Riccardo Maniero is an Italian football 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...

, who currently plays for Pescara, 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...

.

Juventus

Maniero began his youth career with Juventus FC in the late 1990s, and was promoted to the Primavera youth set-up in 2006. The young midfielder was part of a very elite youth set-up alongside the likes of Domenico Criscito

Domenico Criscito

Domenico Criscito , is an Italian footballer who plays as a defender for Russian Premier League club FC Zenit Saint Petersburg. He is a versatile defender who started his career as a centre back but now usually plays at left back.-Club career:...

, Paolo De Ceglie

Paolo De Ceglie

Paolo De Ceglie is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Juventus.-Club career:De Ceglie joined Juventus' youth set-up as a youngster and idolized Pavel Nedvěd. He played in various youth competitions for Juve, including the Campionato Primavera and Coppa Italia Primavera...

, Davide Lanzafame

Davide Lanzafame

Davide Lanzafame is an Italian football striker/winger, who currently plays for Calcio Catania, in a co-ownership with Palermo, in the Italian Serie A.-Juventus:...

, Claudio Marchisio

Claudio Marchisio

Claudio Marchisio is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team. A product of the Juventus youth system, he has spent his whole career thus far at his hometown club, with the exception of a season-long loan spell at Empoli...

, Michele Paolucci

Michele Paolucci

Michele Paolucci is an Italian footballer who plays for Vicenza on loan from Siena.-Juventus and loans:Paolucci came through the ranks at Juventus where he played alongside Claudio Marchisio and Paolo De Ceglie....

, Sebastian Giovinco

Sebastian Giovinco

Sebastian Giovinco is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Parma and the Italian national team. Giovinco is an attacking midfielder with noted dribbling skills, play-making skills and he is known for his freekicks....

, and Dario Venitucci

Dario Venitucci

Dario Venitucci is an Italian football midfielder who currently plays for U.S. Foggia, in the Lega Pro Prima Divisione, on a co-ownership deal with Serie A giants, Juventus FC.-Juventus:...

, all of which have represented Italy

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...

 at various stages of international football. After mainly playing for the club in the Campionato Primavera, also known as the under-20's youth leagues, Maniero did receive some call ups for the senior side in various 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...

 and Serie B league matches under Didier Deschamps

Didier Deschamps

Didier Claude Deschamps is a retired French footballer and current manager of Marseille. He played as a defensive midfielder. As an international, he assisted France with victories in the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000...

, when Juventus were relegated to the second division for the first time in their history following the Calciopoli scandal, and was part of the team that led Juventus back 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...

 that year.

Ascoli Calcio - AS Bari

In July 2007, Maniero was not part of Claudio Ranieri's first team plans and so, he was loaned out to Ascoli Calcio, together with fellow Juventus youth player Andrea Luci

Andrea Luci

Andrea Luci is an Italian football player who currently plays for Livorno.-Club career:After his time with the Juventus youth system, Luci was loaned out to Sassari Torres 1903 for the 2005-2006 season. He was then loaned out to Pescara Calcio, for the 2006-2007 Serie B season...

 during the 2007 summer transfer window.
With Ascoli, Maniero managed a single goal in 19 league appearances, and following his loan stint with Ascoli, he was again loaned out to Serie B rivals AS Bari, along with fellow Juventus loanees Davide Lanzafame

Davide Lanzafame

Davide Lanzafame is an Italian football striker/winger, who currently plays for Calcio Catania, in a co-ownership with Palermo, in the Italian Serie A.-Juventus:...

, Raffaele Bianco

Raffaele Bianco

Raffaele Bianco is an Italian football player who currently plays for Spezia.-Juventus:After working through the Juventus youth ranks, Bianco was one of several academy youngsters called up to the Juventus first team for their season in Serie B, in the aftermath of Calciopoli...

, and Rey Volpato

Rey Volpato

Rej Volpato is an Italian football striker who currently plays for Livorno.-Club career:He started his professional career at Juventus, but went on loan to A.C. Siena and A.C. Arezzo in the next 2 years...

. While Lanzafame and Bianco established themselves well with the club, Maniero failed to settle and gain regular action, as the attacker made just 4 appearances in six months with the biancorossi.

Lumezzane - Arezzo

Following his disappointing spell with Bari, Maniero returned to Juventus in January 2009, before being simultaneously loaned out to Lega Pro Prima Divisione side, A.C. Lumezzane

A.C. Lumezzane

Associazione Calcio Lumezzane is an Italian association football club, based in Lumezzane, Lombardy. The club was founded in 1948. The club currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione....

. During his loan period with Lumezzane, Maniero made his first 13 appearances in the Lega Pro, and he also scored 2 goals. On June 1, 2009, Maniero returned to Juventus' first team squad, while fellow Bari to Juventus returnees, did not. Lanzafame joined Parma FC on loan, but in co-ownership with U.S. Città di 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...

, while Bianco was sent to Modena FC on loan, and Volpato was sold permanently to AS Bari.
In late June 2009, Lega Pro club A.C. Arezzo

A.C. Arezzo

Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Atletico Arezzo is an Italian association football club based in Arezzo, Tuscany...

 officially announced the engagement of Maniero. Maniero had a successful season with the third division side, establishing himself as a starter and scoring 12 goals in 31 league appearances, and was linked to a number of Serie A and Serie B teams. He again returnes to Juventus in June 2010, following the expiration of the loan deal.

Pescara

Upon his Juventus return, Maniero was not included in the future plans of the clubs and was left out of the first team line-up, before being sold to Serie B side Pescara Calcio ahead of the 2010-11 Serie B campaign.