 Giaccherini with Italy in 2012 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 5 May 1985 | ||
| Place of birth | Bibbiena, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.67 m (5 ft 6 in) | ||
| Playing position | Winger, Attacking midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Sunderland | ||
| Number | 23 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Cesena | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2004–2011 | Cesena | 97 | (20) |
| 2004–2005 | → Forlì (loan) | 22 | (1) |
| 2005–2007 | → Bellaria Igea (loan) | 37 | (3) |
| 2007–2008 | → Pavia (loan) | 28 | (9) |
| 2011–2013 | Juventus | 40 | (4) |
| 2013– | Sunderland | 16 | (2) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2012– | Italy | 18 | (3) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13:54, 17 August 2013 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 18 November 2013 | |||
Emanuele Giaccherini (Italian pronunciation: [emanuˈɛle d͡ʒakkeˈrini]; born 5 May 1985) is an Italianfootballer who plays for English Premier League club Sunderland. While originally a winger, Giaccherini was used primarily as an attacking central midfielder (or "mezz'ala") by Juventus manager Antonio Conte.
Club career
Cesena
Born in Bibbiena, Tuscany, Giaccherini started his professional career at Romagna team Cesena. He scored 15 goals in the group stages of the Campionato Nazionale Primavera in the 2003–04 season.[1]He was then sent out on loan to Lega Pro clubs Forli, Bellaria Igea and Pavia for 4 seasons. Cesena was relegated to the Lega Pro Prima Divisione in 2008. Giaccherini returned to Cesena where he was partnered with Simone Motta in attack. Cesena came top of the Prima Divisione in June 2009. Due to their good defensive record Cesena finished as runner-up in the 2009–10 Serie B season and was therefore promoted to Serie A, where Giaccherini was partnered with Guilherme do Prado, Dominique Malonga, Ezequiel Schelotto and Cristian Bucchi in attack, none of whom managed to hit double figures.
In August 2010 Cesena offered a new contract to Giaccherini as his current contract was due to expire in 2012.[2]
In the 2010–11 Serie A season Giaccherini remained a first-choice starter and was partnered with wing-forward Schelotto and Erjon Bogdani. The club once again reached the top of the table but went on a winless run after the third match as a result of which Luis Jiménez replaced Schelotto as Giaccherini's new attacking partner. Giaccherini managed to score in 7 matches that season, including a goal in a 2–0 win against Milan and once in a 2–3 lose to Inter. He also scored a brace on 6 March as Cesena beatSampdoria 3–2, and managed 3 more goals in the last 7 matches of the season.
He made 4 assists in his maiden Serie A season which was one short of Luca Ceccarelli.
Juventus
On 25 August 2011, Giaccherini officially transferred to Juventus on a €3 million co-ownership with Cesena retaining 50% of his contract.[3] He made his competitive debut for Juventus against Parma. On 8 December 2011, he scored his first goal for the Bianconeri, an angled solo effort in a 2–1 win overBologna in the Coppa Italia.[4] He scored his first Serie A goal for the club on 21 January 2012, scoring the second in a 2–0 victory over Atalanta on a volley from Luca Marrone. Three days later he scored the first goal in Juventus' 3–0 Coppa Italia victory against Roma. Due to injuries and suspensions to first choice centre midfielders Claudio Marchisio and Arturo Vidal, Conte has played him in a more central role. Juventus won the Serie A title unbeaten that season and reached the final of the Coppa Italia, losing to Napoli.
In June 2012 Juve bought him outright for €4.25 million that will keep him until June 2015.[5] Juventus won the Supercoppa Italiana against Napoli and retained the Serie A title during the 2012–13 season. They also reached the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia and the Quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League, losing, in both competitions, to the respective winners, Lazio and Bayern Munich.
On 11 July 2013, Juventus manager Antonio Conte confirmed the sale of Giaccherini to English Premier League side Sunderland, in order to raise funds.[6]
Sunderland
Sunderland confirmed the signing of Giaccherini on 16 July 2013, on a four-year contract[7] after joining up with his new team during their pre-season training camp near Lake Garda.[8] He made his debut on 17 August, in a 1–0 defeat at home to Fulham.[9] In his second match of the campaign, he scored a headed goal as Sunderland drew 1-1 away to Southampton on 24 August.[10] His first cup goal came on 24 September 2013 in a 2-0 League Cup win againstPeterborough.[11] His first and second league goals, came in the following game at home to Liverpool, on 29 September 2013. He was the first to react asSimon Mignolet spilled a Ki Sung-Yueng shot, and finished from six yards.[12]
International career
Giaccherini was included in the 23 squad for the UEFA Euro 2012. He won his first cap for Italy starting as a left wing-back in a 3–5–2 formation againstWorld Cup champions and defending European Champions Spain on 10 June. Italy eventually reached the final, facing Spain once again. They were defeated 4–0 in the final.
On 11 June 2013, Giaccherini scored the fastest ever goal in the nation's history during a 2–2 draw in a charity friendly with Haiti in Rio de Janeiro. He scored the opening goal just 19 seconds into the match, surpassing the 20 seconds that it took Salvatore Bagni to score against Mexico in February 1984.[13]
2013 Confederations Cup
Giaccherini was included in the 23-man squad for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil. Giaccherini played in every match of the tournament and assisted Mario Balotelli's winning goal in the opening match against Mexico.[14][15] In Italy's second match against Japan, a pass across goal by Giaccherini was deflected by Atsuto Uchida, who scored an own goal.[16] The match ended 4–3 to Italy, qualifying them for the semifinals of the tournament for the first time in their history.[17]
Giaccherini scored Italy's temporary equaliser against hosts Brazil in the final group match, although they eventually lost the match 4–2.[18] Giaccherini started in the semifinal against Spain, which ended 0–0, although Giaccherini hit the post in extra time. Spain went through to the final after winning the resulting shootout 7–6.[19] Italy managed to win the bronze medal match 3–2 on penalties against Uruguay, after a 2–2 draw following extra time, with Giaccherini netting Italy's last penalty before Buffon clinched the match for Italy by saving Walter Gargano's penalty
