1. Overview
Andrea Mantovani (born 22 June 1984) is an Italian former footballer who primarily played as a defender, capable of performing as a centre-back or a left-back. Born in Turin, Mantovani embarked on his professional career with local club Torino, progressing through their youth ranks before making his senior debut. His career spanned several Italian clubs, including Triestina, Chievo Verona, Palermo, Bologna, Perugia, Vicenza, and Novara. He also represented Italy at various youth international levels, notably winning the 2003 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship.
2. Early Career and Background
Andrea Mantovani was born on 22 June 1984 in Turin, Italy. He began his football journey in the youth system of his hometown club, Torino Calcio. Standing at 73 in (185 cm) and weighing 170 lb (77 kg), he was primarily left-footed. During the 2000-01 season, he was a member of Torino's Allievi Nazionali Under-17 team, showcasing his early potential. Mantovani's professional debut for Torino's first team came on 19 January 2003, in a Serie A match against Como, which ended in a 0-0 draw. He entered the game at half-time, replacing Gianluca Comotto.
3. Club Career
Mantovani's club career saw him play for a number of Italian teams, experiencing both promotions and relegations, and contributing across different divisions, including Serie A and Serie B.
3.1. Torino FC
After making his debut, Mantovani continued with Torino. Following the club's relegation in 2003, he was loaned out to Serie B side Triestina. Upon his return to Turin for the 2004-05 season, Mantovani established himself as a regular starter for Torino, being assigned the number 4 shirt. That season, Torino won the promotion playoffs, but the club subsequently faced bankruptcy. The FIGC allowed a new successor team to be admitted into the 2005-06 Serie B season, but this also meant that players were permitted to leave the club on a free transfer. During his time at Torino, Mantovani made 40 appearances and scored 1 goal.
3.2. Triestina (loan)
Mantovani's loan spell at Triestina during the 2003-04 season provided him with significant playing time in Serie B. He made 39 appearances for the club, scoring 2 goals during this period.
3.3. Chievo Verona
In August 2005, Mantovani was signed by Serie A club Chievo. Shortly after, on 30 August, he was sold to Torino's rival, Juventus, in a co-ownership deal for a nominal fee of 1.00 K EUR. He was immediately loaned back to Chievo, where he played 4 league matches.
Due in part to the 2006 Italian football scandal, Juventus terminated all ongoing co-ownership deals in June 2006, and Mantovani was subsequently sold back to Chievo for approximately 301.00 K EUR. In the 2006-07 season, he participated in 3 of Chievo's 4 European matches, as the club exited both the UEFA Champions League in the 3rd qualifying round and the UEFA Cup in the first round. Mantovani made 15 league starts that season, but Chievo, which had finished 7th (or 4th post-trail) in 2005-06, dropped to 18th place and was relegated to Serie B.
In Serie B, Mantovani became an undisputed starter, featuring in 36 out of 42 matches. He missed two games (round 16 and round 22) due to suspension, played one match as a substitute, and was rested in the final round (round 42). In June 2008, he signed a new four-year contract with Chievo. After the team's return to Serie A, he continued to be a regular player, helping the club secure its top-flight status. In the 2009-10 season, Mantovani was versatile, playing as a left-back or as one of the three central defenders in a 3-5-2 formation, contributing to Chievo's continued presence in Serie A. He often played ahead of Bojan Jokić at left-back or partnered with Jokić on the left flank, with Jokić as a wing-back and Mantovani as the left central defender. Overall, Mantovani made 157 appearances for Chievo, scoring 9 goals.
3.4. Palermo
On 6 July 2011, after weeks of speculation, Mantovani finalized a four-year deal with Palermo, with a transfer fee of 3.50 M EUR. This move reunited him with his former Chievo head coach, Stefano Pioli, in Sicily. Mantovani made his debut for the rosanero on 28 July 2011, in a Europa League match against Thun. He remained with Palermo until September 2014. For Palermo, he played in 30 matches and scored 2 goals.
3.5. Bologna (loan)
During the 2013-14 season, Mantovani was loaned from Palermo to Bologna. He made 21 appearances for Bologna during this loan spell, but did not score any goals. Following his return from loan, he was released by Palermo on mutual consent on 11 September 2014.
3.6. Perugia
After his release from Palermo, Mantovani remained without a club for a period before signing with Perugia on 1 February 2015. He had a brief stint with the club, making 9 appearances without scoring.
3.7. Vicenza
On 27 July 2015, Mantovani signed a two-year contract with Vicenza. During his first period with the club, he played in 17 matches.
3.8. Novara
Mantovani transferred to Novara on 30 January 2016, as part of a deal that saw Francesco Signori move in the opposite direction to Vicenza. He spent two seasons with Novara, contributing in 61 appearances.
3.9. Vicenza (return)
On 27 July 2018, Mantovani returned to Vicenza for a second spell, signing a one-year contract. This marked the final stage of his professional playing career. In his second stint, he played 21 matches and scored 1 goal.
4. International Career
Andrea Mantovani was a prominent figure in Italy's youth national teams, representing his country across various age groups.
He played for the Italy U-16 team in 2000, making 12 appearances and scoring 1 goal. From 2000 to 2001, he was part of the Italy U-17 squad, playing 14 matches. He also featured for the Italy U-18 team between 2001 and 2002, with 7 appearances.
Mantovani was a key player for the Italy U-19 team from 2001 to 2003, making 16 appearances. He was a member of the squad that won the prestigious 2003 European Under-19 Championship.
In 2003, he made 3 appearances for the Italy U-20 team. He also participated in the Under-20 Four Nations Tournament in 2006, which Italy won.
His international youth career concluded with his time in the Italy U-21 team from 2004 to 2007, where he played 16 matches. He featured in both the 2006 and 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship tournaments.
5. Honours
Andrea Mantovani achieved several notable titles and achievements during his club and international career.
5.1. Club
; Chievo
- Serie B: 2007-08
; Torino
- Serie B Runner-up: 2004-05
5.2. International
; Italy U-19
- European Under-19 Championship: 2003
; Italy U-20
- Under-20 Four Nations Tournament: 2006
6. Statistics
Andrea Mantovani's career statistics across his various club spells and youth international appearances are summarized below.
| Club | Years | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Torino | 2001-2005 | 40 | 1 |
| → Triestina (loan) | 2003-2004 | 39 | 2 |
| Chievo Verona | 2005-2011 | 157 | 9 |
| Palermo | 2011-2014 | 30 | 2 |
| → Bologna (loan) | 2013-2014 | 21 | 0 |
| Perugia | 2015 | 9 | 0 |
| Vicenza | 2015-2016 | 17 | 0 |
| Novara | 2016-2018 | 61 | 0 |
| Vicenza | 2018-2019 | 21 | 1 |
| Total Club Career | 395 | 15 |
Mantovani also had a significant international youth career:
- Italy U-16: 12 appearances, 1 goal (2000)
- Italy U-17: 14 appearances, 0 goals (2000-2001)
- Italy U-18: 7 appearances, 0 goals (2001-2002)
- Italy U-19: 16 appearances, 0 goals (2001-2003)
- Italy U-20: 3 appearances, 0 goals (2003)
- Italy U-21: 16 appearances, 0 goals (2004-2007)