Alberto Gilardino

1. Early Life and Youth Career

Alberto Gilardino's early life and foundational experiences in youth football laid the groundwork for his distinguished professional career.

2. Playing Career

Alberto Gilardino's playing career spanned nearly two decades, marked by prolific goal-scoring, major titles, and appearances for numerous clubs across Italy, as well as a stint in China and a distinguished international career with the Italian national team.

2.1. Club Career

Gilardino's club career saw him play for several prominent teams, evolving from a promising youngster into one of Serie A's most consistent goalscorers.

2.1.1. Piacenza, Verona, and Parma (1999-2005)

Gilardino began his professional journey at Piacenza, where he made his Serie A debut in the 1999-2000 season, scoring 3 goals in 17 appearances. In September 2000, he was transferred to Hellas Verona in a co-ownership deal for 7.00 B ITL. Verona acquired his full registration rights in June 2001 for 8.50 B ITL. During his two seasons with Verona, Gilardino scored 5 goals in 39 league appearances.

In 2002, Gilardino's career received a significant boost with his transfer to Parma, a move strongly advocated by then-coach Cesare Prandelli. Initially, he found playing time limited due to the presence of prominent strikers like Adrian Mutu and Adriano. However, following Adriano's return to Internazionale, Gilardino secured a starting role. In the 2003-04 Serie A season, he truly emerged as a top-tier striker, scoring 23 goals in Serie A, 17 of which came in the second half of the season, finishing second only to Andriy Shevchenko's 24 goals. He also added 3 goals in the UEFA Cup. His impressive form earned him a contract extension until June 2007. He replicated his goal-scoring feat in the 2004-05 Serie A season, again scoring 23 league goals and finishing second behind Cristiano Lucarelli. He notably scored in a play-off match against Bologna to secure Parma's Serie A survival, bringing his total to 24 goals that season. In his time at Parma, he amassed 51 goals in just 97 Serie A appearances, a testament to his burgeoning talent. His performances were recognized with the Serie A Young Footballer of the Year Award in 2004, followed by the Serie A Footballer of the Year and Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year Awards in 2005.

2.1.2. AC Milan (2005-2008)

On 17 July 2005, Gilardino completed a high-profile transfer to AC Milan for 25.00 M EUR, where he took the number 11 shirt. He scored his first goal for the Rossoneri against Sampdoria. In the 2005-06 AC Milan season, he scored 17 goals in 34 Serie A appearances and 2 goals in 3 Coppa Italia matches, though he struggled to find form in the 2005-06 UEFA Champions League, going goalless in all 12 matches.

The 2006-07 AC Milan season saw Gilardino net his first UEFA Champions League goal on 1 November 2006 in a 4-1 victory over Anderlecht. While his European goal tally remained low with just two goals, one of these was crucial: it contributed to a decisive 3-0 win over Manchester United in the second leg of the Champions League semi-finals on 3 May 2007, propelling Milan to the final against Liverpool. He made a brief two-minute substitute appearance in Milan's 2-1 victory in the final. Gilardino was Milan's leading scorer in the 2006-07 Serie A with 12 goals. Despite his contributions, he expressed bitterness about not starting the Champions League final and considered leaving, but ultimately decided to stay after discussions with club management.

In the 2007-08 AC Milan season, Gilardino scored a brace against Lazio on 7 October 2007 and his first Champions League brace against Shakhtar Donetsk on 24 October. However, in the latter half of the season, he often found himself on the substitutes' bench, falling behind Filippo Inzaghi and Alexandre Pato in the pecking order. He later described this period at Milan as the worst of his career due to intense competition and doubts about his ability to perform for a major club. Despite these challenges, Gilardino's time at Milan solidified his reputation as a strong frontman capable of holding the ball and initiating attacks.

