Vince Grella
Encyclopedia
Vincenzo "Vince" Grella (born 5 October 1979) is an Australia
n football (soccer) player, who plays as a midfielder
for Blackburn Rovers
in the English Premier League. He began his career in Australia
's National Soccer League
, followed by ten years playing for various clubs in Italy, before joining Blackburn Rovers.
He also plays for the Australian national team, and was selected to compete for his country in two editions of the FIFA World Cup
, in 2006
and 2010
.
's professional leagues
after beginning his career in the NSL
. He has been a regular for Australia since 2003, playing in his customary defensive midfield position, and was involved in both the 2006 World Cup
and the 2007 Asian Cup
.
Grella's friendship with Australian teammate Mark Bresciano
is well known. Grella has described Bresciano as "even more than a brother"; they played together at the AIS, Carlton and Empoli, and were reunited in 2004 when Grella joined Parma, before Bresciano moved on to Palermo
in 2006. Aged 19, Grella made his debut in Serie A with Empoli, in a match against Juventus
at the Stadio delle Alpi
, where his first job was to mark Zinedine Zidane
. (Empoli held Juventus to a 0–0 draw). Grella built up his reputation in Italy during his time with Empoli, to overcome initial doubts about his suitability to Serie A
and earn the respect of the Italian media, coaches and fellow players. Grella was widely linked with a move to AC Milan in 2003, although the proposed transfer never eventuated, and he moved to Parma a year later. While at Parma, both Grella and Bresciano were excused from the 2005 Confederations Cup by the then-Australian manager Frank Farina
to allow the pair to take part in a relegation playoff between Parma and Bologna
–which Parma won, to avoid relegation.
Grella was named as captain of Parma
for the 2006–07 season, and played a key role helping the team avoid relegation from Serie A for a second consecutive season. On 20 June 2007 Grella signed a three-year contract with Torino
, one of several new signings made by The Bull. The move to Torino was a free transfer due to the expiry of his contract with Parma. During his one season
in Turin
, he was a regular member of the side, although his season was interrupted by injury on several occasions. He scored one league goal for Torino, a powerful volley from the edge of the penalty area, which cannoned in off the far post to draw level with Fiorentina
. The goal was a candidate for goal of the month for January in Serie A. It was only the sixth league-goal of his career.
on a four-year deal, for an undisclosed fee, rumoured to be around £
4m (with the initial fee later revealed as €
4.2m), having previously been linked to fellow Premiership club Fulham
. He joined fellow Australian Brett Emerton
at the club. He made his first appearance for the club in a 4–1 loss to West Ham United
at Upton Park
, where he played the first 45 minutes, picking up a yellow card and providing an assist with a header for the only Blackburn goal, before being subsitituted at half-time for Keith Andrews
. A calf injury kept him out of the side for a month following his debut, and he returned to the side in a 1–1 draw with Middlesbrough
at Ewood Park
, playing the full game in the centre of midfield. This was his home debut, and he was later named man-of-the-match for his performance.
After the 2010–11 season, Blackburn Rovers revealed their desire to transfer Grella.
at the 2000 Summer Olympics
and received his first senior cap when he came on as a second-half substitute in the international friendly against England
in 2003, which Australia won 3–1 at West Ham's Upton Park
stadium. In November 2005, Grella played in both legs of the World Cup play-off against Uruguay
, where Australia qualified for the 2006 World Cup
for the first time in 32 years. At the World Cup, Grella's displays in the heart of Australia's midfield saw him named in a preliminary squad for FIFA's team of the tournament, the only Australian to make this list.
