and currently plays in Italian Serie B, after being relegated from a two year period in Serie A in the year 2004. The team's previous stay in Italy's top division ended in 1964. The team...

, Messina

F.C. Messina Peloro

Associazione Calcio Rinascita Messina is an Italian football club based in Messina, Sicily. It currently plays in Serie D.- Brief history :The origins of the team go back to 1900 when Messina F.C was founded in the city. The club has spent most of its history in the lower Italian football leagues...

 and Reggina. He scored 4 goals in the Juve's 1996–97 UEFA Champions League campaign, including one each in both of the semifinal legs against AFC Ajax. He only came on as a late substitute in the final that Juventus lost to Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund

Ballspielverein Borussia Dortmund, commonly BVB, are a German sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund are one of the most successful clubs in German football history. Borussia Dortmund play in the Bundesliga, the top league of German football...

. He scored in the return leg of the 1997–98 UEFA Champions League semifinal against AS Monaco FC

AS Monaco FC

Association Sportive de Monaco Football Club are a French football club based in Fontvieille, Monaco. The club was founded in 1924 and currently play in Ligue 2, the second tier of French football. The team plays its home matches at the Stade Louis II located within Fontvieille...

, but went as an unused substitute in the final.

Reggina

Amoruso signed with Reggina

Reggina Calcio

Reggina Calcio are an Italian association football club, the main club of the city of Reggio Calabria. Founded in 1914, they currently play in the Italian Serie B, and play their home matches at the 27,763 seater Stadio Oreste Granillo...

 on free transfer, after terminated his contract with Modena. Along with Rolando Bianchi

Rolando Bianchi

Rolando Bianchi is an Italian footballer, currently playing for Torino F.C.. His position is centre forward. He was widely considered as one of the brightest promises of Italian football, notably scoring 19 goals in the 2006–2007 season playing with Calabrian club Reggina.-Career:Bianchi began his...

, they formed a effective striking partner for Reggina's survival battle. In 2007–08 season, Bianchi left the club and Amoruso became the team top-scorer, ahead Franco Brienza

Franco Brienza

Franco Brienza is an Italian footballer who plays for A.C. Siena in Serie A and also represented Italy at international level. He is a left footed forward usually playing on the right wing.-Early career:...

 and midfielder Francesco Cozza

Francesco Cozza (footballer)

Francesco Cozza is a former Italian football player in the role of offensive midfielder, and currently a coach. He is currently in charge of Lega Pro Seconda Divisione club Catanzaro.-Playing career:...

. Reggina almost relegated that season, as ineffective of striker Christian Stuani, Joelson

José Joelson Inácio

José Joelson Inácio is a Brazilian footballer.-Biography:Born in Brazil, Joelson started his professional career at Italy along with his elder brother Piá. He finished as 2001–02 Campionato Nazionale Primavera runner–up with the under-20 youth team. In 2002-03 season, he left for Pavia on loan...

, Stephen Makinwa

Stephen Makinwa

Stephen Ayodele Makinwa is a Nigerian football striker, who is currently playing for Lazio. Makinwa also plays for the Nigerian national team...

 and Fabio Ceravolo

Fabio Ceravolo

Fabio Ceravolo is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for Reggina Calcio.Ceravolo played twice for Reggina in the Coppa Italia before joining Atalanta on loan on 20 August 2009, 2 days before the start of the Serie A season...

.

Torino, Siena, Parma & Atalanta

On 8 July 2008, he agreed a move to Torino, signed a 2-year contract and reunited with Rolando Bianchi

Rolando Bianchi

Rolando Bianchi is an Italian footballer, currently playing for Torino F.C.. His position is centre forward. He was widely considered as one of the brightest promises of Italian football, notably scoring 19 goals in the 2006–2007 season playing with Calabrian club Reggina.-Career:Bianchi began his...

, but during the January 2009 transfer window

Transfer window

The transfer window is the period during the year in which a football club can transfer players from other countries into their playing staff. Such a transfer is completed by registering the player into the new club through FIFA...

 he transferred on loan with A.C. Siena

A.C. Siena

Associazione Calcio Siena is an Italian football club based in Siena.The club currently plays in Serie A, having gained promotion from Serie B at the end of the 2010-2011 season....

.

After played the opening match of 2009–10 Serie B season for Toro, Amoruso moved to Parma

Parma F.C.

Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...

 with Julio César de León

Julio César de León

Julio César de León Dailey is a Honduran footballer who plays for Shandong Luneng Taishan in the Chinese Super League. He is known for being a free-kick specialist and he is an important key for the Honduras National Football Team.-Early career:...

 and Manuel Coppola

Manuel Coppola

Manuel Coppola is an Italian football midfielder. He currently plays for Empoli on loan from Parma.Coppola moved to Parma as part of Francesco Parravicini and Reginaldo deal to Siena in July 2009....

 move to opposite direction on loan on 28 August.

In January 2010, Amoruso signed a contract with Atalanta B.C.

Atalanta B.C.

Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy.They are nicknamed the Nerazzurri and the orobici...

 which last until June 2011. Robert Acquafresca

Robert Acquafresca

Robert Acquafresca is an Italian footballer of half-Polish descent who plays for Serie A club Bologna as a striker.-Club career:...

, moved back to Genoa from Atalanta, while Hernán Crespo

Hernán Crespo

Hernán Jorge Crespo is an Argentine footballer who plays for Parma in the Italian Serie A. Crespo has scored over 300 goals in a career spanning 18 years. His honors include an Olympic Games silver medal, a Copa Libertadores, an English Premier League title and three Scudettos. He was topscorer in...

 moved to Parma from Genoa.

As of July 2011, Amoruso is considering retirement.

International career

He was the unused member of the Italy Olympic team

Italy national under-21 football team

The Italy national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Italy and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation.The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...

 that won the 1997 Mediterranean Games

1997 Mediterranean Games

The 13th edition of the Mediterranean Games were held in Bari, Italy from the 13th to the 25th of June 1997. Twenty one nations competed in 27 different sporting events.- Medal table :- External link and reference :* -See also:***...

.

He also won the 1996 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship

1996 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship

The UEFA U-21 Championship 1996, which spanned two years , had 44 entrants. After the quarter-finals stage, Spain were chosen as the hosts of the final stages, consisting of four matches in total....

.

External links

FIGC Gazzetta dello Sport