Giampaolo Pazzini

Giampaolo Pazzini

Pazzini pictured in 2009
Personal information
Full name Giampaolo Pazzini[1]
Date of birth (1984-08-02) 2 August 1984
Place of birth Pescia, Italy
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current team
Hellas Verona
Number 11
Youth career
1999–2003 Atalanta
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2005 Atalanta 51 (12)
2005–2009 Fiorentina 108 (25)
2009–2011 Sampdoria 75 (36)
2011–2012 Internazionale 50 (16)
2012–2015 Milan 74 (21)
2015– Hellas Verona 21 (5)
National team
1999–2002 Italy U16 12 (4)
2002 Italy U18 1 (0)
2002–2003 Italy U19 9 (6)
2004–2007 Italy U21 22 (5)
2009–2012 Italy 25 (4)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 01:41, 20 February 2016 (UTC).
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11 September 2012

Giampaolo Pazzini (Italian pronunciation: [dʒamˈpaolo patˈtsini]; born 2 August 1984 in Pescia), nicknamed Il Pazzo (The Madman) by his fans, is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Hellas Verona and formerly for the Italian national team. He has only played for teams in Italy, previously playing for Atalanta, Fiorentina, Sampdoria, Internazionale and Milan. He is well known for his movement off the ball, especially in the penalty area, and for his excellent ability to score headed goals.[2][3]

Club career

Pazzini with Fiorentina

Early career

Pazzini started his career at Atalanta, with whom he made his professional debut in 2003, and quickly emerging as a promising youngster. He spent two seasons with Atalanta, playing 51 league games and scoring 12 goals (of which 3 of them at Serie A level). He switched from a left back to a striker.

Fiorentina

Pazzini joined Fiorentina from Atalanta for around €6 million in January 2005.[4] During his first season, he scored ten goals in four appearances. but did not find space in Cesare Prandelli's plans as the latter preferred Luca Toni as the main striker, with Pazzini and Valeri Bojinov acting as second strikers.

With the arrival of former Milan striker Alberto Gilardino, Prandelli opted for Adrian Mutu and Gilardino to form a striking partnership, reducing Pazzini to a backup role.

Sampdoria

Pazzini with Sampdoria

As a result of limited first team opportunities, Pazzini agreed a move to Sampdoria on January 2008 for a €9 million transfer fee.[5][6]

After his first match, against Palermo, in the next matchday Pazzini found the back of the net for the first time with the blucerchiati against Udinese in the Coppa Italia. He scored his first goal in Serie A with his new team on 1 February 2009 in the match against Chievo, which finished in a 1–1 draw. His rejuvenated form continued when he hit his first brace with Sampdoria in a 3–0 hammering against Italian champions Internazionale in the Coppa Italia,[7] and his second consecutive brace arrived in the Serie A encounter against Roma (2–2). He combined well with Antonio Cassano up front, forming arguably one of the most effective partnerships of the season in Serie A, and drawing comparisons with Sampdoria's former Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Mancini strike-pairing of the late 1980s and early 1990s.[8]

Pazzini scored 19 goals in his second season at Sampdoria, making him the third-topscorer in the 2009–10 Serie A.

Internazionale

Pazzini playing for Inter Milan in 2011
Pazzini with Inter in 2012

Pazzini joined Italian champions Internazionale on a four-and-a-half-year deal on 28 January 2011, with Jonathan Biabiany heading in the opposite direction as part of the deal; Pazzini was valued €19 million whilst Biabiany was tagged for €7 million.[9][10] Pazzini scored a brace on his debut, a 3–2 home win over Palermo, and scored another goal in his second game against Bari. He also scored the winner in a 1–2 win against Fiorentina on 16 February 2011. On 30 April 2011, he scored 2 in a 2–1 win over Cesena, both in stoppage time. On 22 May 2011, he scored a further two goals in Inter's 3–1 victory over Catania.

Pazzini began the 2011–12 season on a weak note, failing to score until the fifth matchday in a 3–1 victory over Bologna. He then scored in the next match after a dribble from teammate Yuto Nagatomo in a 3–2 away victory against CSKA Moscow. He later suffered a three-month goal drought until he scored Inter's opener in a 2–0 victory against Fiorentina. Pazzini also added another goal later that month against Lecce and scored in Inter's opening match of the 2012 calendar year in a 5–0 victory against Parma. Owing partially to the excellent form of his teammate Diego Milito and partially due to a lack of consistency in managerial preferences and squad selection, Pazzini made a majority of his appearances for Inter during the 2011–12 season as a substitute off the bench. As such, Pazzini was only able to score five goals in Serie A for the season and was often frustrated in front of goal in European competition as well.

