Emiliano Moretti Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Emiliano Moretti

Moretti with the Italy national team in 2015

Personal information

Date of birth

11 June 1981 (age 44)

Place of birth

Rome, Italy

Height

1.87 m

Playing position

Centre back

Youth career

1991–1998

Lodigiani

Senior career*

Years

Team

Apps^†

(Gls)^†

1998

Lodigiani

(0)

1998–2002

Fiorentina

(0)

2002–2003

Juventus

(0)

2003

→ Modena (loan)

(0)

2003–2004

Parma

(0)

2003–2004

→ Bologna (loan)

(0)

2004–2009

Valencia

135

(4)

2009–2013

Genoa

107

(2)

2013–2019

Torino

175

(5)

Total

507

(11)

National team

1997–1998

Italy U16

(0)

2001

Italy U20

(0)

2001–2004

Italy U21 / Olympic

(0)

2014–2015

Italy

(0)

Honours

Men's Football

Representing Italy
Bronze	2004	Team Competition

Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (Goals).

Emiliano Moretti (born on 11 June 1981) is a former Italian footballer. He played as a centre back, which is a defensive position in football.

Emiliano started his football journey at Lodigiani. In 1998, he joined Fiorentina. He made his first appearance in Italy's top league, Serie A, in 2001. Over his career, he played for several famous Italian clubs. These included Juventus, Modena, Parma, and Bologna.

In 2004, Moretti moved to Spain to play for Valencia. There, he helped the team win the Copa del Rey in 2008. He returned to Italy in 2009, playing four seasons with Genoa. From 2013 until his retirement in 2019, he played for Torino. He played over 600 club matches in his career.

Emiliano also played for Italy's national youth teams. He was part of the under-21 team that won a European Championship. He also earned a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. In 2014, at 33 years old, he played his first game for the senior Italy national football team. This made him the oldest player to debut for Italy. He played two games for Italy between 2014 and 2015.

Emiliano Moretti's Football Journey
Achievements and Awards
See also

Emiliano Moretti's Football Journey

Playing for Different Clubs

Starting His Career

Emiliano Moretti began his football life at a local club called Lodigiani. In 1998, he moved to Fiorentina. He played his first Serie A game in March 2001. He was part of the Fiorentina team that won the Coppa Italia in 2001. During the 2001–02 season, he played in 27 matches for Fiorentina.

Before Fiorentina faced financial difficulties, Moretti joined Juventus in June 2002. He was then loaned to Modena to help them stay in Serie A. In 2003, Parma signed him. They then loaned him to Bologna for the 2003–04 season.

Time with Valencia

In the summer of 2004, Moretti moved to the Spanish club Valencia. He joined other Italian players there. On 27 August, he was part of the team that won the UEFA Super Cup. They beat Porto 2–1 in that match.

His coach, Claudio Ranieri, often played Moretti as a left-back. Even though it was tough at first, he soon became a regular starter. He scored his first goal for Valencia on 28 November 2004. It was in a 2–0 home win against Mallorca. He played 29 games that season, including 4 in the Champions League.

In the next season, he played 33 games. He helped Valencia finish third in the league. On 6 November 2006, Moretti got a serious knee injury in a game against Espanyol. This kept him off the field for over three months. Despite the injury, it was still a great season for him and the team. They reached the Champions League quarter-finals. Moretti played 34 games in total that year.

The 2007–08 season was not as good for Valencia, as they finished tenth. However, Moretti was still a key player. He helped Valencia win the 2008 Copa del Rey Final on 16 April 2008. He played in every match from the start to the final. In the next season, he played 32 games for Valencia. After 172 appearances and 4 goals, he left the Spanish club.

Returning to Italy with Genoa

Moretti returned to Italy in 2009 to play for Genoa. He made his first appearance for Genoa on 23 August 2009. It was a 3–2 home victory against Roma. A week later, he scored his first goal for Genoa against Atalanta. His first season with Genoa ended with 37 games and 1 goal.

The next year, he played 18 games. In the 2011–12 season, he played 27 games and scored one goal. Genoa finished in a tough spot that year. He continued to play for Genoa in the 2012–13 season, making 33 appearances. On 5 May 2013, he played his 100th Serie A game for Genoa. This was in a 4–1 win against Pescara.

Playing for Torino and Retirement

Moretti with Torino in 2015

On 11 July 2013, Moretti joined Torino on a free transfer. He signed a two-year contract. He played his first game for Torino on 17 August in the Coppa Italia against Pescara. He scored his first goal for Torino on 24 December in a 4–1 win against Catania. He extended his contract until 2016 at the end of that season.

On 25 January 2015, he scored a goal in the 94th minute. This helped Torino beat Inter Milan at San Siro for the first time in 27 years. It was his second goal for Torino. On 30 August, he scored his first goal of the 2015–16 season. It was an equalizer in a 3–1 home win against Fiorentina. His contract was renewed until 2017.

On 2 April 2017, he scored his first goal of the 2016–17 season. It was in a 2–2 home draw against Udinese. His contract was renewed again until 2018. On 26 May 2019, he played his last game for Torino and in his football career. He came on as a substitute and helped Torino beat Lazio 3–1 at home. After this match, he retired from professional football. He played over 600 club games in total.

Playing for Italy

Moretti played for Italy's youth teams. He was part of the Italy squad in the 1998 UEFA European Under-16 Championship. The team lost to the Republic of Ireland in the final. With the under-21 team, he won the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship. He also earned a bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics football tournament.

On 9 November 2014, he was called up to the senior national team. This was for a match against Croatia and a friendly game against Albania. On 18 November, he started the game in Genoa against Albania. Italy won 1–0. At 33 years, 5 months, and 7 days old, he became the oldest player to debut for Italy. He played his second and final game for Italy on 31 March 2015. It was a 1–1 friendly draw against England in Turin.

How Emiliano Moretti Played

Emiliano Moretti was naturally left-footed. He started his career as an attacking left-back. However, throughout his career, he often played as a central defender. He was known for being strong and having good awareness on the field. He also had excellent technique and was good at heading the ball.