Enrico Chiesa facts for kids

Enrico Chiesa was born on December 29, 1970. He is a famous Italian football coach and a former striker.

Chiesa played for many Italian clubs during his career. He was a regular player in Serie A, Italy's top football league, for over ten years. He won important titles with teams like Sampdoria, Parma, and Fiorentina. He also played for Lazio. Later, he joined Siena, where he became a very popular player. His goals helped Siena stay in the top division for several seasons. Enrico Chiesa retired from playing with Figline in 2010. After that, he started his coaching career with the same club.

With Parma, he won the 1998–99 UEFA Cup and the Coppa Italia in the 1998–99 season. He was the top scorer in the UEFA Cup that year, with 8 goals. Chiesa also played for the Italian national team 17 times between 1996 and 2001, scoring 7 goals. He was part of the Italian teams that played in UEFA Euro 1996 and the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Enrico Chiesa is the father of Federico Chiesa, who is also a professional footballer.

Enrico Chiesa's Club Career

Enrico Chiesa was born in Genoa, Italy. He started playing football at a small amateur club called Pontedecimo from 1986 to 1987.

Early Club Days

After Pontedecimo, Chiesa joined Sampdoria. He made his first professional appearance for Sampdoria on April 16, 1989. This was in a Serie A match against Roma, which Sampdoria lost 1–0. He then played for Teramo in Serie C2 and Chieti in Serie C1.

In 1992, he returned to Sampdoria but did not play much. He then moved to Modena in Serie B for the 1993–94 season. After that, he played for Cremonese in the 1994–95 Serie A season. He scored 14 goals for Cremonese in that top-flight season. In 1995, he came back to Sampdoria again. There, he formed a strong attacking partnership with Roberto Mancini. Chiesa scored 22 goals in 27 Serie A matches that season.

Success with Parma

In 1996, a growing club called Parma signed Chiesa. In his first season, he helped Parma finish second in Serie A, just behind Juventus. He scored 14 goals in the league that year. Finishing second meant Parma qualified for the UEFA Champions League the next season.

With Parma, Chiesa had a very successful 1998–99 season. They won the UEFA Cup, the Coppa Italia, and the Supercoppa Italiana. Parma also finished fourth in Serie A that season. Chiesa became one of the best strikers in Italian football when he was not injured. He played well with Argentine striker Hernán Crespo. Together, they often scored 10 to 15 goals each per season. Both Chiesa and Crespo scored in the 1999 UEFA Cup Final against Marseille. Chiesa was the top scorer in that UEFA Cup competition with 8 goals.

Time at Fiorentina and Lazio

In 1999, Fiorentina bought Chiesa for a large sum of money. Fiorentina wanted to improve their team and keep their captain, Gabriel Batistuta. In his first season, Chiesa played regularly but sometimes struggled with his form. He scored 6 goals in the league.

For the 2000–01 season, Batistuta left Fiorentina. Chiesa became the main striker for the club, with Rui Costa helping him create chances. Chiesa scored 22 goals in 30 matches. He was among the top 5 highest scorers in the league. He also helped Fiorentina win the 2000–01 Coppa Italia against his old club, Parma. In the final, he set up a goal that helped Fiorentina win the title.

The 2001–02 season was tough for Fiorentina. Chiesa started strong, scoring five goals in the first five games. However, he got a serious knee injury against Venezia. This injury kept him out for the rest of the season. Without Chiesa leading the attack, Fiorentina struggled and were relegated from Serie A. Because of Fiorentina's relegation and money problems, Chiesa moved to Lazio for the 2002–03 season. However, he did not play at his best there.

Later Career with Siena and Figline

In 2003, Chiesa joined Siena. He quickly became a favorite among the fans and a very important player for the club. He scored more than ten goals in Serie A in each of his first three seasons with Siena.

The 2006–07 season was difficult for Chiesa, as he did not score any goals in Serie A. However, the club and new coach Andrea Mandorlini supported him. They believed he was still important to the team. For the 2007–08 season, he played only two games and did not score. After this, he was signed by Figline in the Lega Pro Second Division. He scored five goals for Figline, helping them get promoted to the Lega Pro Prima Divisione. In his final season as a player, he played fewer games because of a fractured leg. This injury kept him out for most of the season.