Milan

After being transfer listed by the Nerazzurri,[11] Pazzini joined Milan on 22 August 2012,[12] in exchange for Antonio Cassano and a €7.5 million compensation in favour of the Nerazzurri. (Pazzini tagged for €13 million and Cassano for €5.5 million.)[13][14]

On 24 August 2012, Pazzini told La Gazzetta dello Sport of what occurred at Inter: "I dream about being a deciding factor in a derby and in many other matches. I could say some things but the row would go on for days and I just don't feel like it. The night before the summer training camp I had a phone call telling me I was out of the team," he revealed, "and the following day I was told: 'You won't be playing in any of the friendlies', but it wasn't Stramaccioni. I was getting bad vibes, but now I'm looking to the future." I'm really motivated because I'm coming out of a negative year," explained Pazzini. "I really want to get things together and get back to being the player I was five months ago, at international level too. I dream of getting a call from Prandelli." Regarding the swap that brought Cassano to Inter, Pazzini stated, "Antonio and I have been friends since our days at Sampdoria. When I read about this deal on the front page of a paper I called him and joked: 'See, these days you need me to get your name onto the front page...' But during the training camp at Inter, it was Pazzini who announced his imminent departure to the fans. "It wasn't an outburst of any kind, I was calm and cool. I made a few statements," he explained, "because I already knew all about it. I read that I had been thrown out of the squad after that statement, but it isn't true. I had already made up my mind, and that statement was spontaneous. I hadn't been expecting it, but they made the decision and I accepted it. AC Milan are the best and I can hold my head up high."[15]

On 1 September, on his second appearance but first full-debut, Pazzini netted a hat-trick in Milan's 3–1 victory over Bologna,[16] with his style of play drawing comparisons with Milan legend Filippo Inzaghi, who had retired a couple of months earlier.[17][18] On 3 November 2012, Pazzini ended his eight-game goal drought when he scored the final goal in stoppage time in Milan's impressive 5–1 win over Chievo. It was the first time Pazzini had found the back of the net since his hat-trick back in September. On the 2 March 2013, Pazzini scored two important goals in a win over Lazio, which put Milan third in the Serie A table, overtaking Lazio. On April 28, he came off the bench and scored another quick fire double to take his tally to 15 in Serie A and help Milan leapfrog Fiorentina into third in Milan's 4–2 win over Catania.[19] Pazzini ended his first season at Milan with 15 Serie A goals in 30 appearances and a further one goal in two appearances in the 2012–13 Coppa Italia.

On 24 May 2015, Pazzini scored his 100th Serie A goal in a 3–0 home win over Torino.[20]

Verona

Upon the expiration of his Milan contract in the summer of 2015, Pazzini moved on a free transfer to Hellas Verona, his sixth professional club. He scored his first goal, a penalty, in a 1–1 draw against Udinese on 18 October.

International career

Under-21

Pazzini was formerly a member of the Italy under-21 team. On 24 March 2007, he scored the first goal and first hat-trick at the new Wembley Stadium in a 3–3 friendly draw with England.[21]

Senior team

Pazzini made his debut with the senior Italian team on 28 March 2009 in a World Cup qualification match against Montenegro, scoring his first goal. Four days later, he was awarded with a place in the starting line-up against the Republic of Ireland. Unfortunately, his second cap was less fortunate, as he was sent off in the second minute of the match for elbowing defender John O'Shea. His red card represents the fastest sending-off in Italian history. Pazzini started the friendly against Northern Ireland in Pisa on 6 June 2009, where he missed a penalty in the 55th minute.

He took part at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

On 3 June 2011, two years after his debut, he scored his second goal with the national team in a qualifying game against Estonia.

