Fabrizio Miccoli

Fabrizio Miccoli

Personal information
Date of birth	June 27, 1979 (1979-06-27)
Place of birth	Nardò, Italy
Height	1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Palermo
Number	10
Youth career
1991–1995	Milan
1995–1996	Casarano
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1996–1998	Casarano	57	(19)
1998–2002	Ternana	120	(32)
2002–2007	Juventus	25	(8)
2002–2003	→ Perugia (loan)	34	(9)
2004–2005	→ Fiorentina (loan)	35	(12)
2005–2007	→ Benfica (loan)	39	(14)
2007–	Palermo	128	(61)
National team‡
1996–1997	Italy U-18	10	(5)
1998–2000	Italy U-21	7	(2)
2003–2004	Italy	10	(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 01 February 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 14 September 2008

Fabrizio Miccoli (Italian pronunciation: [faˈbrittsjo ˈmikkoli]; born on 27 June 1979) is an Italian football striker who currently is playing for Serie A team Palermo.

Club career

Early years

After playing at youth level with Milan, he returned to his native Apulia in 1995 to join Serie C1 team Casarano, where he made his professional debut at the age of 17. He then agreed for a move to Serie B side Ternana in 1998, where he scored a total 32 goals in four season, 15 of which in his final year at the club. His performances at Ternana had Miccoli dubbed the "new Del Piero" by many sections of the Italian media.

Juventus and Perugia

Following his impressive performances, Juventus showed interest in signing the player, and ultimately acquired his transfer rights from Ternana in July 2002, then loaning him to minor Serie A side Perugia for the 2002–03 season.

Miccoli showed great qualities during his first season in the top flight, scoring great goals and showing excellent technical ability. He was dubbed the Romario of the Salento, the Maradona of the Salento, and bomber tascabile (pocket bomber), due to his small stature, pace and his technical ability. His efforts helped Perugia reach an UEFA Intertoto Cup spot. For his efforts, he received an Azzurri call-up during the season and Juventus recalled him back for the following season.

Fabrizio Miccoli played six UEFA Champions League games for Juventus, and scored one goal. He also scored seven goals in Serie A for Juventus. However, after a fall-out with Juve manager, Fabio Capello, he did not get much playing time and the next season, half of Miccoli's registration rights was sold to newly promoted Fiorentina for €7million. Once in Florence, Miccoli showed his good qualities once again, helping Fiorentina to salvation on the last day of the season, scoring a goal to send Brescia to Serie B. At the end of the season there was a blind auction between Fiorentina and Juventus to decide his ownership, and Juventus won it by a lump sum of €6.7million for Miccoli, Maresca and Chiellini. Therefore, Miccoli had to return to Turin, but he was sent on loan to Benfica.

Benfica

In July 2006, his loan to Benfica was confirmed despite initial interest from Aston Villa. Miccoli scored two goals for Benfica in six Champions League appearances. He also became a fan favorite when he scored a magnificent scissors kick goal against Liverpool during that competition, sending Benfica to the quarterfinals. At Benfica, Miccoli attracted attention from other clubs such as Roma and Internazionale. There was suggestion in the media that Roma were interested in a swap deal with problematic striker, Antonio Cassano but the move never eventuated and Miccoli opted to stay one more year in Lisbon with Benfica. The empathy between Benfica supporters and Miccoli was always extraordinary, they still miss the "small bomber".

Palermo

On 5 July 2007, Palermo announced on their official website to have signed Miccoli with a 3-year agreement, costing Palermo €4.3 million. He completed a 4-way swap, which Miccoli replaced the left of Andrea Caracciolo, Caracciolo for Fabio Quagliarella and Vincenzo Iaquinta was replaced by Quagliarella. He returned to Italian football in the 2007–08 season, and took part in the rosanero's third UEFA Cup campaign. He scored a total eight goals in his first season with the Sicilian club, including the winning goal in the Sicilian derby against Catania, despite a number of injuries which prevented him from playing continuously in the season.

In 2008–09, Miccoli, now Palermo vice-captain (behind Fabio Liverani) following the transfers of Andrea Barzagli and Cristian Zaccardo to German club Wolfsburg, enjoyed a remarkable seasonal start, especially after the appointment of Davide Ballardini as new head coach for the team, creating a prolific striking partnership with Uruguayan Edinson Cavani, scoring 14 goals each. He renewed his contract on 30 May.

Starting in the 2009–10 season, Fabrizio Miccoli took the role of captain leading the team through the campaign in place of the injured Fabio Liverani, and being then confirmed after the latter rejoined the team on November 2009. During the 2009–10 season, Miccoli scored 19 goals, tying him for third in the Serie A goal-scoring race. He scored a hat-trick on 27 March 2010 against Bologna, and in a home draw against Sampdoria on the 9 May 2010, Miccoli scored his 41st goal in Serie A for Palermo on a penalty which he had earned, making him the all-time Serie A leading goal scorer for Palermo. The Luciano Zauri foul that earned Miccoli the penalty against Sampdoria, though it resulted in a successfully converted penalty, also caused a moderate injury to Miccoli's knee. As a result, Miccoli underwent right knee surgery on the 13 May 2010 at the Villa Stuart Clinic in Rome. The moderate damage to his cruciate ligament was deemed "successfully repaired" by knee specialist Professor Pier Paolo Mariani, and Miccoli is expected to make a full recovery over the summer months.

