Alessandro Birindelli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Alessandro Birindelli

Birindelli training with Juventus in 2006
Personal information
Date of birth	(1974-11-12) 12 November 1974 (age 50)
Place of birth	Pisa, Italy
Height	1.76 m
Playing position	Full-back
Youth career
	San Frediano
	Empoli
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1992–1997	Empoli	118	(1)
1997–2008	Juventus	196	(2)
2008–2009	Pisa	37	(0)
2009–2010	Valle Giovenco	27	(0)
Total		378	(3)
National team
1991	Italy U17	0	(0)
1997	Italy U23	3	(0)
2002–2004	Italy	6	(0)
Teams managed
2010–2011	Zambia (assistant)
2011	Pistoiese
2012	Dinamo București (assistant)
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Alessandro Birindelli (born 12 November 1974) is a retired Italian footballer. He played as a full-back or a wide midfielder. He was good at playing on both the left and right sides of the field. Birindelli is most famous for playing 11 years with Juventus. During this time, he won many awards and played almost 300 official games.

Club Career

Starting Out

Alessandro Birindelli was born in Pisa, Italy. He started playing football at age eight for a local team called San Frediano.

He was a big fan of Juventus FC and admired famous players like Michel Platini. He also looked up to Paolo Maldini for his professional attitude. Birindelli joined the youth team of Empoli FC. He began his career as a right winger before becoming a defender.

In 1996, his team, Empoli, won the Coppa Italia Serie C cup. They also finished second in their league, which helped them move up to Serie B. The next year, Empoli moved up again, this time to Serie A, which is Italy's top football league.

Playing for Juventus

After playing almost 150 games for Empoli, Birindelli joined Juventus in 1997. The team was managed by Marcello Lippi. Juventus already had strong players like Alessandro Del Piero and Zinedine Zidane. Birindelli joined at the same time as Edgar Davids and Filippo Inzaghi.

He played his first league game for Juventus on August 31, winning 2–0 against US Lecce. His very first game for the club was in the Supercoppa Italiana, where Juventus beat Vicenza Calcio.

In his first season (1997–98), Birindelli helped Juventus win the Scudetto (the Italian league title). They finished five points ahead of Inter Milan. He was a substitute when Juventus lost the UEFA Champions League final to Real Madrid.

Birindelli won two more league titles with Juventus in 2002 and 2003. He also won two Italian Supercups. He played in two Coppa Italia finals, but his team lost both. He was also part of the team that lost another Champions League final in 2003. This time, they lost to AC Milan in a penalty shootout. It was the first time two Italian teams played in the Champions League final. Birindelli scored his penalty, but Juventus still lost 3–2.

In 2005, Birindelli hurt his ankle during a friendly game. This meant he missed the entire 2005–06 season. Due to some big problems that happened in Italian football, Juventus had their 2005 and 2006 titles taken away. They were also moved down to Serie B, a lower league.

Birindelli stayed with Juventus. In the 2006–07 season, Juventus started with a 30-point penalty. This was later reduced to nine points. Juventus won the Serie B title and moved back up to Serie A. Birindelli played in 37 league games that season and became the team's vice-captain.

For the 2007–08 season, Claudio Ranieri became the new coach. Birindelli played only seven league games that year. On May 17, 2008, he left Juventus after 11 years. He said he wanted to keep playing football for a few more years.

Later Career

On July 22, 2008, Birindelli joined Pisa Calcio. This gave him the chance to play for his hometown team. However, the team was moved down from Serie B at the end of the season. They later faced financial difficulties and were removed from Italian football.

In August 2009, Birindelli signed a two-year contract with a smaller team called AS Pescina Valle del Giovenco. In June 2010, he became a free agent because that club also faced financial problems and was removed from football.

On September 19, 2011, Birindelli became the head coach for US Pistoiese 1921 in Serie D. He left this coaching job the next month.

International Career

Birindelli played for Italy's under-17 team in the 1991 FIFA World Championship. He did not start in any of the three games. His first start for a national team was with the under-23 squad in the 1997 Mediterranean Games. Italy won the gold medal in this tournament. Birindelli played in three of the four matches, including the final against Turkey.

Birindelli made his debut for the senior Italian team on November 20, 2002. It was a 1–1 friendly game against Turkey. He played five more games for Italy over almost two years. His last game was a 0–2 loss to Iceland. He was not chosen to play in UEFA Euro 2004.

In July 2010, Birindelli stopped playing football professionally. He immediately became an assistant coach for the Zambia national team. He left this role in February 2011.

How He Played

Birindelli was a hard-working and versatile player. He could play as a full-back or a wide midfielder on either side of the field. He often played on the right side. He was known for his speed, energy, and how consistent he was. He was also known for his good sportsmanship. These qualities helped him cover the side of the field very well.

Personal Life

Birindelli married his childhood sweetheart, Silvia. They have two children, Samuele and Matteo. His son, Samuele Birindelli, also became a professional footballer. He made his debut as a defender for Pisa in December 2016.

Honours

Club

Empoli

• Coppa Italia Lega Pro: 1995–96

Juventus

• Serie A: 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03
• Supercoppa Italiana: 1997, 2002, 2003; Runner-up 1998, 2005
• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999
• Serie B: 2006–07
• Coppa Italia: Runner-up 2001–02, 2003–04
• UEFA Champions League: Runner-up 1997–98, 2002–03

International

Italy U23

• Mediterranean Games: 1997

See also

In Spanish: Alessandro Birindelli para niños