2.1.3. Fiorentina (2008-2012)

On 25 May 2008, Gilardino completed a move to Fiorentina for 15.00 M EUR, signing a five-year deal. The transfer reunited him with former Parma teammates and manager Cesare Prandelli, providing a fresh start. His first goal for the Violas came in the third qualifying round of the 2008-09 UEFA Champions League against Slavia Prague. On 31 August, he scored on his Serie A debut for Fiorentina, an 89th-minute equalizer against Juventus. On 18 October, after scoring a brace against Reggina, Gilardino became the seventh-youngest Italian player to reach 100 Serie A goals. He received a two-match ban for unsportsmanlike conduct after intentionally scoring with his hand in a match against Palermo, although he maintained it was unintentional.

On 25 April 2009, Gilardino scored another brace in a 4-1 victory against Roma, marking 100 goals scored in his last six years, a tally surpassed only by Samuel Eto'o, Thierry Henry, and Luca Toni in Europe during that period. He concluded the 2008-09 ACF Fiorentina season with 19 Serie A goals, all from open play, playing a vital role in Fiorentina securing a fourth-place finish and a Champions League spot. His season highlights included doubles against Roma and a remarkable tight-angle shot against Genoa.

In the 2009-10 UEFA Champions League, Gilardino had an exceptional campaign. He scored a dramatic late goal to secure a 2-2 draw against Sporting CP, found the net against Debrecen, and famously scored in the third minute of stoppage time against Liverpool at Anfield, leading Fiorentina to a first-place finish in their group. This goal was later cited by Gilardino as the most important of his career. He equaled Gabriel Batistuta's record of 10 goals in European competitions for Fiorentina. He finished the season with 4 Champions League goals and 15 Serie A goals.

On 27 February 2011, Gilardino scored his ninth league goal of the 2010-11 ACF Fiorentina season and his 200th career goal as a professional player in a match against Bari. This milestone included 138 Serie A goals, 8 Coppa Italia goals, 13 Champions League goals, 5 UEFA Cup goals, 17 senior national team goals, 15 Italy U21 goals, and 4 Italy Olympic team goals. On 6 March 2011, he scored his 44th Serie A goal for Fiorentina against Catania, placing him tenth among Fiorentina's all-time Serie A scorers and 30th overall in Serie A history. He began the 2011-12 ACF Fiorentina season with a goal in the Coppa Italia against Cittadella and his first league goal of the season against Bologna. By December, he had scored his second goal of the season before his departure.

2.1.4. Genoa and Bologna Loan (2012-2014)

On 3 January 2012, Gilardino signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with Genoa, with the transfer costing 8.00 M EUR. He opted for the number 82 shirt, as his preferred number 11 was already taken. He scored his first Genoa goal on 29 January against Napoli at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. He then scored his first brace for Genoa from the penalty spot against Internazionale at the San Siro, although Genoa ultimately lost 5-4. His fourth goal came in a 2-0 win over Palermo on 13 May, a result that helped Genoa maintain a six-point cushion from the relegation zone. Gilardino concluded the second half of the 2011-12 Serie A season with 4 goals in 14 appearances. He was later subject to a requested fine along with 14 teammates in October 2012 regarding fan pressure incidents in a 2011-12 match against Siena.

On 31 August 2012, Gilardino joined Bologna on a loan deal for 1.30 M EUR, signing a contract worth 2.34 M EUR. He debuted for Bologna on 1 September 2012 against AC Milan. On 16 September, he scored a brace, helping Bologna overcome a 2-0 halftime deficit to defeat Roma 3-2 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. He scored his second brace for Bologna in their 4-0 rout of Catania on 30 September, bringing his tally to five goals in five games. His sixth goal came on 18 November in a 3-0 victory over Palermo. On 12 January 2013, he scored another brace in a 4-0 win against Chievo Verona. He further cemented Bologna's mid-table position with a decisive goal against Internazionale on 10 March 2013, securing a 1-0 victory and easing their relegation fears. He finished the season with 13 goals in 35 matches.

