Andrea Barzagli facts for kids

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Andrea Barzagli

Barzagli playing for Italy in 2012
Personal information
Date of birth	(1981-05-08) 8 May 1981 (age 44)
Place of birth	Fiesole, Italy
Height	1.87 m
Playing position	Centre-back
Club information
Current club	FIGC (coaching staff)
Youth career
	Rondinella
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1998–2000	Rondinella	51	(3)
2000	Pistoiese	5	(0)
2001	Rondinella	13	(1)
2001–2003	Piacenza	0	(0)
2001–2003	→ Ascoli (loan)	46	(3)
2003–2004	Chievo	29	(3)
2004–2008	Palermo	142	(3)
2008–2011	VfL Wolfsburg	75	(1)
2011–2019	Juventus	206	(2)
Total		567	(16)
National team
2003–2004	Italy U21	15	(0)
2004–2017	Italy	73	(0)
Teams managed
2019–2020	Juventus (coaching staff)
2021–	FIGC (coaching staff)
Honours Men's football Representing  Italy FIFA World Cup Winner 2006 Germany UEFA European Championship Runner-up 2012 Poland–Ukraine FIFA Confederations Cup Third 2013 Brazil Summer Olympics Bronze 2004 Athens UEFA European Under-21 Championship Winner 2004 Germany
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Andrea Barzagli (born 8 May 1981) is a former Italian professional footballer. He played as a centre-back, which is a key defensive position. He was chosen for the Serie A Team of the Year four times.

Barzagli started his career with smaller Italian clubs. He became well-known while playing for Palermo. In 2008, he moved to the German team VfL Wolfsburg. There, he helped them win a Bundesliga title in 2009. In 2011, he returned to Italy to join Juventus. With Juventus, he won eight Serie A titles in a row from 2012 to 2019. He also won four Coppa Italia titles. He played in two UEFA Champions League finals with Juventus.

For the Italy national football team, he played 73 times between 2004 and 2017. He won a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games. He was part of the team that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He also helped Italy reach the UEFA Euro 2012 final.

Club Career

Barzagli in 2007

Early Career in Italy

Andrea Barzagli began his professional football journey in 1998. He played for Rondinella, a semi-professional team. In 2000, he moved to Serie B side Pistoiese. He started as a midfielder but later became a defender.

A year later, he rejoined Rondinella. Then, he signed with Ascoli in 2001. He helped Ascoli get promoted to Serie B. In 2003, he made his Serie A debut with Chievo. This was in a 1–1 draw against Brescia.

On 20 July 2004, Barzagli joined Palermo. He helped Palermo qualify for the UEFA Cup. He became the team's captain in 2007.

Playing for Wolfsburg

In 2008, Barzagli moved to VfL Wolfsburg in Germany. He joined the Bundesliga team, surprising many. He was given the number 43 jersey. Barzagli played every minute of the 2008–09 Bundesliga season. Wolfsburg won the championship that year.

He later said his coach, Felix Magath, helped him improve. Magath taught him to be mentally stronger. On 15 September 2009, he played his first Champions League game. Wolfsburg won 3–1 against CSKA Moscow. He scored his first goal for Wolfsburg on 4 April 2010. He played 17 league games in his third season. Then, he moved back to Italy in January.

Joining Juventus

Winning Titles with Juventus (2011–2014)

Barzagli playing for Juventus in 2012

On 26 January 2011, Barzagli joined Juventus. He signed a contract to stay until 2013. He made his debut for Juventus on 2 February 2011. This was against his old team, Palermo. Juventus finished seventh in Serie A that season.

When Antonio Conte became coach, Barzagli became very important. He was a key part of Juventus's defence. Juventus had the best defence in Italy and Europe in the 2011–12 season. They only let in 20 goals. Barzagli scored his first goal for Juventus on 13 May 2012. It was a penalty against Atalanta.

He helped Juventus win the Serie A title without losing a game. They also won the Supercoppa Italiana. He was named in the Serie A Team of the Year. After this, he signed a new contract until 2015.

In the 2012–13 season, Barzagli played 45 games. This was his highest number of games in a season. He often played with Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini. Their defence was called the BBC. They became one of the best defences in the world. Juventus won their second Serie A title in a row.

In the 2013–14 season, Barzagli continued to play well. Juventus won the 2013 Supercoppa Italiana and their third Serie A title. They set a record with 102 points. Juventus again had the best defence in the league.

More Success and Retirement (2014–2019)

After the 2014 World Cup, Barzagli had an injury. He missed the first half of the 2014–15 season. He returned to play on 9 March 2015. This was in a 1–0 win against Sassuolo.

On 2 May 2015, Juventus won the Serie A title for the fourth time in a row. Barzagli helped them keep a clean sheet. On 20 May, he played in the 2015 Coppa Italia final. Juventus beat Lazio 2–1 and won the Coppa Italia. On 6 June, Barzagli started in the 2015 UEFA Champions League final. Juventus lost 3–1 to Barcelona.

On 25 July, Barzagli got another injury. But he recovered in time for the 2015 Supercoppa Italiana. Juventus won 2–0 against Lazio. In the 2015–16 season, Barzagli played as a right-back sometimes. He even got an assist in a Champions League game. He won the Juventus Player of the Month award for October.

On 6 March 2016, Barzagli scored his second goal for Juventus. It was against Atalanta. On 8 May, he played his 150th Serie A game for Juventus. He helped Juventus win their fifth Serie A title in a row. On 11 May, he extended his contract until 2018.