On 13 November 2006, Grella was selected as captain for an international friendly in London against Ghana
, making him the 51st player to captain the Australia football team. On 21 July 2007 in Hanoi
, Vietnam
, Grella was sent off in the 76th minute of Australia's 2007 Asian Cup
quarter-final against Japan. Leaping for a header, Grella's forearm connected with Naohiro Takahara
's head, who had come from behind Grella, sending the latter to the ground. The game was 1–1 at the time and remained that way until the end of extra time, with Japan eliminating Australia from the tournament in a penalty shoot-out. He has currently amassed 46 caps for Australia since making his debut back in February 2003.
|2003||2||0
|-
|2004||8||0
|-
|2005||6||0
|-
|2006||9||0
|-
|2007||7||0
|-
|2008||4||0
|-
|2009||6||0
|-
|2010||4||0
|-
!Total||46||0
|}
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n football (soccer) player, who plays as a midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
for Blackburn Rovers
Blackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
in the English Premier League. He began his career in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
's National Soccer League
National Soccer League
The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004...
, followed by ten years playing for various clubs in Italy, before joining Blackburn Rovers.
He also plays for the Australian national team, and was selected to compete for his country in two editions of the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, in 2006
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
and 2010
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
.
Italy
He had a ten-year stint in ItalyItaly
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...
's professional leagues
Lega Nazionale Professionisti
The Lega Nazionale Professionisti , commonly known as Lega Calcio , was the governing body that ran the two highest football divisions in Italy, namely Serie A and Serie B, from 1946 to 2010...
after beginning his career in the NSL
National Soccer League
The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004...
. He has been a regular for Australia since 2003, playing in his customary defensive midfield position, and was involved in both the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
and the 2007 Asian Cup
2007 AFC Asian Cup
The Asian Football Confederation's 2007 AFC Asian Cup finals were held from July 7 to July 29, 2007. For the first time in its history, the competition was co-hosted by four nations: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The tournament was won by first-time champions Iraq, who defeated Saudi...
.
Grella's friendship with Australian teammate Mark Bresciano
Mark Bresciano
Mark "Marco" Bresciano is an Australian football player who is currently playing for UAE Pro-League side Al Nasr SC as a midfielder. He represented Australia at all youth levels, including appearances at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship and 2000 Olympic Games...
is well known. Grella has described Bresciano as "even more than a brother"; they played together at the AIS, Carlton and Empoli, and were reunited in 2004 when Grella joined Parma, before Bresciano moved on to 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...
in 2006. Aged 19, Grella made his debut in Serie A with Empoli, in a match against Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
at the Stadio delle Alpi
Stadio delle Alpi
The Stadio delle Alpi was a football and athletics stadium in Turin, Italy and was the home of both Juventus Football Club and Torino Football Club between 1990 and 2006. In English, the name meant "Stadium of the Alps," a reference to the nearby Alps mountain range...
, where his first job was to mark Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Zidane
Zinedine Yazid Zidane is a retired French footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. Zidane was a leading figure of a generation of French players that won the 1998 World Cup and 2000 European Championship...
. (Empoli held Juventus to a 0–0 draw). Grella built up his reputation in Italy during his time with Empoli, to overcome initial doubts about his suitability 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...
and earn the respect of the Italian media, coaches and fellow players. Grella was widely linked with a move to AC Milan in 2003, although the proposed transfer never eventuated, and he moved to Parma a year later. While at Parma, both Grella and Bresciano were excused from the 2005 Confederations Cup by the then-Australian manager Frank Farina
Frank Farina
Frank Farina OAM is a retired Australian football player. He most currently coaches the Papua New Guinea national football team....
to allow the pair to take part in a relegation playoff between Parma and Bologna
Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...
–which Parma won, to avoid relegation.
Grella was named as captain of 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...
for the 2006–07 season, and played a key role helping the team avoid relegation from Serie A for a second consecutive season. On 20 June 2007 Grella signed a three-year contract with 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....
, one of several new signings made by The Bull. The move to Torino was a free transfer due to the expiry of his contract with Parma. During his one season
Serie A 2007-08
The 2007-08 Serie A football season was the seventy-sixth since its establishment, and started on August 26, 2007 and ended on May 18, 2008. Internazionale successfully defended the championship on the final day of the season, finishing first with 85 points, three ahead of Roma.-Plusvalenze...
in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, he was a regular member of the side, although his season was interrupted by injury on several occasions. He scored one league goal for Torino, a powerful volley from the edge of the penalty area, which cannoned in off the far post to draw level with Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
. The goal was a candidate for goal of the month for January in Serie A. It was only the sixth league-goal of his career.
