Cristian Zaccardo facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cristian Zaccardo | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 21 December 1981 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Formigine, Italy | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender, Midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1991–2000 | Bologna | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2004 | Bologna | 79 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2001 | → Spezia (loan) | 28 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2008 | Palermo | 142 | (8) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2008–2009 | VfL Wolfsburg | 15 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2013 | Parma | 118 | (10) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | AC Milan | 15 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | Carpi | 27 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | → Vicenza (loan) | 24 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Vicenza | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Ħamrun Spartans | 15 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Tre Fiori | 17 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 480 | (27) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2004 | Italy U21 | 21 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2004–2007 | Italy | 17 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Cristian Zaccardo (born on December 21, 1981) is a former Italian footballer. He played as a defender. He was mostly a centre-back. However, he could also play as a full-back or in midfield.
He started his club career with Bologna in 2000. He stayed there until 2004, except for a loan to Spezia. Then he moved to Palermo. He became well-known during his four seasons there. In 2008, he played for German club VfL Wolfsburg for one season. He helped them win their first Bundesliga title.
He returned to Italy the next season, joining Parma. In 2013, he moved to AC Milan. Later, he joined Carpi in 2015. He spent the 2016–17 season on loan with Vicenza. In October 2017, he joined Maltese Premier League team Ħamrun Spartans. In January 2019, he signed with San Marinese club Tre Fiori. He won the Coppa Titano with them. He announced his retirement in July 2019.
For his country, he played for the Italy national football team 17 times. This was between 2004 and 2007. He scored one goal for Italy. He was part of the Italian team that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
Playing for Clubs: A Journey Through Football
Cristian Zaccardo started his football journey in the youth system of Bologna. He joined the main team in 2000. But first, he was loaned to Spezia for the 2000–01 season. He played his first game in Serie A for Bologna on October 18, 2001. This was an away game against Lecce. After that, he quickly became a regular player for Bologna. He also played for Italy's under-21 national team. In 2004, he left Bologna to join Palermo. He played many games for Palermo, appearing in 142 league matches. He scored eight goals during his time there.
Winning the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg
After playing one season in Germany for VfL Wolfsburg, Zaccardo returned to Italy. He joined Parma in August 2009. At Wolfsburg, he helped the club win their first ever Bundesliga title. This was a big achievement for the team. With Parma, he played in 118 league matches. He scored ten goals over three and a half seasons.
Time with AC Milan and Carpi
On January 24, 2013, Zaccardo signed with AC Milan. This was part of a player swap deal. He scored his first goal for Milan on February 1, 2015. It was in a 3–1 home win against Parma.
After his contract with Milan ended in 2015, Zaccardo moved to Carpi. Carpi had just been promoted to Serie A. He signed a two-year contract with them. He played 27 games for Carpi in the 2015–16 Serie A season. He scored one goal. However, Carpi was moved down to Serie B at the end of that season.
Later Career: Vicenza, Ħamrun Spartans, and Tre Fiori
On August 31, 2016, Zaccardo joined Vicenza Calcio on loan. Vicenza was also in Serie B. He played 24 games for them. On July 13, 2017, he announced he had left Vicenza. He became a free agent, meaning he could join any team.
In October 2017, he signed with Maltese Premier League team Ħamrun Spartans. He played 15 games and scored 3 goals for them. On May 20, 2018, he announced he was leaving the club. In January 2019, Zaccardo signed with San Marinese club Tre Fiori. He won the Coppa Titano with them. On July 9, 2019, he announced his retirement from professional football. This was exactly 13 years after he won the World Cup with Italy.
Playing for Italy: A World Cup Winner
Cristian Zaccardo played for the Italy under-16 squad when he was 15. He also played in the 1998 UEFA European Under-16 Championship. In 2001, he won a silver medal with the Italian under-23 team. This was at the 2001 Mediterranean Games. He also played for the Italy under-21 team. He won the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Championship with them.
