Rolando Bianchi
Encyclopedia
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 Calabria
n club Reggina
.
. He played twenty games for the first team, without scoring, despite being a prolific scorer in the youth ranks. He was loaned to Serie B
team Cagliari
in January 2004, where he played 14 matches and scored 2 goals helping them gain promotion to Serie A
. The 2004–05
was a poor one for the forward, and saw him score only 2 goals in 25 matches.
Bianchi was promptly sold to Reggina in 2005, where his first season was hampered by a serious knee injury suffered early on in the season. He recovered to play 9 games late in the season, scoring one goal.
That summer, Bianchi was called up the Italy U-21
squad for the 2006 U-21 Championships in Portugal
, where he appeared 3 times and scored once.
The 2006–07
season saw the forward in superb form for Reggina, notching 18 goals in 37 games. Due to their indictment for sporting fraud, the club had started the season with an 11-point deduction and seemed destined for relegation. They managed to save themselves, however, with Bianchi's performances considered a key part of Reggina's Serie A survival. He finished the season 4th in the league's goal scoring table. Rolando Bianchi has often stated that he would like to return back to Reggina anytime, and that he misses the support from the Reggina fans.
This form unsurprisingly attracted the attention of suitors throughout Europe, and in July 2007 Bianchi moved to Manchester City
for a fee of £8.8 million (€13m), where he was given the number 10 shirt. Bianchi scored on his debut for City
, slotting home a pass from Elano against West Ham
.
Bianchi's second goal came in a 2-1 victory in the Carling Cup
2nd round against Bristol City F.C. The goal was a sweetly struck 25 yard finish that ultimately sealed the win for City
. Bianchi moved on to score his third goal in English football in a 2-1 defeat against a defiant Spurs side on 9 December 2007. Then on the following Saturday he scored the first goal against Bolton in a 4-2 Manchester City win.
In January 2008, Manchester City manager Sven-Göran Eriksson
informed Bianchi that he will be allowed to leave the club. On January 23, 2008 Bianchi finalised a loan move to Lazio
after not being able to settle in England. In his debut with Lazio, Bianchi was sent off after 2 yellow cards in just 5 minutes. He scored his first goal for Lazio against former club Reggina from a penalty kick in a 1-0 victory. In spite of Bianchi's hope that Lazio would make his move permanent, he had in fact been asked to return to Manchester City.
On August 23, 2008, after a summer of much speculation about a possible move, it was officially announced by Manchester City that Bianchi had signed for Italian club Torino on a five-year deal.
On August 2011 Bianchi was linked with a move to Scottish Club Celtic F.C . He has also been linked with Galatasaray of Turkey.
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 Torino F.C.
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....
. 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 Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
n club 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...
.
Career
Bianchi began his career in 2000 with AtalantaAtalanta 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...
. He played twenty games for the first team, without scoring, despite being a prolific scorer in the youth ranks. He was loaned 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...
team Cagliari
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 January 2004, where he played 14 matches and scored 2 goals helping them gain promotion 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...
. The 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....
was a poor one for the forward, and saw him score only 2 goals in 25 matches.
Bianchi was promptly sold to Reggina in 2005, where his first season was hampered by a serious knee injury suffered early on in the season. He recovered to play 9 games late in the season, scoring one goal.
That summer, Bianchi was called up the Italy U-21
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...
squad for the 2006 U-21 Championships in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
, where he appeared 3 times and scored once.
The 2006–07
Serie A 2006-07
The Serie A 2006–2007 season began September 10, 2006. It was scheduled to begin on August 26 and 27, but was then postponed due to the Serie A scandal of 2006. It is the 104th Italian championship ever held, the first without the presence of Juventus, and the 75th Serie A league, the first...
season saw the forward in superb form for Reggina, notching 18 goals in 37 games. Due to their indictment for sporting fraud, the club had started the season with an 11-point deduction and seemed destined for relegation. They managed to save themselves, however, with Bianchi's performances considered a key part of Reggina's Serie A survival. He finished the season 4th in the league's goal scoring table. Rolando Bianchi has often stated that he would like to return back to Reggina anytime, and that he misses the support from the Reggina fans.
This form unsurprisingly attracted the attention of suitors throughout Europe, and in July 2007 Bianchi moved to Manchester City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
for a fee of £8.8 million (€13m), where he was given the number 10 shirt. Bianchi scored on his debut for City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
, slotting home a pass from Elano against West Ham
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
.
Bianchi's second goal came in a 2-1 victory in the Carling Cup
League Cup
In association football, a League Cup or Secondary Cup generally signifies a cup competition for which entry is restricted only to teams in a particular league. The first national association football tournament to be called "League Cup" was held in Scotland in 1946/47 and was entitled the Scottish...
2nd round against Bristol City F.C. The goal was a sweetly struck 25 yard finish that ultimately sealed the win for City
Manchester City F.C.
Manchester City Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Manchester. Founded in 1880 as St. Mark's , they became Ardwick Association Football Club in 1887 and Manchester City in 1894...
. Bianchi moved on to score his third goal in English football in a 2-1 defeat against a defiant Spurs side on 9 December 2007. Then on the following Saturday he scored the first goal against Bolton in a 4-2 Manchester City win.
In January 2008, Manchester City manager Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson
Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City....
informed Bianchi that he will be allowed to leave the club. On January 23, 2008 Bianchi finalised a loan move to Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
after not being able to settle in England. In his debut with Lazio, Bianchi was sent off after 2 yellow cards in just 5 minutes. He scored his first goal for Lazio against former club Reggina from a penalty kick in a 1-0 victory. In spite of Bianchi's hope that Lazio would make his move permanent, he had in fact been asked to return to Manchester City.
On August 23, 2008, after a summer of much speculation about a possible move, it was officially announced by Manchester City that Bianchi had signed for Italian club Torino on a five-year deal.
On August 2011 Bianchi was linked with a move to Scottish Club Celtic F.C . He has also been linked with Galatasaray of Turkey.
External links
- Rolando Bianchi Official Web Site Info, career and statistics Bomber italiani.... addio... , Realsoccer.it del 18 luglio 2007