England
On 26 August 2008, Grella joined English Premier League outfit Blackburn RoversBlackburn Rovers F.C.
Blackburn Rovers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the town of Blackburn, Lancashire. The team currently competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football....
on a four-year deal, for an undisclosed fee, rumoured to be around £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
4m (with the initial fee later revealed as €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
4.2m), having previously been linked to fellow Premiership club Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
. He joined fellow Australian Brett Emerton
Brett Emerton
Brett Michael Emerton is an Australian football player who plays for Sydney FC and the Australia national team...
at the club. He made his first appearance for the club in a 4–1 loss to West Ham United
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...
at Upton Park
Upton Park
Upton Park is an urban area of the London Borough of Newham,centred around the local high street, Green Street. The area is synonymous with football and is home to West Ham United Football Club, who play at the Boleyn Ground, commonly known as Upton Park, while nearby is a green space also called...
, where he played the first 45 minutes, picking up a yellow card and providing an assist with a header for the only Blackburn goal, before being subsitituted at half-time for Keith Andrews
Keith Andrews (footballer)
Keith Joseph Andrews is an Irish association footballer who plays for Ipswich Town and the Republic of Ireland national football team. Voted best player EU by Vp rel...
. A calf injury kept him out of the side for a month following his debut, and he returned to the side in a 1–1 draw with Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
at Ewood Park
Ewood Park
Ewood Park is a football stadium in the English town of Blackburn, Lancashire, and is the home of Blackburn Rovers Football Club — one of the founder members of the Football League and Premier League. Rovers have played there since they moved from Leamington Street in the summer of 1890. The...
, playing the full game in the centre of midfield. This was his home debut, and he was later named man-of-the-match for his performance.
After the 2010–11 season, Blackburn Rovers revealed their desire to transfer Grella.
International career
Grella is a regular member of the Socceroos; he represented the Australian Under-23sAustralia national under-23 football team
The Australia Olympic football team, more commonly known as the Olyroos, is controlled by Football Federation Australia and represents Australia at association football in the Olympic Games...
at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
and received his first senior cap when he came on as a second-half substitute in the international friendly against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in 2003, which Australia won 3–1 at West Ham's Upton Park
Upton Park
Upton Park is an urban area of the London Borough of Newham,centred around the local high street, Green Street. The area is synonymous with football and is home to West Ham United Football Club, who play at the Boleyn Ground, commonly known as Upton Park, while nearby is a green space also called...
stadium. In November 2005, Grella played in both legs of the World Cup play-off against Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
, where Australia qualified for the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
for the first time in 32 years. At the World Cup, Grella's displays in the heart of Australia's midfield saw him named in a preliminary squad for FIFA's team of the tournament, the only Australian to make this list.
On 13 November 2006, Grella was selected as captain for an international friendly in London against Ghana
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
, making him the 51st player to captain the Australia football team. On 21 July 2007 in Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
, Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
, Grella was sent off in the 76th minute of Australia's 2007 Asian Cup
2007 AFC Asian Cup
The Asian Football Confederation's 2007 AFC Asian Cup finals were held from July 7 to July 29, 2007. For the first time in its history, the competition was co-hosted by four nations: Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The tournament was won by first-time champions Iraq, who defeated Saudi...
quarter-final against Japan. Leaping for a header, Grella's forearm connected with Naohiro Takahara
Naohiro Takahara
is a Japanese footballer. He currently plays for J. League Division 1 side Shimizu S-Pulse as a strikerTakahara was born in Mishima, Shizuoka. He has previously played for Júbilo Iwata in Japan, Boca Juniors in Argentina, Hamburger SV and Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany.On December 3, 2006, he...