Following his successful loan spell at Bologna, Gilardino returned to Genoa. President Enrico Preziosi declared him non-transferable at the request of the new Genoa coach, Fabio Liverani. He scored his first goal of the 2013-14 Serie A season on 17 August in the Coppa Italia against Spezia, though Genoa lost on penalties after a 2-2 draw. His first Serie A goal of the season came the following Sunday in a 2-5 home defeat against Fiorentina. On 20 October, Gilardino scored two goals in Genoa's 2-1 home victory over Chievo Verona. He scored a decisive goal against Parma on 30 October and a penalty goal against Lazio on 3 November. On 23 November, he converted a penalty equalizer against Milan at the San Siro, bringing his season tally to 6 league goals. He scored the opening goal against Cagliari on 8 December in a 1-2 loss. On 6 January 2014, his eighth season goal from a penalty kick against Sassuolo marked Genoa's 500th Serie A victory in a single round format. On 26 January, he scored the opening goal in a thrilling 3-3 draw against Fiorentina. On 16 February, he scored his first brace since returning to Genoa against Udinese, contributing to a 3-3 draw. These two goals brought him to 11 season goals and 170 total Serie A goals, surpassing Giuseppe Savoldi and temporarily placing him 14th among Serie A all-time scorers. He concluded the 2013-14 Serie A season with 15 goals in 36 matches.

2.1.5. Guangzhou Evergrande and Fiorentina Loan (2014-2015)

On 5 July 2014, his 32nd birthday, it was announced that Genoa had accepted a 5.00 M EUR offer for Gilardino from Chinese club Guangzhou Evergrande. Gilardino signed a contract with the Chinese side until 31 December 2016 for an estimated 10.00 M EUR. He finished his 2014 Chinese Super League season with 5 goals in 14 matches, as Guangzhou won the Chinese Super League title for the fourth consecutive season.

On 25 January 2015, Fiorentina officially announced that Gilardino would return to the club on loan from Guangzhou Evergrande until the end of the 2014-15 Serie A season, with a reported buyout clause of 1.50 M EUR. On 31 January, Gilardino scored in his new debut for the Violas in a 1-1 draw against his former club, Genoa. On 26 April, he scored his 175th Serie A goal in a match against Cagliari. On 18 May, he scored against his former team, Parma, in a 3-0 Fiorentina victory. He finished the second half of the season with 4 goals in 14 matches. At the end of the season, Fiorentina decided not to make the transfer permanent, and Gilardino returned to China.

2.1.6. Palermo, Empoli, Pescara, and Spezia (2015-2018)

On 27 August 2015, Gilardino signed with Palermo, marking his return to Italy. He debuted for Palermo on 13 September in a 2-2 draw against Carpi. He scored against Roma on 4 October, in a match that ended 2-4. His second goal for Palermo came against Internazionale, making it his eighth goal against the Nerazzurri. On 30 January 2016, his 184th Serie A goal, scored against Carpi in a 1-1 away draw, equaled Gabriel Batistuta's record as the eleventh-highest scorer in Serie A history. This goal also made him tied with Francesco Totti and Roberto Baggio for the record of scoring against the most different clubs in Serie A (38). On 15 May 2016, he scored in a 3-2 home win over Verona, a crucial goal that helped save Palermo from relegation at the conclusion of the 2015-16 Serie A season. This goal also allowed him to equal Giuseppe Signori and Alessandro Del Piero as the joint-ninth highest goalscorer in Serie A history with 188 goals. He finished the season with 10 Serie A goals in 33 matches.

On 7 July 2016, Gilardino signed a two-year contract with Empoli. He spent six months at the club, making 16 appearances across all competitions and scoring one goal. On 9 January 2017, Gilardino joined Pescara, where he made only 3 appearances without scoring. On 3 October 2017, Gilardino signed with Spezia in Serie B. He scored 6 goals in 16 appearances during the 2017-18 Serie B season. He left Spezia at the end of the season and officially announced his retirement from professional football on 20 September 2018.