Enrico Chiesa's International Career

Enrico Chiesa played for the Italian national team from 1996 to 2001. He played a total of 17 matches and scored 7 goals.

Playing for Italy

Chiesa made his first international appearance on May 29, 1996. This was in a friendly match against Belgium in Cremona, which ended in a 2–2 draw. He scored a goal in that game. Later that year, manager Arrigo Sacchi chose him to play for Italy at the UEFA Euro 1996 tournament. He was chosen over other well-known strikers like Roberto Baggio. Chiesa played in two group stage matches. He scored Italy's only goal in a 2–1 loss to the Czech Republic. He also played in a 0–0 draw against Germany. Italy was eliminated in the first round of the tournament.

Manager Cesare Maldini also called Chiesa up for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He played in Italy's first group match, a 2–2 draw against Chile. He also came on as a substitute in the 1–0 win against Norway in the round of 16. Italy was knocked out in the quarter-finals by the host nation and eventual champions, France, after a penalty shootout.

Under manager Dino Zoff, Chiesa played in a friendly match on December 16, 1998. This game was against the FIFA World Stars team to celebrate 100 years of the Italian Football Federation. Italy won 6–2, and Chiesa scored three goals. He also scored in a 4–0 win against Wales in a European qualifying match on June 5, 1999. His last game for Italy was on April 25, 2001. It was a 1–0 friendly win against South Africa.

Enrico Chiesa shares a special record with Alessandro Del Piero. They have scored the most goals for Italy when coming off the bench (5 goals each). He is also the most recent player to score two goals in his first two appearances for Italy.

Enrico Chiesa's Playing Style

Enrico Chiesa was known as a great goalscorer. He was considered one of the most exciting and energetic strikers in Italy in the mid-1990s.

Skills and Strengths

Chiesa was a fast, strong, and hardworking player. He was also very elegant on the field. He usually played as a main striker in the center. However, he could also play as a supporting forward or on the wing. This was because he had good vision, was versatile, and had excellent technique. He could control the ball well at high speed and was smart tactically. These skills also helped him create chances for his teammates.

He had good speed, stamina, and made smart runs into the penalty area. He could shoot powerfully and accurately with both feet, from both inside and outside the box. He was great at scoring during counter-attacks. He was also known for his ability to shoot the ball quickly on the first touch while running. Chiesa was also good at scoring with powerful or curving shots from free-kicks. He is tied for the ninth-highest goalscorer from free-kicks in Serie A, with 13 goals. He shares this record with famous players like Michel Platini.

Coach Fabio Capello described Chiesa as a complete forward. He compared him to famous Italian strikers Gigi Riva and Paolo Rossi. This was because Chiesa was good at finding opportunities, anticipating plays, and had excellent shooting skills. He could also score amazing goals in the air and with spectacular volleys. Besides his goalscoring, he was known for his dedication and professional behavior on the field. Even though he was a great player, his career was affected by several injuries.

Enrico Chiesa's Coaching Career

In June 2010, it was announced that Enrico Chiesa would become the new head coach of Figline for the 2010–11 season. However, this coaching experience was very short. Figline was removed from the Italian leagues in July of that year.

Personal Life

Enrico Chiesa's son, Federico, is also a professional footballer. As of July 2025, Federico plays for Premier League team Liverpool.

Career Statistics

International Appearances and Goals

Source:

Honours and Achievements

Enrico Chiesa won several titles during his playing career:

Sampdoria

• European Cup Winners' Cup: 1989–90

Parma

• Coppa Italia: 1998–99
• UEFA Cup: 1998–99

Fiorentina

• Coppa Italia: 2000–01
• Supercoppa Italiana runner-up: 2001

Figline

• Lega Pro Seconda Divisione: 2008–09
• Supercoppa di Lega Seconda Divisione: 2008–09

Individual Awards

• Guerin d'Oro: 1996 (This award is given to the best player in Serie A based on average ratings)
• UEFA Cup top scorer: 1998–99 (8 goals)

See also

In Spanish: Enrico Chiesa para niños