International goals

Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first.
As of 11 November 2011
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 28 March 2009 Podgorica Stadium, Podgorica, Montenegro  Montenegro 2–0 2–0 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifier
2. 3 June 2011 Stadio Alberto Braglia, Modena, Italy  Estonia 3–0 3–0 UEFA Euro 2012 qualifier
3. 6 September 2011 Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence, Italy  Slovenia 1–0 1–0
4. 11 November 2011 Stadion Miejski, Wrocław, Poland  Poland 2–0 2–0 Friendly

Personal life

In 2011, Pazzini married an Italian woman, Silvia Slitti, who he had been engaged to ten years previously.[22] Giampaolo and Silvia got married at CastaDiva in Lake Como.[22] Pazzini and his wife have one child, a son, Tommaso Pazzini, born on 21 December 2011.[23]

Media

Pazzini features in EA Sports' FIFA video game series; he was on the cover of the Italian edition of FIFA 12, alongside Philippe Mexès, and global cover star Wayne Rooney.[24]

Club statistics

Club performance

As of 30 May 2015[25][26][27]

Club Season League Cup Europe Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Atalanta
2003–04 39910409
2004–05 12343166
Total 5112535615
Fiorentina
2004–05 14310153
2005–06 27553328
2006–07 24722269
2007–08 319431204712
2008–09 1210020141
Total 1082512814013433
Sampdoria
2008–09 1911442315
2009–10 3719223921
2010–11 19611552512
Total 753677558748
Inter Milan
2010–11 171130002011
2011–12 3351063408
Total 501640636019
Milan
2012–13 301521503716
2013–14 1821120213
2014–15 2642100285
Total 742153708624
Career total 3581103221328423139

Honours

Club

Inter Milan[27]

National team

Italy U-19

References

  1. "FIFA World Cup South Africa 2010 – List of Players" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  2. "La scheda tecnica di Giampaolo Pazzini". ilcalciomagazine.it (in Italian). Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  3. Enrico Currò (15 February 2014). "Milan, l'appello di Balotelli. Con Pazzini per battere l'Atletico". repubblica.it (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  4. ACF Fiorentina Report and Accounts on 31 December 2007 (Italian)
  5. ACF Fiorentina Report and Accounts on 31 December 2009 (Italian)
  6. UC Sampdoria Report and Accounts on 31 December 2009 (Italian)
  7. "Giampaolo Pazzini Thrilled With Sampdoria's Coppa Italia Triumph". Goal.com. 5 March 2009. Retrieved 2009-03-15.
  8. "Garrone: «Cassano-Pazzini come Vialli-Mancini»" (in Italian). Il Corriere dello Sport. 26 April 2010. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  9. Relazione sulla Gestione of UC Sampdoria Report and Accounts on 31 December 2010
  10. "Welcome to Inter, Giampaolo Pazzini!". inter.it. 28 January 2011. Retrieved 2011-01-28.
  11. "Pazzini prepared to wait for move". 19 August 2012. Retrieved 2 September 2012.
  12. "Giampaolo Pazzini is now officially a Milan player". 22 August 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  13. "AC Milan and Inter agree terms over Pazzini-Cassano swap". 21 August 2012. Retrieved 22 August 2012.
  14. "RELAZIONE E BILANCIO AL 31 DICEMBRE 2012" (PDF) (in Italian). AC Milan. 5 June 2013. Retrieved 29 April 2014.
  15. "Pazzini: A.C. Milan are the best, Inter killed me off". english.gazzetta.it. 24 August 2012.
  16. "Bologna 1–3 AC Milan: Pazzini hat-trick sees off stubborn hosts". Goal.com. 1 September 2012.
  17. "From Pippo to Pazzo". Football-Italia.com. 2 September 2012.
  18. "Galliani Won Over By Pazzini". Football-Italia.com. 2 September 2012.
  19. "AC Milan 4–2 Catania: Quick-fire Pazzini double maintains Champions League charge". Goal.com. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  20. Alessandra Gozzini (24 May 2015). "Milan-Torino 3-0: 2 gol di El Shaarawy, Pazzini fa 100, Ventura fuori dall'Europa" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  21. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/6483789.stm
  22. 1 2 "Wedding Bells for Giampaolo and Silvia". 7msport.com. 10 July 2011. Retrieved 15 August 2011.
  23. "Arriva baby Pazzini". vanityfair.it (in Italian). Vanity Fair. 24 October 2011. Retrieved 23 December 2011.
  24. Adriano Della Corte (29 July 2011). "FIFA 12: Giampaolo Pazzini sulla boxart italiana". everyeye.it (in Italian). Retrieved 25 April 2015.
  25. "Giampaolo Pazzini - A.C. Milan Profile". A.C. Milan. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  26. "Giampolo Pazzini". ESPN FC. Retrieved 25 May 2015.
  27. 1 2 "Italy - G. Pazzini". Soccerway. Retrieved 25 May 2015.

External links

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