Francesco Moriero facts for kids

Francesco "Checco" Moriero (born 31 March 1969) is an Italian former football player. He played as a midfielder, usually on the right side of the field as a winger. Today, he is a manager and is currently the head coach for Laçi.

During his playing career, Moriero played for several well-known Italian clubs. These included Lecce, Cagliari, Roma, Inter Milan, and Napoli. He won an important trophy called the UEFA Cup with Inter Milan in 1998. He also played for the Italian national team and took part in the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Playing Career: Francesco Moriero's Journey in Football

Francesco Moriero played for many Italian clubs during his career. He started with Lecce from 1986 to 1992. Then he moved to Cagliari (1992–1994), Roma (1994–1997), Inter Milan (1997–2000), and finished with Napoli (2000–2002).

Starting Out at Lecce

Moriero grew up in Lecce and began his football journey in the local club's youth team. He made his first professional appearance for Lecce's senior team in the 1986–87 season. The next year, he played 35 games and scored 3 goals. This helped his team get promoted to Serie A, which is Italy's top football league. He played two seasons in Serie A with Lecce. After that, Lecce was moved down to Serie B, the second division. In the 1991–92 Serie B season, he scored his personal best of 6 goals in 34 games.

Moving to Cagliari and Roma

In 1992, Moriero joined Cagliari. Here, he played in European competitions for the first time. He helped Cagliari reach the semi-finals of the 1993–94 UEFA Cup, which was a big achievement for the team. In 1994, he moved to Roma. He played for Roma for three seasons, becoming a key player. He appeared in 75 Serie A games and scored 8 goals.

Success with Inter Milan

In 1997, Moriero signed with Inter Milan. He made his debut for Inter on 31 August 1997. His time at Inter was the most successful part of his career. In his first season, he won the 1997–98 UEFA Cup with his team. He even scored a spectacular goal with a bicycle kick against a Swiss team called Neuchatel Xamax during the tournament. In the final match, he helped set up a goal for the famous player Ronaldo. Inter also came very close to winning the Serie A title that season.

Final Years as a Player

Moriero played fewer games in the next two seasons due to injuries. He still reached the 2000 Coppa Italia final with Inter. In 2000, he moved to Napoli. He played 14 games and scored one goal for Napoli in the 2000–01 season. However, he couldn't stop the club from being moved down to Serie B. He finished his playing career with Napoli in 2002. In total, he played 287 games in Serie A and scored 21 goals.

International Career: Playing for Italy

Francesco Moriero also played for the Italian national team. Before that, he played one game for the Italy national under-21 football team in 1990. For the senior national team, he scored two goals in eight matches between 1998 and 1999.

Debut and First Goals

He made his first game for the senior Italian team on 28 January 1998. Italy won 3–0 against Slovakia, and Moriero provided two assists. In his next game, against Paraguay on 22 April 1998, he scored his only two goals for Italy. One of these goals was a fantastic bicycle kick, helping Italy win 3–1.

The 1998 FIFA World Cup

Moriero was chosen to play for Italy in the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Italy reached the quarter-finals but lost to the host country, France, in a penalty shootout. Moriero played in all five of Italy's matches during the tournament. He often shared his position on the right wing with another player, Angelo Di Livio. In Italy's 3–0 win against Cameroon, he assisted Christian Vieri's first goal. He also helped start the play for Italy's winning goal against Austria, which led to Roberto Baggio scoring. Italy won that game 2–1 and finished first in their group. His last game for Italy was on 9 October 1999, in a match against Belarus.

Coaching Career: From Player to Manager

After finishing his studies at a football coaching school in 2006, Francesco Moriero became a coach.

Early Coaching Roles

His first job as a head coach was with an Ivorian club called Africa Sports. He was later replaced by his assistant in 2007. In August 2007, Moriero joined Lanciano in Italy. He then led FC Crotone to win the Lega Pro Prima Divisione playoffs in 2008–09, which meant they were promoted to Serie B. From July 2009 to April 2010, he coached Frosinone.

Coaching in Italy and Abroad

In September 2010, he became the head coach of Grosseto in Serie B, but he was dismissed a few months later. He returned to coach Grosseto again in 2012 but was sacked that same year. On 30 June 2013, Moriero signed with his former club, Lecce, but he was dismissed in September. He also coached Catanzaro in 2014 and Sambenedettese in 2017 and 2018. In June 2019, he joined Cavese but left after only four games.

In December 2020, Moriero was announced as the new head coach of the Albanian club Dinamo Tirana. He resigned in March 2021 after coaching only two league games. On 21 October 2021, Moriero became the new head coach of the Maldives national football team. This was a special appointment because he was the first coach from a country that had won the World Cup to coach the Maldives.

Style of Play: How Moriero Played Football

Francesco Moriero was a fast, energetic, and very skilled midfielder. He mostly played as a winger on the right side of the field. Even though he loved to attack, he was also known for working hard and helping out in defense. He was good at tracking back to help his team cover the wide areas of the field.

Moriero was great at running with the ball, called dribbling, and was very agile. These skills helped him get past opponents and create chances for his team. He was also known for his ability to send good crosses and long passes from the right side, setting up goals for strikers. He had good vision and could make amazing shots from far away, or score acrobatic goals like volleys and bicycle kicks.

Many people thought he was one of the best wingers of his time. He was sometimes compared to famous Italian wingers like Franco Causio and Bruno Conti. Besides his skills, Moriero was also famous for his unique goal celebration. Whenever a teammate scored, he would pretend to polish their football boots!

Honours

Player

Inter

• UEFA Cup: 1997–98

See also

In Spanish: Francesco Moriero para niños