Paolo Bianco
Encyclopedia
Paolo Bianco is an Italian football (soccer)
defender
who currently plays for Sassuolo Calcio, in the Italian
Serie B
.
, in the Italian Serie B
. In 1994, the player was promoted to the first team and began to make official league appearances for his hometown club. The player did not manage to break into the club's starting line-up in his first season, making just 13 appearances, but eventually earned well over 100 caps for the club in all competitions also netting 2 official goals. The central defender was then transferred to Serie B
side Treviso F.B.C. 1993
, in the summer of 1999, for an undisclosed transfer fee.
, Bianco made 16 appearances, and followed that up with 22 starts the following season. His efforts were not enough to save his club from relegation, however, and he spent the next two seasons in the Serie C1
. After 60 Serie C1
appearances, Bianco captained his team to promotion back into the Italian second division, and made 44 appearances for the club that season, more than any other player in the team. After 5 seasons, with the club, Bianco made 148 league appearances alone, and scored 6 goals, while making over 160 appearances for his club in all competitions. His good form led to a 2004 transfer to Serie B
rivals Calcio Catania
.
club in the summer of 2004. He became a regular fixture in the club's line-up and made 37 league appearances in his first season in Sicily
. His impressive displays continued the following season as he made an additional 35 league appearances and helped guide the club to a second place finish in the Serie B
table, and hence, Serie A
promotion. Despite helping to lead the club into the Serie A
, the player was loaned to fellow Serie A
side Cagliari Calcio
in August 2006.
n club's starting eleven as well. His Serie A
debut ironically came against former side, Calcio Catania
. In his first season in the top flight, Bianco made a total of 35 league appearances and also scored a solo goal. In June 2007, the club excised the rights to buy him. His second season, proved to be much of the same as the player made 31 appearances as both a central defender and a right back. Bianco entered the 2008–09 Serie A
campaign with just one year left on his contract. In January 2010 he signed a pre-contract with Atalanta.
following the expiration of his contract with Cagliari Calcio
on 1 July 2009. In his first season with Atalanta, Bianco made 21 league appearance, with 20 of them coming from the starting XI. Despite a close relegation battle towards the end of the 2009–10 campaign, between A.S. Livorno Calcio
, A.C. Siena
, Atalanta, Chievo Verona, Udinese Calcio
, and Bologna F.C., his club failed in their efforts to avoid the bad fate. On 19 July 2010, his contract was terminated in mutual consent.
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...
defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
who currently plays for Sassuolo Calcio, in the 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...
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...
.
U.S. Foggia
Bianco started his career within the junior ranks of U.S. FoggiaU.S. Foggia
Unione Sportiva Foggia is an Italian football club, based in Foggia, Puglia. The club was founded in 1920. Foggia currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione, having last been in Serie A in 1995....
, in the Italian 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...
. In 1994, the player was promoted to the first team and began to make official league appearances for his hometown club. The player did not manage to break into the club's starting line-up in his first season, making just 13 appearances, but eventually earned well over 100 caps for the club in all competitions also netting 2 official goals. The central defender was then transferred 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 Treviso F.B.C. 1993
Treviso F.B.C. 1993
Football Club Treviso is an Italian football club based in Treviso. The club was formed in 1909, and refounded in 1993 and in 2009. The club currently plays in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione.Treviso's official colours are light blue and white.-History:...
, in the summer of 1999, for an undisclosed transfer fee.
Treviso F.B.C.
Bianco's transfer to the northern club was a big step in the players career, as he instantly became a key member in the team, and eventually earned the captain's armband for his club. In his first season in TrevisoTreviso
Treviso is a city and comune in Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 82,854 inhabitants : some 3,000 live within the Venetian walls or in the historical and monumental center, some 80,000 live in the urban center proper, while the city...
, Bianco made 16 appearances, and followed that up with 22 starts the following season. His efforts were not enough to save his club from relegation, however, and he spent the next two seasons in the 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....
. After 60 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....
appearances, Bianco captained his team to promotion back into the Italian second division, and made 44 appearances for the club that season, more than any other player in the team. After 5 seasons, with the club, Bianco made 148 league appearances alone, and scored 6 goals, while making over 160 appearances for his club in all competitions. His good form led to a 2004 transfer 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...
rivals 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
The player arrived at the SicilianSicily
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 2004. He became a regular fixture in the club's line-up and made 37 league appearances in his first season in Sicily
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,...
. His impressive displays continued the following season as he made an additional 35 league appearances and helped guide the club to a second 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...
table, and hence, 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...
promotion. Despite helping to lead the club into 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...
, the player was loaned to fellow 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 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....
in August 2006.
Cagliari Calcio
Following his transfer from one Italian island to the other, the defender instantly was inserted into the SardiniaSardinia
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[],...
n club's starting eleven as well. 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 ironically came against former 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...
. In his first season in the top flight, Bianco made a total of 35 league appearances and also scored a solo goal. In June 2007, the club excised the rights to buy him. His second season, proved to be much of the same as the player made 31 appearances as both a central defender and a right back. Bianco entered the 2008–09 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...
campaign with just one year left on his contract. In January 2010 he signed a pre-contract with Atalanta.
Atalanta B.C.
Bianco made the move to BergamoBergamo
Bergamo is a town and comune in Lombardy, Italy, about 40 km northeast of Milan. The comune is home to over 120,000 inhabitants. It is served by the Orio al Serio Airport, which also serves the Province of Bergamo, and to a lesser extent the metropolitan area of Milan...
following the expiration of his contract with 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....
on 1 July 2009. In his first season with Atalanta, Bianco made 21 league appearance, with 20 of them coming from the starting XI. Despite a close relegation battle towards the end of the 2009–10 campaign, between A.S. Livorno Calcio
A.S. Livorno Calcio
Associazione Sportiva Livorno Calcio is an Italian football club based in Livorno, Tuscany. The club was formed in 1915 and currently plays in Italian Serie B. The team's colors are dark red or maroon...
, 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....
, Atalanta, Chievo Verona, Udinese Calcio
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....
, and Bologna F.C., his club failed in their efforts to avoid the bad fate. On 19 July 2010, his contract was terminated in mutual consent.