Marco Di Vaio facts for kids
Di Vaio playing for the Montreal Impact in 2013
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Marco Di Vaio | ||
| Date of birth | 15 July 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | Rome, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1991–1994 | Lazio | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1993–1995 | Lazio | 8 | (3) |
| 1995–1996 | Verona | 7 | (1) |
| 1996–1997 | Bari | 27 | (3) |
| 1997–1999 | Salernitana | 67 | (33) |
| 1999–2002 | Parma | 83 | (41) |
| 2002–2004 | Juventus | 55 | (18) |
| 2004–2006 | Valencia | 35 | (11) |
| 2006–2007 | Monaco | 29 | (8) |
| 2007–2008 | Genoa | 44 | (12) |
| 2008–2012 | Bologna | 143 | (65) |
| 2012–2014 | Montreal Impact | 76 | (34) |
| Total | 575 | (230) | |
| International career | |||
| 1993–1994 | Italy U18 | 3 | (0) |
| 2001–2004 | Italy | 14 | (2) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Marco Di Vaio, born on July 15, 1976, is a famous Italian former professional football player. He was a fantastic striker, known for scoring many goals. Throughout his long career, he scored over 200 goals for different clubs in Italy, France, Spain, and Canada. He also played for the Italy national football team in the Euro 2004 tournament.
Contents
Marco Di Vaio's Club Career
Starting Out in Italy
Marco Di Vaio began his football journey at his hometown club, Lazio. He played his first game in Italy's top league, Serie A, on November 20, 1994. After Lazio, he moved to play for clubs in Serie B, which is Italy's second division. These teams included Verona and Bari.
Success at Salernitana
In 1997, Di Vaio joined Salernitana. He became a star player there, helping the team get promoted to Serie A in the 1997–98 season. He was also the top goal scorer in Serie B that year.
Shining at Parma
Even though Salernitana went back down to Serie B, Di Vaio stayed in Serie A. He was bought by Parma. He scored many goals for Parma and became the second-highest scorer in the league during his third season with the team.
Time with Juventus
In 2002, Juventus, a very famous Italian club, signed Di Vaio. He joined them first on loan and then permanently in 2003. While at Juventus, he won one Italian league title, called the scudetto. He also played in the 2003 UEFA Champions League final, which is a huge European club competition.
Playing in Spain and France
After Juventus, Di Vaio moved to Spain to play for Valencia in 2004. He scored 11 goals during his time there. In January 2006, he was loaned to Ligue 1 club Monaco in France. He played alongside another Italian player, Christian Vieri, during this period.
Return to Italy with Genoa
In 2007, Di Vaio came back to Italy and joined Serie B club Genoa. Genoa was aiming for promotion to Serie A, and they achieved it! However, once in Serie A, Di Vaio didn't play as much as he used to.
Becoming a Star at Bologna
On August 21, 2008, Di Vaio signed with Bologna, a team that had just been promoted to Serie A. He had an amazing 2008–09 season, scoring 24 goals. He finished as one of the top goal scorers in the league.
Di Vaio became a fan favorite at Bologna and was even made team captain. He said he wanted to finish his career there. However, in May 2012, he announced that the 2011–12 season would be his last with Bologna.
Adventure in Canada with Montreal Impact
After leaving Bologna, Marco Di Vaio joined the Montreal Impact in Canada. He was the club's first "Designated Player," which means he was a big signing. He made his debut for the Impact in June 2012 and scored his first goal a month later.
On October 25, 2014, Di Vaio scored a goal in his very last professional game. He retired from football after the 2014 Major League Soccer season.
Marco Di Vaio's International Career
Marco Di Vaio played for the Italian national team. His first game for Italy was on September 5, 2001, in a friendly match against Morocco. He scored his first goal for Italy on October 11, 2003, in a game against Azerbaijan.
Di Vaio was part of the Italian squad for Euro 2004. He played in one match during the tournament. He later received more call-ups to the national team, but strong competition from other talented strikers meant he eventually lost his spot. His last game for Italy was on October 9, 2004. In total, he played 14 times for Italy and scored two goals.
After Retirement
After retiring as a player, Marco Di Vaio joined Bologna again. This time, he took on a role as a club manager.
How Marco Di Vaio Played
Marco Di Vaio was known as a very good goal scorer. He was quick and could play in different attacking positions, like a striker or even a winger. He was good with the ball and could pass well. His favorite position was as a centre-forward, where he could use his skill to score goals, including with his head. He also had a powerful and accurate shot from far away and was good at taking penalty kicks.
Career Achievements
Salernitana
- Serie B: 1997–98 (Champions)
Parma
- Coppa Italia: 2001–02 (Winners)
- Supercoppa Italiana: 1999 (Winners)
Juventus
- Serie A: 2002–03 (Champions)
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2003 (Winners)
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2002–03
Valencia
- UEFA Super Cup: 2004 (Winners)
Montreal Impact
- Canadian Championship: 2013, 2014 (Winners)
Individual Awards
- Serie B top scorer: 1997–98
- MLS All-Star: 2013
- MLS Best XI: 2013
- Montreal Impact Most Valuable Player: 2013
- Montreal Impact Top Scorer: 2013, 2014
See also
In Spanish: Marco Di Vaio para niños
