Christian Maggio

3.1. Vicenza

Maggio commenced his professional career at his hometown club, Vicenza Calcio. He made his Serie A debut during the 2000-01 season, appearing in six matches. Despite his personal breakthrough, Vicenza was subsequently relegated to Serie B at the end of that season. Maggio remained with the club until 2003, making a total of 38 appearances and scoring one goal. In June 2002, half of his registration rights were sold to Parma for 4 billion lire, which amounted to 2.07 M EUR (for an undisclosed cash plus Paolo Guastalvino). The co-ownership deal was renewed in June 2003.

3.2. Fiorentina

In 2003, Maggio signed with ACF Fiorentina from Parma. Fiorentina then acquired the remaining half of his registration rights from Vicenza in June 2004. Maggio played regularly for Fiorentina during the 2003-04 season, making 40 appearances and scoring one goal, contributing significantly to their promotion from Serie B to Serie A. However, his playing time decreased after promotion due to injuries and increased competition. In the 2004-05 season, he played 13 times, while in the 2005-06 Serie A season, he appeared only 3 times. To gain more playing time, he was loaned to Treviso in January 2006, where he made 11 appearances, though the club was relegated that season. Overall, Maggio played 56 games for The Viola (Fiorentina's nickname), scoring 2 goals over a four-year period, including one and a half seasons spent on loan. In the 2006-07 season, he was loaned to Sampdoria for 150.00 K EUR, and at the end of the loan, Sampdoria signed him in another co-ownership deal for 1.50 M EUR.

3.3. Sampdoria

It was during his time at U.C. Sampdoria that Maggio truly began to demonstrate the potential he had shown earlier in his youth career with the Italy national team. His performances during the 2007-08 season were particularly impressive, as he scored nine goals in twenty-nine appearances. At the conclusion of this season, Sampdoria acquired the remaining half of his ownership rights for 1.95 M EUR. He was immediately re-sold to Napoli for 8.00 M EUR.

3.4. Napoli

Christian Maggio's most significant and successful period came during his decade-long tenure at S.S.C. Napoli. He consistently performed at a high level during his time with the club.

On October 18, 2009, Maggio scored a 90th-minute goal, securing a 2-1 comeback victory over Bologna, after Fabio Quagliarella had scored a late equalizer. He continued his strong form by scoring the only goal of the game on October 25, helping Napoli defeat Fiorentina at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. On January 24, 2010, Maggio scored a spectacular volley against Livorno. He positioned himself near the corner of the penalty area as a long cross-field pass came towards him; with immense power, he volleyed it first time, sending the ball swerving over the goalkeeper and into the top corner. On December 6, 2010, Maggio scored another crucial last-gasp goal, securing all three points for Napoli in a 1-0 victory over Palermo.

During this period, under manager Walter Mazzarri, Maggio primarily operated as a right midfielder or right winger in Napoli's 3-4-2-1 formation. Although he had played as a right-back for most of his career, his performances significantly improved in this new, more attacking role due to his strong offensive skills.

In the 2011-12 season, Maggio's attacking prowess continued to grow, as he netted three goals and provided five assists in 33 league games for Napoli. He assisted two of his team's goals in an exciting 3-3 draw with Juventus on November 29, 2011. However, during the second leg of Napoli's Round of 16 tie against eventual winners Chelsea, Maggio suffered an injury and was forced off the field in the 37th minute. Napoli ultimately lost 5-4 on aggregate after extra time, and Maggio subsequently missed the next seven games. Despite this setback, he was instrumental in helping his team win the 2011-12 Coppa Italia against Juventus, marking Napoli's first trophy since 1990, a period associated with Maradona. His exceptional performances that season earned him a spot in the 2011-12 Serie A Team of the Season, his first individual honour of this kind.

Maggio departed Napoli in May 2018, having spent a decade at the club. During his time there, he accumulated over 300 appearances, becoming the player with the sixth-highest number of appearances for Napoli.

