Riccardo Montolivo

Riccardo Montolivo

Personal information
Date of birth	18 January 1985 (1985-01-18)
Place of birth	Caravaggio, Italy
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	AC.MILAN ]]
Number	18
Youth career
2000–2003	Atalanta
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2003–2005	Atalanta	73	(7)
2005–	Fiorentina	203	(14)
National team‡
2004–2007	Italy U21	20	(3)
2008	Italy U23	5	(1)
2007–	Italy	31	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 8 January 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 15 November 2011

Riccardo Montolivo (Italian pronunciation: [rikˈkardo montoˈlivo]; born 18 January 1985 in Caravaggio, Province of Bergamo) is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Fiorentina and the Italian national team. He was appointed club captain during the 2009–10 season.

Montolivo is a prototypical "regista" (deep-lying playmaker), similar to Andrea Pirlo. Though he prefers to play in the middle, he can play anywhere including defensive midfield but he is more comfortable in an attacking role.^{[citation needed]} Montolivo was born to an Italian father and German mother.

Club career

Atalanta

Montolivo began his career in Serie B with Atalanta. At the age of 18, he made his debut during the 2003–04 season. He played 41 matches and scored four goals, helping Atalanta gain promotion to Serie A. In his first season in Serie A, he played 32 times and scored three goals. However, his efforts were in vain as Atalanta were relegated back down to Serie B.

Fiorentina

Montolivo moved to Fiorentina in the summer of 2005. Initially Atalanta retained part-ownership of the player but the following summer they relinquished that option as Fiorentina took full ownership.^{[citation needed]}

During the 2006–2007 season Montolivo's first-team chances were limited, partly due to the fact that he was still an inexperienced player and partly because manager Cesare Prandelli had a relatively stable and reliable squad of players at his disposal.^{[citation needed]} The young man's talents did not go unrecognised though. He became a fixture in Italy's Under-21 team, coached by Pierluigi Casiraghi.^{[citation needed]}

The 2007–2008 season started well for the Viola midfielder: in the first match day he was as one of the best on the field against Empoli, against which he also scored a splendid goal from a lob.^{[citation needed]} The season follows between ups and downs, but Montolivo confirms himself during the course of the championship as one of the best talents in Italian Football.^{[citation needed]}

In early 2010, due to the departures of then-captain Dario Dainelli and vice-captain Martin Jørgensen, Montolivo was appointed captain of the Tuscany-based club. At the end of the 2010–11, Montolivo refused to sign a contract extension, which had a year remaining.^{[citation needed]}

International career

On 10 October 2006, Montolivo scored the winning goal when Italy's under-21 team beat Spain 2–1 and qualified for 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. [1]

On 17 October 2007, Montolivo debuted for the Azzurri in a 2–0 friendly win against South Africa. He was also called up for Italy's provisional squad before the Euro 2008 tournament. However Coach Roberto Donadoni would eventually omit him from the final list of 23.

Montolivo was summoned by Pierluigi Casiraghi to participate in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, scoring one goal in the tournament.^{[citation needed]} After playing a bit-part role at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, he started all 3 games at the 2010 FIFA World Cup partnering Daniele De Rossi as a replacement for the injured Andrea Pirlo. He scored his first senior international goal on 10 August 2011 in a friendly against Spain. Montolivo scored the opening goal in a match that Italy won by two goals to one.

International goals

Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	10 August 2011	Stadio San Nicola, Bari	Spain	1–0	2–1	Friendly

Club statistics

As of 10 December 2011 (2011 -12-10).

Club	Season	League		Cup		Europe		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Atalanta	2003–04	41	4	2	0	—	—	43	4
	2004–05	32	3	1	0	—	—	33	3
Total		73	7	3	0	—	—	76	7
Fiorentina	2005–06	20	1	0	0	—	—	20	1
	2006–07	36	2	0	0	—	—	36	2
	2007–08	34	2	0	0	9	1	43	3
	2008–09	34	4	0	0	8	0	42	4
	2009–10	36	2	3	0	10	1	49	3
	2010–11	29	2	0	0	—	—	29	2
	2011–12	14	1	2	0	—	—	16	1
Total		203	14	5	0	27	2	235	16
Career total		273	21	8	0	27	2	311	23

Personal life

Montolivo holds German citizenship – his mother is from Kiel and his grandparents are from Schleswig-Holstein. He speaks fluent German and has publicly stated that he is an atheist.

External links

• Profile at ACF Fiorentina official site
• Riccardo Montolivo – FIFA competition record