Alessio Tacchinardi facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Alessio Tacchinardi

Tacchinardi with Juventus in 2003
Personal information
Date of birth	(1975-07-23) 23 July 1975 (age 50)
Place of birth	Crema, Italy
Height	1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Midfielder
Youth career
	Atalanta
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1992–1994	Atalanta	8	(0)
1994–2007	Juventus	261	(9)
2005–2007	→ Villarreal (loan)	45	(3)
2007–2008	Brescia	34	(9)
Total		348	(21)
International career
1995–2003	Italy	13	(0)
Managerial career
2009–2012	Pergolettese (youth)
2012–2013	Brescia (youth)
2013	Pergolettese
2015–2016	Pergolettese
2018	Lecco
2019	Crema
2021	Fano
2022	Lecco
Medal record Association football Representing  Italy European Under-21 Championship Winner 1996 Spain
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Alessio Tacchinardi (born on July 23, 1975) is a famous Italian football manager and former player. He played as a defensive midfielder, which means he helped protect his team's goal. His last job as a coach was with the team Lecco.

Alessio started his football journey with Atalanta. In 1994, he joined Juventus, where he spent most of his career. He won an amazing 17 trophies with Juventus! Because of his great success, his name is even written inside the Juventus Stadium, the club's home ground. After playing for Juventus, he spent two years on loan with the Spanish team Villarreal. Then, he moved to Brescia in 2007, where he played for one season before retiring. Alessio also played for the Italian national team 13 times between 1995 and 2003.

Playing Career Highlights

Starting with Atalanta

Alessio Tacchinardi began his professional football career in 1992. He played for Atalanta, a team based in Bergamo, Italy. He spent two full seasons with them. During this time, he played in 9 league games, including his very first game in Italy's top league, Serie A. His strong performances caught the attention of Juventus, a much bigger club. In July 1994, he moved to Juventus.

Life at Juventus

Tacchinardi joined Juventus in 1994. In his first season, he played in 25 league games. He also played in the Coppa Italia (Italy's main cup competition) and the European Cup (now known as the UEFA Champions League).

During his many years at Juventus, Alessio played alongside many famous midfielders. These included players like Antonio Conte, Zinedine Zidane, and Pavel Nedvěd. He was known for his hard work, strong will, and wide range of skills on the field.

In the 2002–03 season, Juventus won the league title. Tacchinardi scored two goals in 27 games that season. He also scored two goals in 13 UEFA Champions League games. Juventus reached the Champions League final that year but lost to Milan in a penalty shootout.

Alessio Tacchinardi played in three Champions League finals without winning them. This is a record he shares with other Juventus teammates. However, he did win a Champions League medal earlier in the 1995–96 season.

He spent almost 14 years with Juventus. During this time, he played in 261 league games and scored 9 goals for the team, known as the Bianconeri.

Playing for Villarreal on Loan

In July 2005, Tacchinardi went to Villarreal CF in Spain. He joined them on a one-year loan from Juventus. This happened after Fabio Capello became the new manager at Juventus. Alessio quickly became a key player for Villarreal. He helped the team reach the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

He returned to Juventus in June 2006. But because of some issues at Juventus (known as Calciopoli), he extended his loan with Villarreal for another year. His loan ended after the 2006–07 season. He played over 50 official matches for Villarreal and scored 3 goals. He came back to Juventus in the summer of 2007. It was thought he would stay, but his contract was ended by agreement in August 2007. This was due to some disagreements with the club's new leaders.

Time with Brescia

On August 9, 2007, Tacchinardi signed a two-year deal with Brescia Calcio. He was a very important player for this Serie B club. He played in almost all their league games, missing only 8. He also scored 11 goals. After the 2007–08 Serie B season ended, Tacchinardi did not renew his contract with Brescia Calcio and decided to retire from playing football.

International Football Career

Alessio Tacchinardi also played for his country, Italy. He made his first appearance for the senior Italy national football team on September 6, 1995. This was in a 1–0 win against Slovenia. He was also part of the Italy under-21 team that won the 1996 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

Tacchinardi played 13 official games for Italy. His last game was on September 10, 2003, in a 1–1 draw against Serbia and Montenegro. He was not a regular player for the Squadra Azzurra (the Italian national team). He never played in the final stages of a major tournament. This was sometimes due to injuries. It was also because Italy had many other talented midfielders at that time. Many believe he would have played more for the national team if not for his injuries.

Coaching Career

After he stopped playing, Tacchinardi started a new career as a coach. His first coaching job was with the youth team of Pergocrema. Later, he coached the youth team at Brescia.

In 2013, he became the head coach of Pergolettese in the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione league. However, he resigned soon after. He returned to Pergolettese in 2015, when they were in Serie D.

He then took on more coaching roles in Serie D. In 2018, he coached Lecco, and in 2019, he coached Crema. These roles had limited success.

On March 22, 2021, Tacchinardi was named the new head coach of Serie C club Fano. He left the club at the end of the 2020–21 season because Fano was moved down to Serie D.

On June 20, 2022, Tacchinardi agreed to coach Lecco again in the Serie C league. However, he was dismissed on September 17, 2022. This was after he had only been in charge for three league games.

How Alessio Tacchinardi Played

Tacchinardi mainly played as a central or defensive midfielder. This means he played in the middle of the field, helping both defense and attack. He could also play as a right-sided winger or wing-back.

He was known for his powerful and accurate long-range shots. He also scored many goals from volleys (hitting the ball before it bounces). Alessio was a hard-working and determined player with many skills. He was especially good at knowing where to be on the field. He was also great at tackling, which helped his team both when attacking and defending. Sometimes, he even played as a centre-back (a central defender).

Besides these skills, he had good technique and could see the whole field well. He could make long passes to start attacks quickly after winning the ball back. This also allowed him to act as a deep-lying playmaker for his team, directing the game from deep in midfield.

Personal Life

Alessio Tacchinardi has an older brother named Massimiliano Tacchinardi. Massimiliano also played professional football for a short time as a defender.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances and Goals

Trophies and Awards

Juventus

• Serie A (Italian League Title): 1994–95, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2002–03
• Coppa Italia (Italian Cup): 1994–95; also a runner-up in 2001–02 and 2003–04
• Supercoppa Italiana (Italian Super Cup): 1995, 1997, 2002, 2003; also a runner-up in 1998 and 2005
• UEFA Champions League: 1995–96 (Winner); also a runner-up in 1996–97, 1997–98, and 2002–03
• UEFA Super Cup: 1996
• Intercontinental Cup: 1996
• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 1999
• UEFA Cup runner-up: 1994–95

See also

In Spanish: Alessio Tacchinardi para niños