Alberto Gilardino
A prolific goalscorer, in Gilardino's early career he was compared to Filippo Inzaghi due to his opportunism, positional sense and eye for goal.[6] Gilardino currently holds the record for being the tenth-youngest player to have scored 100 goals in Serie A, a feat which he managed at the age of 26 years and 105 days.[15] Resident from birth to Cossato, in the province of Biella, Gilardino started playing with Cossatese, with whom he remained until the Under-15 category of Juniors.[18] In September 2000, "Gila", as he is often nicknamed and already considered a talent, was sold to Hellas Verona in co-ownership,[19] for 7 billion Italian lire (€3,615,198).Gilardino's career was launched on the international stage in 2002, as Parma purchased the remained 50% of his registration rights and returned Šerić to Verona.[27] In his third championship in Parma (2004–05), he repeated this feat, scoring another 23 goals in the league and finishing as the second-best scorer in Serie A once again, preceded by Cristiano Lucarelli's 24.However, one of his two goals helped Milan seal a decisive 3–0 win over Manchester United in the second leg of the semi-finals on 3 May 2007, which put them back into the Champions League final and set up a rematch with Liverpool.In the second half of the season, Gilardino was often left on the substitutes' bench by manager Carlo Ancelotti, to be relegated to third striker behind Inzaghi and Alexandre Pato.[44] Gilardino had an exceptional campaign in the Champions League the following season, first scoring a dramatic late goal to give Fiorentina a 2–2 draw at Sporting CP, then against Debrecen, and then scoring in the third minute of stoppage time against Liverpool in the final match day of the group stage at Anfield, which gave Fiorentina a first-place finish at the expense of Lyon.On this occasion, Gilardino scored ten goals in European competitions for Fiorentina, equalling the record set by Gabriel Batistuta.Referred to the facts of Siena – Genoa 1–4 match in the 2011–2012 season ( pressure from the fans in the stadium with the players that they had to remove the mesh), 6 October 2012 federal prosecutors asked for 30 thousand euro fine for Gilardino and his other 14 teammates.Gilardino netted a brace on 16 September, helping his new side overcome a 2–0 halftime deficit to defeat Roma 3–2 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.[58] Gilardino led Bologna to a much needed win on 12 January 2013, netting a brace in the side's 4–0 defeat of Chievo Verona.[59] He powered the club to a 1–0 defeat of Inter Milan on 10 March, scoring with a classy volley from a Diego Pérez cross, firmly establishing Bologna in mid-table and easing their relegation fears.[61] He scored his first goal of the season on 17 August against Spezia in the Italian Cup, the defeat on penalties after a 2–2 draw in regulation time accrued.[66] On 23 November, Gilardino carries a penalty equalizer against Milan at the San Siro, coming to 6 season goals in the top flight.[68] On 6 January 2014, he scored the eighth goal of the season on a penalty kick against Sassuolo leading Genoa to 500 victories in Serie A matches with the formula of a single round.[103] After guiding Genoa to direct promotion to Serie A, Gilardino signed a contract extension until 30 June 2024, with an option to extend it for one further year.[105] Gilardino played for Italy at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, winning a bronze medal;[106] he scored a decisive goal against Iraq in the match for third place.He also led Italy's under-21 team to victory in the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, being named the best player and top scorer of the tournament with four goals.[110] He played in the first two matches, scoring a goal in his nation's second group match, a 1–1 draw against the United States, with a diving header off a free kick by Andrea Pirlo;[111] He came on as a substitute in the semifinal match against hosts Germany, hitting the post in extra time; in the last minute of the second half of extra time, he provided the assist for Alessandro Del Piero's goal two minutes after the first goal, sealing the Azzurri's 2–0 victory, which earned them a place in the final;[112] Italy subsequently defeated France 5–3 on penalties in the final, following a 1–1 draw after extra time.[113] On 17 October 2007, Gilardino assumed the team captaincy for the first time in his international career after Daniele De Rossi was substituted during Italy's 2–0 friendly win over South Africa.Because of his negative 2007–08 season with the Rossoneri, which ended with a miserly 7 goals in 30 appearances, Gilardino was not selected for Euro 2008 by coach Roberto Donadoni.[123] As result of his good form after his arrival at Bologna, Gilardino was called back to the national team, alongside his teammate Alessandro Diamanti.[125] After the positive performance against San Marino, Gilardino was called up for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil by Prandelli on 3 June 2013.[130] On 6 September 2013, as Mario Balotelli and Pablo Daniel Osvaldo were suspended, Gilardino made the starting eleven for the match against Bulgaria, qualifying for the 2014 World Cup, his first half goal sealing a 1–0 win for the Azzurri.[132] A quick, agile, hard-working, and prolific forward with an excellent positional sense, who is skilled in the air, both with his head and acrobatically, due to his height,[133][134][135][136][137][138] Gilardino played mainly as a striker who prefers to be served in the penalty area.This position allows him to leverage his skills, timing, opportunism, and ability to score goals and finish off chances[135][139] by getting on the end of his teammates' crosses.[143][144][145] Shortly after getting his drivers license in April 2001, Gilardino was driving two sisters, Silvia and Cosetta Puppinato, back to their home in Treviso when he veered his Volkswagen Golf off the road and plunged into a canal.
BiellaStrikerBiellesePiacenzaHellas VeronaAC MilanFiorentinaBolognaGuangzhou EvergrandePalermoEmpoliPescaraSpeziaItaly U15Italy U16Italy U19Italy U21Italy OlympicPro VercelliFIFA World Cup2006 GermanySummer Olympics2004 AthensUEFA European Under-21 Championship2004 GermanyFIFA Confederations Cup2013 BrazilUfficiale OMRIfootballSerie AFilippo Inzaghigoal celebrationSerie A Young Footballer of the YearSerie A Footballer of the YearSerie A Italian Footballer of the Year2006–07 UEFA Champions League2007 UEFA Super Cup2007 FIFA Club World Cup2014 Chinese Super Leagueunder-19under-20under-21senior2004 UEFA Under-21 Championship2004 Summer Olympics2006 FIFA World Cup2009 FIFA Confederations Cup2010 World Cup2013 Confederations CupCossatoASD Junior Biellese LibertasLuigi SimoniSerie Bco-ownershipItalian lire2001–02 seasonAlberto Malesaniriver SileCesare PrandelliAdrian MutuMarco Di VaioAdriano2002–03 Serie ACoppa Italia2003–04 seasonInternazionaleAndriy ShevchenkoUEFA CupCristiano LucarelliSampdoria2005–06 season2005–06 UEFA Champions League2006–07 seasonUEFA Champions LeagueAnderlechtManchester UnitedChampions League finalLiverpool2006–07 Serie AAscoliShakhtar DonetskCarlo AncelottiAlexandre PatoPantaleo CorvinoSébastien FreyMarco Donadel2008–09 Champions LeagueSlavia PragueJuventusNapoliStadio San PaoloFrédéric PiquionneKarim BenzemaRegginaEmidio MorgantiPaolo DellafioreSamuel Eto'oThierry HenryLuca Tonithe Champions League the following seasonSporting CPDebrecenAnfieldGabriel Batistuta2009–10 seasonCatania2011–12 Serie ACittadellaBoško JankovićStadio Luigi FerrarisSan SiroRobert AcquafrescaStadio OlimpicoChievo VeronaInter MilanDiego PérezEnrico PreziosiFabio LiveraniStadio Sant'EliaCagliari CalcioSassuoloUdineseGiuseppe SavoldiChinese Super LeagueRoberto Baggio2015–16 Serie A