Nicola Caricola

Nicola Caricola

Personal information
Date of birth	(1963-02-13) 13 February 1963
Place of birth	Bari, Italy
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Youth career
1981	Bari
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1981–1983	Bari	70	(2)
1983–1987	Juventus	59	(0)
1987–1994	Genoa	201	(6)
1994	Torino	4	(0)
1994–1995	Genoa	24	(0)
1996	MetroStars	26	(2)
International career
1982–1984	Italy U-21	10	(4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Nicola Caricola (born 13 February 1963 in Bari, Italy) is a former Italian footballer who played as a sweeper.

At club level, Caricola played for Bari (1981–83), Juventus (1983–87), Genoa (1987–94, 1994–95), and Torino (1994) in Italy. In 1995, he had an unsuccessful trial with English side Aston Villa. He finished out his career with the New York / New Jersey MetroStars of Major League Soccer, playing with them during the league's inaugural season in 1996. Although Caricola played well for the team, he is most remembered for the own goal he scored in the dying seconds of the club's first home game, a 1–0 loss to New England Revolution. He retired in February 1997.

In 2005 Nicola Caricola moved to Cape Town, South Africa and established Nicaf Espresso Systems, official distributor of Lavazza Espresso Coffee in southern Africa. The name "Nicaf" stands for "NI-cola" and "CAF-fe'".

External links

• Profile at lega-calcio.it
• Read more about Nicola Caricola's professional venture in the espresso industry
• Nicola Caricola at Major League Soccer