2.2. International Career

Alberto Gilardino's international career with Italy was highly successful, spanning various youth levels and culminating in a FIFA World Cup victory with the senior team.

2.2.1. Youth Career (U15, U16, U19, U21, Olympic)

Gilardino represented Italy at multiple youth levels, including the Italy U15 (10 appearances, 1 goal), U16 (2 appearances, 0 goals), and U19 (3 appearances, 0 goals) teams. He played a pivotal role in the Italy U21 national team, where he holds the record as the all-time top scorer with 19 goals in 30 appearances.

In 2004, he led Italy's Under-21 team to victory in the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, where he was named the best player of the tournament and also emerged as the leading goalscorer with four goals. Later that year, Gilardino also earned a bronze medal with the Italy Olympic team at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, scoring a decisive goal against Iraq in the third-place match. His performance at the Olympics, including a match against Japan, notably raised his profile in Asia.

2.2.2. Lippi's First Era and Donadoni Era (2004-2008)

After the 2004 Olympics, Gilardino was called up to the senior national team by coach Marcello Lippi. He made his senior debut on 4 September 2004, at the age of 22, in a 2-1 home victory against Norway in a World Cup qualifier. On 13 October, he scored his first international goal in a 4-3 World Cup qualifier win against Belarus in Parma. Lippi frequently featured Gilardino as a starter, often partnering him with Luca Toni.

Gilardino was an integral part of Italy's 23-man squad that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He played in Italy's first two group matches, scoring a diving header goal from an Andrea Pirlo free kick in the 1-1 draw against the United States. In the semi-final against hosts Germany, he came on as a substitute, famously hitting the post in extra time before providing a crucial assist for Alessandro Del Piero's goal, sealing Italy's 2-0 victory and a place in the final. Italy went on to defeat France 5-3 on penalties in the final after a 1-1 draw.

On 17 October 2007, Gilardino wore the captain's armband for the first time in his international career during Italy's 2-0 friendly win over South Africa, after Daniele De Rossi was substituted. However, due to his poor form with AC Milan in the 2007-08 season, which yielded only 7 goals in 30 appearances, Gilardino was not selected for UEFA Euro 2008 by coach Roberto Donadoni.

2.2.3. Lippi's Second Era and Prandelli Era (2008-2013)

Gilardino returned to the national team on 20 August 2008 following Marcello Lippi's reappointment as Italy's coach. He marked his return by scoring Italy's first goal in a 2-2 friendly draw against Austria. In June 2009, Lippi included Gilardino in the squad for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. Days before the tournament, Gilardino scored two goals in a friendly against New Zealand in Pretoria, showcasing an excellent performance. Despite this, Italy was eliminated in the first round after a loss to Brazil.

On 10 October 2009, Gilardino scored what he described as the most important goal of his career: an 89th-minute equalizer in a 2-2 away draw against Ireland, which secured Italy's qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup as group winners. Four days later, on 14 October 2009, he scored a hat-trick in the final 13 minutes of the game against Cyprus, turning a two-goal deficit into a 3-2 victory for Italy. Gilardino was part of Italy's 2010 FIFA World Cup squad, starting Italy's first group stage game against Paraguay, which ended in a 1-1 draw. However, the tournament proved disastrous for Italy, as they were eliminated in the group stage.

Under new coach Cesare Prandelli, Gilardino continued to feature for the national team. On 7 September 2010, he scored the first goal in Italy's 5-0 victory against the Faroe Islands in a Euro 2012 qualifier. On 29 March 2011, Gilardino captained Italy in a friendly match against Ukraine in Kyiv, marking the first time a Fiorentina player had held the Azzurri captaincy in 30 years since Giancarlo Antognoni.

Following his impressive form at Bologna, Gilardino was recalled to the national team alongside his teammate Alessandro Diamanti. On 7 October 2012, after an absence of over a year, he was called up for the 2014 World Cup qualifying matches against Armenia and Denmark. On 6 February 2013, in a friendly against the Netherlands, he came on as a substitute and provided an assist for Marco Verratti's equalizer. On 31 May 2013, Gilardino scored a goal in Italy's 4-0 victory against San Marino.

