Moreno Torricelli

Moreno Torricelli
Personal information
Date of birth (1970-01-23) 23 January 1970
Place of birth Erba, Italy
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Right-back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1990–1992 Caratese 57 (3)
1992–1998 Juventus 152 (1)
1998–2002 Fiorentina 99 (2)
2003–2004 Espanyol 33 (0)
2004–2005 Arezzo 25 (1)
National team
1996–1998 Italy 10 (0)
Teams managed
2009 Pistoiese
2009–2010 Figline

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (goals)

Moreno Torricelli (born 23 January 1970 in Erba) is an Italian football manager and former defender, who played as a fullback. Torricelli achieved prominence during his successful stint with Juventus; he also represented the Italian national side. Despite Torricelli's lack of notable technical ability, he was a hardworking, tenacious, reliable and determined player, who was energetic and tactically versatile.[1]

Career

Player

Torricelli, born in Erba (Province of Como) was one of 3 children, twin brother Paulo and sister Ariann. He started playing football when he was around 8 in the town he was living in, Verano Brianza (Province of Milan). When reached 13 years was asked from Como Calcio to attend with them a youth regional championship (Allievi Regionali) but at the end of the loan he had to get back to his former amateur team U.S. Folgore of Verano Brianza.

At U.S. Folgore played in the main team too, up to 18 years old, then got transferred to A.S. Oggiono just promoted to top regional league "Promozione" at the end of 1987–88 season. In "Promozione" Moreno played 49 matches in two seasons without scoring goals.

When in 1990 U.S. Caratese obtained his transfer from A.S. Oggiono he was granted a work in a factory and played football on a part-time basis because U.S. Caratese was a high level team attending to the top national amateur league "Interregionale".

In July 1992, Caratese played against Serie A giants Juventus in a pre-season friendly. Torricelli's performance in this match impressed then-Juventus coach Giovanni Trapattoni so much that he was purchased by for 50 million lire shortly afterwards.[2]

Torricelli made his debut in Serie A on 13 September 1992 in a 4–1 win for Juventus against Atalanta. He quickly became a permanent starter in his first season and went on to play in the UEFA Cup-winning side that beat Borussia Dortmund in 1993. A player with a lot of heart and determination, despite his lack of skill, he was able to feature prominently in one of the best back-lines in Europe, and was capable of commanding all the roles in the Juventus defence, although his preferred position was at right-back. During his time at Juventus, the Turin club were one of the best teams in the world, and, in addition to the UEFA Cup, he won three Serie A titles, two Italian Supercups, a Coppa Italia, a UEFA Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup, and an Intercontinental Cup, in addition to reaching three consecutive Champions League finals between 1996 and 1998, and another UEFA Cup final in 1995.

In 1998, Torricelli left Juventus to join Fiorentina where he played for another four seasons, helping the club to win the 2000–01 Coppa Italia. He moved to Spain's RCD Espanyol in January 2003 after Fiorentina's relegation and financial troubles led to them releasing nearly all their players. He retired in 2005 after a final season with A.C. Arezzo.

At international level, Torricelli won 10 caps for the Italian national football team. He was a member of the Italian squad at Euro 96, where Italy suffered a surprising elimination in the group stage. He was also a member of the Italian side at the 1998 World Cup, where Italy were eliminated on penalties by hosts and eventual Champions France in the quarter-finals.

Manager

On February 2009, Torricelli took his first managing role in football after being appointed as head coach of Tuscan Lega Pro Prima Divisione side Pistoiese.[3] He took the team at the bottom of the league, and managed to guide it up to 16th place, being however defeated by Foligno in the relegation playoffs.

On 23 June 2009 he was announced as new head coach of Figline for the 2009–10 Lega Pro Prima Divisione campaign, the first in the Italian third tier for the small Tuscan club.[4] He left the club at the end of the season.

Honours

Club

Juventus[5]
Fiorentina[5]

References

  1. ↑ "LA FAVOLA DI MORENO TORRICELLI" (in Italian). Retrieved 3 December 2014.
  2. ↑ "UNA FAVOLA COME SI PUÒ DIVENTARE UN CAMPIONE" (in Italian). La Stampa. 12 August 1992. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
  3. ↑ "UFFICIALE: Torricelli nuovo allenatore della Pistoiese" (in Italian). TuttoMercatoWeb. 17 February 2009. Retrieved 17 February 2009.
  4. ↑ "UFFICIALE: Figline, il nuovo mister è Torricelli" (in Italian). TuttoMercatoWeb. 23 June 2009. Retrieved 23 June 2009.
  5. 1 2 "Moreno Torricelli". Eurosport. Retrieved 18 December 2015.

External links

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