Fabio Grosso facts for kids
.jpg)
Grosso with Frosinone in 2023
|
||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 28 November 1977 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Rome, Italy | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.90 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Left-back | |||||||||||||||
| Club information | ||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Sassuolo (head coach) | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Renato Curi | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 1995–1999 | Renato Curi | 125 | (55) | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2001 | Chieti | 68 | (17) | |||||||||||||
| 2001–2004 | Perugia | 67 | (7) | |||||||||||||
| 2004–2006 | Palermo | 90 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2006–2007 | Inter Milan | 23 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2009 | Lyon | 53 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| 2009–2012 | Juventus | 47 | (2) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 473 | (87) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2010 | Italy | 48 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2017 | Juventus Primavera | |||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Bari | |||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019 | Hellas Verona | |||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Brescia | |||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Sion | |||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Frosinone | |||||||||||||||
| 2023 | Lyon | |||||||||||||||
| 2024– | Sassuolo | |||||||||||||||
|
Honours
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
Fabio Grosso (born 28 November 1977) is an Italian professional football manager and former player. He played as a left-back. He is currently the head coach of Serie B club Sassuolo.
Grosso became famous for his role in Italy's victory at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He scored a crucial goal in the semi-final and the winning penalty in the final. Before becoming a coach, he played for several Italian clubs like Renato Curi, Chieti, Perugia, Palermo, Inter Milan, and Juventus. He also played for Lyon in France.
Contents
Club Career: Fabio Grosso's Journey
Starting His Football Journey: Renato Curi
Fabio Grosso was born in Rome, Italy. He grew up in Chieti, Abruzzo. He joined Renato Curi Angolana in 1994. He played in their youth team until 1995.
He then joined the senior team for the 1995–96 season. Grosso quickly became a key player. He played 108 games for Renato Curi. He scored 47 goals as an attacking midfielder and left winger.
Moving Up: Chieti Years
In 1998, Grosso moved to Chieti. This club played in Serie C2, a higher league. He continued to impress as an attacking midfielder.
He scored 17 goals in 68 league games over three seasons. In 2001, a Serie A club, Perugia, noticed his talent. Grosso then transferred to Perugia.
Playing in Serie A: Perugia
Grosso joined Perugia in July 2001. This was his first time playing in Italy's top league, Serie A. In his first season, he played 24 games and scored one goal.
His coach, Serse Cosmi, changed his position. Grosso became a left wing-back. In his second season, he played 30 league games and scored four goals. In January 2004, he moved to Palermo. At that time, Palermo was in Serie B.
Success in Palermo
Grosso joined Palermo in January 2004. The team won the Serie B title that season. They were promoted to Serie A. Grosso played 21 games for Palermo and scored one goal.
Palermo had a great first season back in Serie A in 2004–05. They finished sixth and qualified for the UEFA Cup. Grosso was a regular starter, playing 36 league games and scoring one goal. In the 2005–06 Serie A season, he played 33 games. Palermo finished eighth. Grosso was one of four Palermo players chosen for the 2006 FIFA World Cup team. After the World Cup, he moved to Inter Milan.
Joining a Big Club: Inter Milan
In July 2006, Grosso joined Inter Milan. Inter was the defending Serie A champion. He played 23 league games for Inter.
He helped the team win the 2006 Supercoppa Italiana and the Serie A title. After one season, Grosso decided to move to France. He joined Lyon in 2007.
Playing in France: Lyon
Grosso signed a four-year contract with Lyon in July 2007. Lyon played in the French Ligue 1. He quickly became a starter for Lyon.
In his first season, he helped Lyon win the league title. They also won the Coupe de France and the Trophée des Champions. In his second season, injuries limited him to 22 league games. In August 2009, he returned to Italy. He joined Juventus.
Winning with Juventus
On 31 August 2009, Grosso joined Juventus. He quickly became a starter for the team. He scored his first goal for Juventus in November 2009.
He played 28 games in the 2009–10 season and scored two goals. In his final season, 2011–12, Juventus won the Serie A title without losing a game. Grosso's contract ended in 2012. He decided to retire from playing professional football.