After his positive performance against San Marino, Prandelli included Gilardino in the squad for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil on 3 June 2013. He came on as a substitute for Mario Balotelli in the first group match against Mexico on 16 June. Due to Balotelli's injury, Gilardino played in all of Italy's subsequent matches, including the semi-final against Spain and the victorious third-place match against Uruguay, where Italy secured a bronze medal. On 6 September 2013, with Balotelli and Pablo Daniel Osvaldo suspended, Gilardino started in a 2014 World Cup qualifier against Bulgaria, scoring the first-half goal that sealed a 1-0 win for Italy. This goal allowed Gilardino to surpass Roberto Bettega on the all-time leading scorers' list for the Italy national team, and he became the first Genoa player to score a goal for the Azzurri since Riccardo Carapellese in 1956.

3. Playing Style

Alberto Gilardino was known for his versatile and effective playing style as a forward. He was a quick, agile, hard-working, and prolific striker with an excellent positional sense. His physical attributes, including his height, made him skilled in the air, both with his head and in acrobatic finishes. Gilardino primarily operated as a traditional striker, preferring to receive the ball in the penalty area, where he could leverage his impeccable timing, opportunism, and finishing abilities to convert chances from teammates' crosses.

Possessing good technique and a keen eye for goal, he was capable of taking first-time shots. Additionally, Gilardino was noted for his ability to use his strength and skill to protect the ball, particularly with his back to goal. This allowed him to provide depth for his team by holding up play and subsequently laying off the ball for teammates, thereby creating assists. While naturally right-footed, Gilardino notably improved his proficiency with his left foot during his early years at Parma, enhancing his overall attacking threat.

4. Managerial Career

Following his retirement as a player, Alberto Gilardino transitioned into football management, progressing through various roles in Italian lower leagues before taking the helm at Genoa.

5. Personal Life

Alberto Gilardino is married to Alice Bregoli. The couple became engaged on 31 March 2006 and married on 5 July 2009 at La Cervara Abbey in Santa Margherita Ligure, in the province of Genoa. They have three daughters: Ginevra, born on 2 March 2008; Gemma, born on 19 March 2011; and Giulia, born on 4 September 2012. Gilardino maintains a close friendship with his former Milan and Parma teammate, Daniele Bonera, and once dedicated a goal to Bonera's baby daughter.

A notable aspect of Gilardino's public persona was his trademark goal celebration, where he would get on his knees and "play an imaginary violin" at the touchline in front of the fans.

An interesting anecdote from his early life is that Gilardino was born on 5 July 1982, coincidentally the same day the Italy national team famously defeated Brazil in the 1982 FIFA World Cup, a match where Paolo Rossi scored a hat-trick. This shared birthdate with a pivotal moment in Italian football history led some to refer to Gilardino as being part of the "Divine Child Lineage." Beyond football, Gilardino has also been involved in fashion, serving as a brand character and design director for the Italian brand "ITALIANDANDY".

6. Honours and Orders

Alberto Gilardino has accumulated numerous team and individual honors throughout his playing and managerial career.

AC Milan

• UEFA Champions League: 2006-07
• UEFA Super Cup: 2007
• FIFA Club World Cup: 2007

Guangzhou Evergrande

• Chinese Super League: 2014

Italy

• FIFA World Cup: 2006
• UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2004
• Olympic Bronze Medal: 2004
• FIFA Confederations Cup: Third place 2013

Individual

• Serie A Footballer of the Year: 2005
• Serie A Italian Footballer of the Year: 2005
• Serie A Young Footballer of the Year: 2004
• UEFA European Under-21 Championship Golden Player: 2004
• UEFA European Under-21 Championship Top Scorer: 2004

Orders

• Knight: Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 2004
• Officer: Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 2006
• CONI: Golden Collar of Sports Merit: 2006

7. Career Statistics