Making His Senior Debut and World Cup Glory
Zaccardo played his first senior international game for Italy on November 17, 2004. This was a friendly match against Finland. On October 8, 2005, he scored his first and only goal for Italy. It was in a 1–0 win against Slovenia. This win helped Italy qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany.
Zaccardo was chosen for Italy's 23-man team for the 2006 World Cup. He played in three matches during the tournament. He started the first two group stage games. He helped Italy keep a clean sheet in their 2–0 win over Ghana. However, he scored an own goal in the next match against the United States. That game ended in a 1–1 draw. This was one of only two goals Italy let in during the whole tournament. He played one more time in the tournament. He came on as a substitute in Italy's 3–0 win over Ukraine in the quarter-finals. Italy went on to win the 2006 World Cup!
After the World Cup, he played only two more games for Italy. His last game for Italy was a 2–0 friendly win against South Africa on October 17, 2007. In total, Zaccardo played 17 games for Italy and scored one goal.
How He Played: A Versatile Defender
Cristian Zaccardo was a quick and hard-working player. He was known for his stamina and how well he understood his position on the field. He was also very versatile. This meant he could play in many different positions in defence and midfield along the right side.
He mainly played as a right-sided full-back. But he could also play as a wing-back. Sometimes, he even played in midfield as a winger, or as a central or defensive midfielder. As he got older, he often played as a centre-back. This was because he was good at anticipating plays and strong in the air.
Personal Life
Cristian Zaccardo is married to Alessia Serafini. They have two children, Niccolò and Ginevra. Zaccardo has tattoos of his children's names on his left arm. He has a tattoo of his wife, Alessia, on his right arm. On March 6, 2008, Zaccardo became an honorary citizen of Pollina, a town in Italy.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Bologna | 2001–02 | Serie A | 19 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 1 |
| 2002–03 | Serie A | 32 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 40 | 2 | |
| 2003–04 | Serie A | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | |
| Total | 79 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 91 | 3 | ||
| Spezia (loan) | 2000–01 | Serie C | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 |
| Total | 28 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 0 | ||
| Palermo | 2004–05 | Serie A | 35 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 2 |
| 2005–06 | Serie A | 36 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 44 | 0 | |
| 2006–07 | Serie A | 36 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 42 | 6 | |
| 2007–08 | Serie A | 35 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 38 | 1 | |
| Total | 142 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 161 | 9 | ||
| Wolfsburg | 2008–09 | Bundesliga | 14 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 22 | 2 |
| 2009–10 | Bundesliga | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 15 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 23 | 2 | ||
| Parma | 2009–10 | Serie A | 34 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 5 |
| 2010–11 | Serie A | 34 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 3 | |
| 2011–12 | Serie A | 35 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
| 2012–13 | Serie A | 15 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | |
| Total | 118 | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 123 | 10 | ||
| Milan | 2012–13 | Serie A | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2013–14 | Serie A | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2014–15 | Serie A | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | |
| Total | 15 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | ||
| Carpi | 2015–16 | Serie A | 27 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 1 |
| Vicenza | 2016–17 | Serie B | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 24 | 0 |
| Ħamrun Spartans | 2017–18 | Maltese Premier League | 15 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 15 | 3 |
| Tre Fiori | 2018–19 | Campionato
Sammarinese di Calcio |
17 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 20 | 2 |
| Career total | 480 | 27 | 31 | 1 | 22 | 3 | 533 | 31 | ||
International
| Italy national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2004 | 1 | 0 |
| 2005 | 9 | 1 |
| 2006 | 6 | 0 |
| 2007 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 17 | 1 |
International goal
- Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first.
| No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 8 October 2005 | Stadio Renzo Barbera, Palermo, Italy |  Slovenia |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honours
Club
VfL Wolfsburg
- Bundesliga: 2008–09
Tre Fiori
- Coppa Titano: 2018–19
International
Italy U-21
Italy
Orders
-
CONI: Golden Collar of Sports Merit: Collare d'Oro al Merito Sportivo: 2006
-
4th Class / Officer: Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 2006
See also
In Spanish: Cristian Zaccardo para niños
