Enrico Chiesa facts for kids

Enrico Chiesa (born 29 December 1970) is a famous Italian football coach and former striker. He was known for scoring many goals!

Chiesa played for many Italian clubs during his career. He played in Italy's top league, Serie A, for over ten years. He won important titles with teams like Sampdoria, Parma, and Fiorentina. Later, he also played for Lazio. He became very well-known at Siena. His goals helped Siena stay in the top division for many seasons. He stopped playing football in 2010 with Figline. After that, he started his coaching career with the same club.

He won the 1998–99 UEFA Cup and the Coppa Italia with Parma. He was even the top scorer in the UEFA Cup that year, with 8 goals! Enrico 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 football player.

Enrico Chiesa's Club Career

Enrico Chiesa was born in Genoa, Italy. He started playing football at a small club called Pontedecimo from 1986 to 1987. Then, he joined Sampdoria. He played his first professional game for Sampdoria on 16 April 1989.

After Sampdoria, he played for Teramo and Chieti in lower leagues. He returned to Sampdoria in 1992. He then moved to Modena in Serie B for the 1993–94 season. Later, he played for Cremonese in the 1994–95 season. He scored 14 goals for Cremonese in Serie A. In 1995, he came back to Sampdoria again. He played alongside Roberto Mancini and scored 22 goals in 27 matches in Serie A.

Playing for Parma: Big Wins

In 1996, Parma signed Chiesa. He helped his team finish second in the Serie A season, just behind Juventus. He scored 14 goals in his first season with Parma. This second-place finish meant Parma could play in the UEFA Champions League the next season.

With Parma, Chiesa won some major trophies in the 1998–99 season. These included a UEFA Cup, a Coppa Italia, and a Supercoppa Italiana. Parma also finished fourth in Serie A that year. Chiesa became one of the best strikers in Italian football. He played very well with Argentine star striker Hernán Crespo. They both scored many goals each season. Chiesa and Crespo both scored in the 1999 UEFA Cup Final against Marseille. Chiesa was the top scorer in the UEFA Cup that season, with 8 goals.

Time with Fiorentina and Lazio

In 1999, Fiorentina bought Chiesa for a lot of money. Fiorentina wanted to make their team stronger. Even though he played regularly, Chiesa sometimes struggled to find his best form in his first season. He scored 6 goals in the league.

In the 2000–01 season, Fiorentina faced some challenges. Their main striker, Gabriel Batistuta, left the club. The team also had many injuries and money problems. Chiesa became the main striker for Fiorentina, helped by Rui Costa. He scored 22 goals in 30 matches. This made him one of the top 5 scorers in the league. He also helped Fiorentina win the 2000–01 Coppa Italia against his old club, Parma. In the final, he helped set up a goal that led Fiorentina to win the title.

The 2001–02 season started well for Chiesa. He scored five goals in the first five matches. But then, he got a serious knee injury against Venezia. This injury kept him out for the rest of the season. Without Chiesa, Fiorentina struggled and were moved down to a lower league. Because of this and Fiorentina's money problems, Chiesa moved to Lazio for the next season. However, he didn't play his best football there.

Later Career at Siena and Figline

In 2003, Chiesa joined Siena. He quickly became a favorite among the fans. He was a very important player in Siena's history in Serie A. He scored more than ten goals in Serie A in each of his first three seasons there.

Even though he didn't score any goals in the 2006–07 season, the club still supported him. The new coach, Andrea Mandorlini, believed Chiesa was still important. However, Chiesa played only two games in the 2007–08 season and didn't score. He then signed with Figline in a lower league in 2008. He scored five goals for Figline, helping them get promoted. In his last season as a player, he played fewer games because of a broken leg.

Enrico Chiesa's International Career

Chiesa played for the Italian national team from 1996 to 2001. He played 17 games and scored 7 goals. He made his first international appearance on 29 May 1996 in a friendly game against Belgium. He even scored a goal in that game!

His coach, Arrigo Sacchi, chose him to play for Italy in the UEFA Euro 1996 tournament. Chiesa played in two group matches. He scored Italy's only goal in a 2–1 loss against the Czech Republic. Italy was knocked out in the first round.

He was also called up for the 1998 FIFA World Cup by coach Cesare Maldini. 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 later knocked out by the host nation and winners, France, after a penalty shootout.

Under coach Dino Zoff, Chiesa scored three goals in a friendly game against the FIFA World Stars in 1998. He also scored a goal in a 4–0 win over Wales in a qualifying match for Euro 2000. His last game for Italy was a 1–0 friendly win against South Africa in 2001. Chiesa holds a special record: he has scored the most goals for Italy when coming off the bench (5 goals), sharing this record with Alessandro Del Piero.

Enrico Chiesa's Style of Play

Enrico Chiesa was known as a great goalscorer. He was considered one of Italy's most exciting strikers in the mid-1990s. He was fast, strong, and worked very hard. He usually played as a main striker, but he could also play as a supporting forward or on the wing. This was because he had good vision, great technique, and could control the ball well even when running fast. He was also smart about how he played on the field, which helped him create chances for his teammates.

Chiesa was known for his powerful and accurate shots with both feet. He could score from inside or outside the penalty box. He was excellent at counter-attacks, making quick runs into the area, and shooting the ball quickly. He was also good at scoring from free-kicks. He is one of the top goalscorers from free-kicks in Serie A, with 13 goals.

Famous coach Fabio Capello described Chiesa as a complete forward. He compared him to legends like Gigi Riva and Paolo Rossi. This was because Chiesa was good at finding chances, anticipating plays, and had excellent shooting skills. He could even score with amazing volleys and acrobatic moves in the air. Besides his scoring ability, he was also known for being dedicated and professional. However, his career was sometimes affected by injuries.

Enrico Chiesa's Coaching Career

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

Enrico Chiesa's Personal Life

Enrico Chiesa's son, Federico, is also a professional football player. He currently plays for Premier League team Liverpool.

Enrico Chiesa's Honours

Club Honours

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 Honours

• Guerin d'Oro: 1996
• UEFA Cup Top scorer: 1998–99 (8 goals)

See also

In Spanish: Enrico Chiesa para niños