's head, who had come from behind Grella, sending the latter to the ground. The game was 1–1 at the time and remained that way until the end of extra time, with Japan eliminating Australia from the tournament in a penalty shoot-out. He has currently amassed 46 caps for Australia since making his debut back in February 2003.
Club
Statistics accurate as of 21 August 2011| Club | Season | Division | League | Cup | Europe | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | |||
| Canberra Cosmos Canberra Cosmos Canberra Cosmos FC is a defunct Australian association football club based in Canberra in the ACT. It participated in the National Soccer League from the 1995/96 season until the end of the 2000/01 season, after which it folded, primarily due to financial difficulties... |
1996–97 National Soccer League The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004... |
NSL National Soccer League The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004... |
14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Carlton | 1997–98 National Soccer League The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004... |
NSL National Soccer League The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004... |
23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 0 |
| NSL total | 37 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 2 | 0 | ||
| Empoli Empoli F.C. Empoli Football Club is an Italian association football club located in Empoli, Tuscany, founded in 1920 and played its first official match in 1921.In recent years, the club has all too often been bouncing between Italy's two top divisions... |
1998–99 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... |
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... |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Ternana Ternana Calcio Ternana Calcio is an Italian football club based in the city of Terni, Umbria.The team's colours are red and green.The club was founded in 1925 and refounded in 1993. In its history, Ternana have twice played in Serie A... (loan) |
1999-00 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... |
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... |
8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000–01 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... |
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... |
19 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 3 | |
| Ternana total | 27 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | 3 | ||
| Empoli Empoli F.C. Empoli Football Club is an Italian association football club located in Empoli, Tuscany, founded in 1920 and played its first official match in 1921.In recent years, the club has all too often been bouncing between Italy's two top divisions... |
2001–02 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... |
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... |
3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002–03 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... |
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... |
32 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2003–04 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... |
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... |
25 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 1 | |
| Empoli total | 60 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 70 | 2 | 3 | ||
| 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... |
2004–05 | 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... |
27 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 37 | 0 | 1 |
| 2005–06 | 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... |
35 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 1 | 1 | |
| 2006–07 | 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... |
30 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 2 | 2 | |
| Parma total | 92 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 108 | 3 | 3 | ||
| 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.... |
2007–08 | 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... |
28 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 1 | 3 |
| Torino total | 28 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 1 | 3 | ||
| Blackburn Rovers | 2008–09 | Premier League FA Premier League The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier... |
17 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 1 |
| 2009–10 | Premier League FA Premier League The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier... |
15 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Premier League The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011... |
Premier League FA Premier League The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier... |
5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2011–12 2011–12 Premier League The 2011–12 Premier League is the twentieth season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2011–12 fixtures were announced on 17 June 2011 at 9:00 BST. The season began on 13 August 2011 and is due to end on 13 May 2012... |
Premier League FA Premier League The Premier League is an English professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the English football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with The Football League. The Premier... |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Blackburn total | 38 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 | 0 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 282 | 6 | 11 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 317 | 8 | 14 | ||
National Team
|-|2003||2||0
|-
|2004||8||0
|-
|2005||6||0
|-
|2006||9||0
|-
|2007||7||0
|-
|2008||4||0
|-
|2009||6||0
|-
|2010||4||0
|-
!Total||46||0
|}
Personal life
Grella and his wife, Barbara, have twin daughters, Victoria and Sophia, born in 2002. Grella first met Barbara while she was working in a shoe store in Empoli, Italy, which Grella frequently visited to buy shoes following their first meeting.External links
- National Football Teams Profile
- Blackburn profile
- OzFootball profile
- FFA – Socceroo profile
- Article on SMH
- Article on The AgeThe AgeThe Age is a daily broadsheet newspaper, which has been published in Melbourne, Australia since 1854. Owned and published by Fairfax Media, The Age primarily serves Victoria, but is also available for purchase in Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and border regions of South Australia and...
- Migration Heritage Centre feature on Grella family