International Career: Representing Italy
Playing for Italy: Early Days
Grosso first played for the Italian national team on 30 April 2003. It was a friendly match against Switzerland. He scored his first goal for Italy on 2 September 2005. This was in a World Cup qualifying match against Scotland.
Becoming a World Champion: 2006 World Cup
From 2005, Grosso became a regular player for Italy. He was chosen for the 2006 FIFA World Cup team. He played a very important part in Italy winning the title.
In the Round of 16 match against Australia, the score was 0–0. Grosso moved into the penalty area and was fouled. Francesco Totti scored the winning penalty, and Italy won 1–0. Some people thought Grosso might have exaggerated the fall. However, Grosso later said he felt contact and was tired. He believed it was a foul.
On 4 July 2006, Grosso scored the first goal against host nation Germany. This was in the World Cup semi-finals. He scored with a curving left-footed shot in the 119th minute. It was a "magnificent" goal. In the World Cup final, he scored the winning penalty. This was against France in a penalty shootout. Italy won 5–3 after a 1–1 draw. This win gave Italy their fourth World Cup title.
More International Matches
Grosso also played for Italy at UEFA Euro 2008. He played well on the left side of the field. Italy reached the quarter-finals. They lost to Spain in a penalty shootout. Grosso scored Italy's first penalty in that shootout.
He also played for Italy in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. He was part of the team for the 2010 World Cup qualifying games. However, he was not chosen for the final 2010 World Cup squad.
Managerial Career: From Player to Coach
Becoming a Coach: Early Steps
After retiring as a player, Grosso started coaching. In 2013, he began coaching in the Juventus youth system. On 11 March 2014, he became the manager of the Juventus Primavera (U-19) youth team.
Coaching Bari
On 13 June 2017, Grosso became the head coach of Bari. The team played in Serie B. Bari finished seventh in the league. They were eliminated from the playoffs.
Managing Hellas Verona
Grosso was appointed manager of Hellas Verona on 21 June 2018. They were a newly relegated Serie B club. He was sacked in May 2019. This happened after a surprising home loss to Livorno.
A Short Time at Brescia
On 5 November 2019, Grosso became the manager of Serie A club Brescia. He was sacked on 2 December. This was after three straight losses where his team did not score any goals.
Coaching in Switzerland: Sion
Grosso was appointed manager of Swiss Super League team Sion on 25 August 2020. He was sacked on 5 March 2021. Sion was in last place in the league at that time.
Leading Frosinone to Victory
On 23 March 2021, Grosso became the manager of Frosinone. He led Frosinone to win the 2022–23 Serie B title. This meant the team was promoted to Serie A. After this success, his contract ended, and he left Frosinone.
Returning to Lyon as Coach
On 16 September 2023, Grosso was announced as the new manager of Ligue 1 club Lyon. This was a club he had played for before. Before a match against Marseille, the Lyon team bus was hit with stones. Grosso suffered a facial injury from broken glass. The match had to be postponed.
Grosso's time as coach at Lyon was short. The team did not improve and stayed at the bottom of the league. He was dismissed from his coaching role on 30 November 2023.
Current Role: Sassuolo Coach
On 3 June 2024, Fabio Grosso was appointed as the manager of Sassuolo.
Playing Style: What Made Grosso Special
Fabio Grosso used to be an attacking midfielder. He was a strong, fast, and energetic player. He was good at both defending and attacking. This was because of his hard work, attacking skills, and stamina. These qualities helped him become a great left-back.
He was a very flexible player. He could also play as a winger or an attacking wing-back on either side of the field. He was naturally left-footed. Grosso was also known for his accurate crossing. He was even a specialist at free kicks, penalties, and corner kicks. This is unusual for a defender.
Honours and Achievements
As a Player
Perugia
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2003
Inter Milan
- Serie A: 2006–07
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2006
Lyon
- Ligue 1: 2007–08
- Coupe de France: 2007–08
- Trophée des Champions: 2007
Juventus
- Serie A: 2011–12
Italy National Team
- FIFA World Cup: 2006
As a Manager
Frosinone
- Serie B: 2022–23
Individual Awards
- Silver Bench: 2022–23 (This award is given to the best coach in Serie B)
Images for kids
-
Grosso managing Frosinone in 2023
See also
In Spanish: Fabio Grosso para niños