Miccoli's strong 2009–10 season played a big part in Palermo's campaign, which saw the club finish 5th in Serie A, tied for the best league finish in club history, and narrowly missing out on Champions League football. This also brought transfer interest from English Premier League side, Birmingham City, whom despite his injury at the time and the prospect of Miccoli missing most of the first half of the next season, still bid a reported £5 million for the 31 year old striker.

Miccoli made a strong start to the Serie A 2011-12 season, scoring twice in a 4-3 win against Inter and helping Palermo to 4th place in Serie A after 5 games, recording 3 goals and 3 assists along the way. He maintained his good form despite a lacklustre season from Palermo, with three different managers serving as head coach from August to January, and on 1 February 2012 he became the top goalscorer in the whole club history thanks to a hat-trick in a 4–4 draw against Inter at San Siro.

International career

Fabrizio Miccoli made his Azzurri debut against Portugal in February 2003, creating the only goal for Bernardo Corradi. On 30 March 2004, Miccoli scored directly from a corner kick in another friendly match versus Portugal. He was subsequently featured in UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying matches and received another call-up in a friendly against Finland in November 2004, which ended in a 1–0 win, with the only goal scored by Miccoli from a free kick.

After leaving Juventus on numerous loan stints, Miccoli did not receive any call ups under Marcelo Lippi and has since still not been called up to the Azzurri under either Roberto Donadoni or Cesare Prandelli. Many sections of the Italian media attribute Miccoli's exclusion from the Italian national side under Lippi due Miccoli's role in court during the Calciopoli scandal where Miccoli testified against Juventus, Juventus of whom have very close relations with Lippi. Despite this, Lippi still spoke positively in the media about Miccoli, referring to him in 2005: "I am constantly keeping him under observation, He's a big quality player and technically he is really good. He is a genius. Miccoli is a forward that can be really important for all teams in which he plays." .

During the 2009-10 Serie A season, there were several calls and speculation within the Italian media and high football figures that Miccoli could make a return to the Azzurri for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, and expressed continued interest in playing for the national team.

Despite these calls, he was not selected for the World Cup and in March 2011 upon return from a serious knee injury, he effectively announced his intentions to not purse an international career any further.

Career statistics

As of 4 October 2011.

Club	League	Season	League			Cup			Continental			Total
			Apps	Goals	Assis	Apps	Goals	Assis	Apps	Goals	Assis	Apps	Goals	Assis
Casarano	Serie D	1996-97	27	8	-							27	8	-
		1997-98	30	11	-							30	11	-
	Total		57	18	-				0	0	0	57	18	-
Ternana	Serie B	1998–99	30	1	3	2	0	0				32	1	3
		1999-00	33	9	5	7	0	2				40	9	7
		2000–01	23	7	2	2	0	0				25	7	2
		2001–02	34	15	12	4	3	3				38	18	15
	Total		120	32	22	15	3	5	0	0	0	135	35	27
Perugia	Serie A	2002–03	34	9	7	6	5	2	2	2	1	42	16	10
	Total		34	9	7	6	5	2	2	2	1	42	16	10
Juventus	Serie A	2003–04	25	8	3	6	1	1	6	1	3	37	10	7
		2004–05	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0
	Total		25	8	3	7	1	1	6	1	3	38	10	7
Fiorentina	Serie A	2004–05	35	12	7	4	0	3				38	12	10
	Total		35	12	7	4	0	3	0	0	0	38	12	10
Benfica	Primeira Liga	2005–06	17	4	2	0	0	0	6	2	0	23	6	2
		2006–07	22	10	3	0	0	0	11	3	0	33	13	3
	Total		39	14	5	0	0	0	17	5	0	56	19	5
Palermo	Serie A	2007–08	22	8	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	22	8	5
		2008–09	30	14	10	1	0	0				31	14	10
		2009–10	35	19	10	3	3	1				38	22	11
		2010–11	21	9	2	4	1	1	3	0	1	28	10	4
		2011–12	18	11	11	0	0	0	2	1	0	20	12	11
	Total		126	61	32	8	4	2	5	1	1	139	66	41
Career total			436	153	74	40	13	13	30	9	5	503	174	103

Personal life

Miccoli is married to Flaviana, a girl he met first when he was 17 and she was 14. Together they have a daughter, Suami, named after the Hindi word for love, and born on March 2003. His second child, a son named Diego, was born on June 2008.

On early 2010, Miccoli gained national news after he managed to buy an earring belonging to his childhood hero Diego Maradona. The earring had been confiscated by the national tax office during a visit by Maradona to Italy (the Argentine star owing several million euros in taxes to the Italian state). It was sold at a public action for € 25,000. After confirming the purchase, Miccoli revealed that he would return the earring to Maradona were he to meet him.

Miccoli is a supporter of Lecce, and has expressed an interest in playing for the club in the future. Miccoli has a tattoo of Che Guevara on his right lower leg.

External links

• Career profile at Gazzetta dello Sport.it (Italian)
• Profile at FIGC