3.5. Benevento

On July 6, 2018, Maggio signed with Serie B club Benevento. He quickly became the team captain, demonstrating his leadership on and off the field. On September 21, 2018, he scored in a 4-0 victory against Salernitana. In the 2019-2020 season, he played a key role in Benevento's promotion to Serie A. On October 29, 2019, he scored his first goal in the Coppa Italia in over ten years during a 2-4 home defeat against Empoli. In the 2020-21 season, he made 8 appearances for Benevento in Serie A before leaving the team in January 2021.

3.6. Lecce

On February 1, 2021, Christian Maggio joined Lecce. He played for the club during the latter half of the 2020-21 Serie B season.

3.7. Return to Vicenza and Retirement

On February 21, 2022, Maggio made a sentimental return to his former club, Vicenza, signing a contract until the end of the season. During this brief stint, he notably scored a crucial goal against Cosenza in a play-out match, securing a 1-0 victory. This marked a significant moment in his career, bringing him full circle to the club where he began. Following the conclusion of the season, Maggio officially retired from professional football.

4.1. Early Call-ups and Debut

After narrowly missing out on a potential call-up for UEFA Euro 2008 under manager Roberto Donadoni, Maggio finally received his first international call-up from Marcello Lippi in October 2008 for Italy's 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches. He made his debut for the Italy national team on November 19, 2008, at the age of 26, in a 1-1 friendly draw against Greece, coming on as a substitute for Mauro Camoranesi in the 61st minute. His first start for the national team occurred on November 18, 2009, in a friendly match against Sweden held in Cesena.

4.2. Major Tournaments

Maggio was selected for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Although he was initially called up as the back-up for Gianluca Zambrotta, he appeared in Italy's third group stage match on June 24, a 3-2 loss to Slovakia, coming on for Domenico Criscito at half-time. Italy's defeat led to their elimination in the first round of the tournament.

After a brief exclusion from the national side, he was recalled by new head coach Cesare Prandelli on February 6, 2011, for a friendly match against Germany in Dortmund. Maggio subsequently became a regular in the right-back position under Prandelli, leading to his inclusion in the 23-man Italy squad for UEFA Euro 2012. Maggio played in Italy's first two group games at the Euros, a 1-1 draw with holders Spain and another 1-1 draw with Croatia, operating as a wing-back on the right in a 3-5-2 formation. He also came on as a substitute in Italy's 4-2 penalty shootout victory over England in the quarterfinals, following a 0-0 draw after extra-time, playing as a right-back in a 4-3-1-2 after replacing Ignazio Abate in the 90th minute. However, he received his second booking of the tournament during this match, which ruled him out of the semi-final fixture against Germany. Italy ultimately reached the final, where they were runners-up.

Maggio was also named to the 23-man Italy squad that participated in the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. He made his tournament debut in Italy's second group match, a thrilling 4-3 win over Japan. In the final group match, a 4-2 defeat to hosts and eventual champions Brazil, Maggio came on as a substitute and hit the cross-bar with a header. He started in the semi-final against Spain, helping the team keep a clean sheet, though Spain advanced to the final with a 7-6 penalty shootout victory after a 0-0 deadlock. Maggio once again started in the third-place match against Uruguay, where he helped the Italians secure the bronze medal after a 5-4 victory in the penalty shoot-out following a 2-2 draw.

4.3. International Retirement

Christian Maggio was initially included in Prandelli's provisional 30-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. However, he was one of seven players ultimately cut from the final squad, largely due to having missed much of the preceding season with an injury. On March 18, 2015, at the age of 33, he announced his retirement from the Italy national team. In total, he earned 34 caps for Italy.

6.1. Club Statistics

6.2. International Statistics

7.1. Club Honours

Napoli

• Coppa Italia: 2011-12, 2013-14
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2014

7.2. International Honours

Italy

• UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2012
• FIFA Confederations Cup third place: 2013

7.3. Individual Honours

• Oscar del Calcio - Serie A Team of the Year: 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13