Alessandro Potenza

Alessandro Potenza

Personal information
Full name	Alessandro Potenza
Date of birth	8 March 1984 (1984-03-08)
Place of birth	San Severo, Italy
Playing position	Right back
Club information
Current club	Calcio Catania
Number	2
Youth career
	Internazionale
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2002–2006	Internazionale	0	(0)
2003	→ Ancona (loan)	1	(0)
2004	→ Parma (loan)	29	(0)
2005	→ Chievo (loan)	4	(0)
2005–2006	→ Mallorca (loan)	17	(0)
2006–2008	Fiorentina	34	(1)
2008–2009	Genoa	12	(0)
2009–	Calcio Catania	56	(1)
National team‡
2002–2003	Italy U-19	9	(0)
2003	Italy U-20	2	(0)
2004–2007	Italy U-21	27	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 24 February 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 24 February 2012

Alessandro Potenza (born 8 March 1984 in San Severo) is an Italian football defender, who currently plays for Calcio Catania in the Italian Serie A.

Club Career

FC Internazionale Milano

Potenza came from the youth system of Internazionale, and was called up to the first team squad for the 2002–2003 Serie A season. He only made one appearance for Inter's first team in a Coppa Italia match against A.S. Bari, 4 December 2002.

Loan Spells

In 2003 he was loaned out to Serie B side Ancona, to gain experience. After finding playing time limited at Ancona, he was loaned out to Serie A outfit Parma. With Parma, he found more success and plenty of first team action. In 2005 Inter loaned him out to another Serie A side. This time it was Chievo. After another decent campaign, Spanish side Mallorca wanted to bring Potenza out to La Liga. Again, Inter opted to loan him out. After yet another fairly impressive season, he caught the eye of Serie A side Fiorentina, who wanted to bring the player back to Italy.

ACF Fiorentina – Genoa CFC

In 2006, Fiorentina made a bid for the player, and Inter Milan decided to sell the young talent, for €1.25 million. In his early stages with the Tuscan team, he found plenty of playing time, and even some first team action. During the 2007/2008 Serie A season, Potenza found playing time very hard to find and was seldom used in the starting XI. In the summer of 2008, Fiorentina decided to sell the player to Genoa CFC. In the first half of the 2008/2009 Serie A season, Potenza also found playing time hard to come by with the Genoa based team.

Calcio Catania

During the 2009 winter transfer market, Potenza was looking for a way out of the side from Liguria. On 31 January 2009, it was confirmed that Potenza had joined Calcio Catania, in a co-ownership deal. He was brought in to strengthen the defensive line of the southern team, who are pushing for UEFA Cup football next season. As a result of his arrival, Gennaro Sardo was sent out on loan from Catania to relegation battlers Chievo Verona. Potenza instantly earned his starting place under coach Walter Zenga, and began the season as a starter under coach Gianluca Atzori, but after a mid-season injury, the right back has yet to gain a regular starting position in the team, under coach Siniša Mihajlović, who led Catania from 20th to 12th in the Serie A league table, in his first 5 months in charge. In August 2011, Catania signed the full ownership of the right back. Potenza was part of the 2010-11 Serie A side that finished 13th in the standings and broke Catania's record points total for the third consecutive season.

International career

Potenza has 9 caps with the Italy U-19 team, as well as 2 caps for the Italy U-20 team. His international career took off with the Italy U-21 team, where he made a total of 27 appearances, along with having the delite of scoring a single goal.

Awards

• 2003 UEFA U-19 Championship
• 2004 UEFA U-21 Championship

References

• http:/www.zerozerofootball.com/player/alessandro_potenza/2010_2011/profile/140/default/2033
• http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/en/alessandro-potenza/profil/spieler_16828.html
• http://www.goal.com/en/people/italy/16/alessandro-potenza

External links

• archivio.inter.it