On 6 November 2016, Barzagli dislocated his shoulder. He was out for about two months. He returned on 17 December in a win against Roma. On 3 June 2017, Barzagli played in his second Champions League final. Juventus lost 4–1 to Real Madrid.

On 29 June 2018, Barzagli extended his contract for one more season. On 26 September, he played his 200th Serie A game for Juventus. He was the captain in a 2–0 win against Bologna. On 13 April 2019, Barzagli announced he would retire. His last game was on 19 May, a 1–1 draw against Atalanta. He received a standing ovation from the fans.

International Career

Playing for Italy's Youth Teams

Barzagli was part of the Italian under-21 team. They won the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He also played at the Summer Olympics in Athens in 2004. There, he won a bronze medal.

Winning the World Cup in 2006

On 17 November 2004, Barzagli played his first game for the Italy national football team. It was a 1–0 win against Finland. He was chosen for the 2006 FIFA World Cup squad. He came on as a substitute against Australia. He also started in the 3–0 win against Ukraine. Italy went on to win the World Cup final against France.

Euro 2008 and a Short Break

Barzagli was an important defender for Italy under coach Roberto Donadoni. He played in six Euro 2008 qualifying matches. He was selected for Italy's UEFA Euro 2008 squad. He played against the Netherlands, but Italy lost 3–0. Barzagli got injured later in the tournament. Italy was knocked out by Spain.

After this, Barzagli played for Italy only once in three years. He was not chosen for the 2009 Confederations Cup or the 2010 World Cup.

Returning to the National Team

On 2 October 2011, Barzagli was called back to the national team. This was after three years away. Coach Cesare Prandelli called him because of his good performances for Juventus. On 11 October, he started in a Euro 2012 qualifier against Serbia.

On 13 May 2012, Barzagli was chosen for Italy's Euro 2012 squad. On 1 June 2012, he was captain for the first time in a friendly game. He got injured before Euro 2012, but stayed in the squad. On 18 June 2012, he played against Ireland. Italy won 2–0 and moved to the next round.

Barzagli played well in the quarter-final against England. Italy won on penalties. He also helped Italy win 2–1 against Germany in the semi-final. Italy lost to Spain in the final. This result qualified them for the 2013 Confederations Cup.

On 16 May 2013, Barzagli was named in Italy's squad for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup. He played in three of Italy's five games. Italy finished third in the tournament. Barzagli continued to play for Italy in the 2014 World Cup Qualifying campaign. Italy qualified without losing. He played in all three of Italy's group matches at the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Italy was knocked out in the first round.

Euro 2016 and Retirement from Italy

Barzagli played for Italy in their successful UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. In October 2015, he said he would retire from international football after Euro 2016. On 31 May 2016, he was officially named in Italy's squad. Barzagli started every game. Italy reached the quarter-finals but lost to Germany on penalties. Barzagli scored his penalty in the shootout.

After the tournament, new coach Gian Piero Ventura asked Barzagli to stay. Barzagli agreed to consider it. On 27 August, he was called up again for a friendly against France. He returned to international football in Italy's 3–1 loss to France.

Italy did not qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. They lost to Sweden in a play-off in November 2017. Immediately after the last game, Barzagli announced his retirement from the national team. This was his 73rd and final international game.

After Football

After retiring as a player, Barzagli joined Juventus's coaching staff in 2019. He worked with the defensive players. In May 2020, he left this role for personal reasons. On 2 August 2021, he joined the Italian Football Federation. He now helps coaches with the men’s national youth teams up to age Under-20.

How He Played

Andrea Barzagli is seen as one of the best defenders of his time. He was known for his strong physical build as a centre-back. He was good at anticipating plays, staying focused, and being in the right position. With Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini at Juventus, they formed a famous defensive trio called the BBC. Many people think they were one of the best defences ever.

Barzagli became a top player a bit later in his career. He was known for his marking, smart play, and winning balls in the air. He was also good at tackling and reading the game. He was calm, tactically aware, and consistent. His technique and ability to pass the ball made him a complete defender. Even though he wasn't the fastest over short distances, he had good pace overall. He could also play as a full-back on the right side.

Because of his great defending at Juventus, fans called him "The Wall" and "La Roccia" (the rock). He was also known for his hard work, discipline, and dedication.

Personal Life

Andrea Barzagli married his wife Maddalena in July 2013. They have a son named Mattia and a daughter named Camilla.

Career Statistics

Club

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year

Honours

Rondinella

• Serie D: 1998–99

Ascoli

• Serie C1: 2001–02
• Supercoppa di Lega di Prima Divisione: 2001–02

Wolfsburg

• Bundesliga: 2008–09

Juventus

• Serie A: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2012, 2013, 2015, 2018
• Coppa Italia: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
• UEFA Champions League Runner-up: 2014–15, 2016–17

Italy

• FIFA World Cup: 2006
• UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2012
• FIFA Confederations Cup third place: 2013
• Summer Olympics Bronze Medal: 2004
• UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2004

Individual

• Serie A Team of the Year: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16
• UEFA Champions League Team of the Group Stage: 2015
• Premio Nazionale Carriera Esemplare "Gaetano Scirea": 2017

Orders

• 
  5th Class / Knight: Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 2004

• 
  4th Class / Officer: Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 2006

• 
  CONI: Golden Collar of Sports Merit: 2006

See also

In Spanish: Andrea Barzagli para niños