Nicola Legrottaglie facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Nicola Legrottaglie

Legrottaglie in 2010
Personal information
Date of birth	(1976-10-20) 20 October 1976 (age 48)
Place of birth	Gioia del Colle, Italy
Height	1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Centre back
Youth career
0000–1996	Bari
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1996–1998	Bari	0	(0)
1996–1997	→ Pistoiese (loan)	31	(3)
1997–1998	→ Prato (loan)	26	(0)
1998–2003	Chievo	66	(6)
2000	→ Reggiana (loan)	4	(1)
2000–2001	→ Modena (loan)	32	(1)
2003–2011	Juventus	114	(8)
2005	→ Bologna (loan)	9	(0)
2005–2006	→ Siena (loan)	28	(0)
2011	AC Milan	1	(0)
2011–2014	Catania	75	(8)
Total		386	(27)
International career
1994	Italy U18	1	(0)
2002–2010	Italy	16	(1)
Managerial career
2014–2015	Bari U17
2015–2016	Akragas
2017	Cagliari (assistant)
2019–2020	Pescara U19
2020	Pescara
2023–2024	Sampdoria (technical director)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Nicola Legrottaglie (born 20 October 1976) is a former Italian footballer. He played as a centre back. His career lasted for 20 years.

He played 259 matches in Serie A, Italy's top football league. He scored 22 goals in these games. Nicola played for famous clubs like Chievo, Juventus, Bologna, Siena, AC Milan and Catania. He won the Italian championship with AC Milan in 2011.

Legrottaglie also played 16 times for the Italian national team. He represented Italy in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup.

Club Career Highlights

Starting Out and Chievo Years

Nicola Legrottaglie was born in Gioia del Colle, Italy. He started his football journey with AS Bari. During his time there, he also played on loan for AC Pistoiese and AC Prato.

In 1998, he joined AC ChievoVerona in Serie B. He later went on loan to AC Reggiana 1919 and Modena FC. At Modena, he played regularly.

He returned to Chievo for their first season ever in Serie A in 2001–02. He played 15 games that season. In his second season, he became a key player. He scored four goals in 32 league matches. This helped Chievo finish seventh in the league.

Time with Juventus

In 2003, Legrottaglie moved to Juventus FC, a very big club. Juventus paid a lot of money to sign him. He played 21 games and scored two goals in his first season.

However, he later found it hard to get playing time. In 2005, he went on loan to Bologna FC 1909. He played 11 matches for them.

Legrottaglie playing for Juventus in 2008

He returned to Juventus in 2005. He was then loaned out again to AC Siena for the 2005–06 season. He played regularly for Siena, helping them avoid relegation.

When he came back to Juventus, the club had been moved down to Serie B. He helped them win the Serie B title in 2006–07. This meant they returned to Serie A.

Legrottaglie almost moved to a Turkish club, Beşiktaş J.K., but the deal did not happen. He stayed at Juventus. A serious knee injury to a teammate, Jorge Andrade, gave him a chance to play more. He became a regular starter alongside Giorgio Chiellini. They formed a strong defense. His good performances earned him a new contract until 2011.

In the 2008–09 season, he continued to be a first-choice defender. He played 27 league matches as Juventus finished second. This qualified them for the UEFA Champions League.

Moving to AC Milan

On 31 January 2011, Legrottaglie joined AC Milan on a short contract. He made only one league appearance for Milan. He suffered a head injury during a match.

Milan won the Serie A title that season. Legrottaglie was released from his contract on 30 June 2011.

Playing for Catania

On 24 August 2011, Legrottaglie signed a two-year contract with Calcio Catania. He scored a goal in his first game for the club.

He had a great season in 2011–12. He played 35 games and scored six goals. He helped Catania achieve their highest points total in Serie A.

International Career for Italy

Legrottaglie played his first game for Italy on 20 November 2002. It was a friendly match against Turkey. He played six more matches in the next year.

He scored his only goal for Italy in April 2003. It was in a 2–1 win against Switzerland.

After playing well for Juventus, he was called up to the national team again in 2008. He played in a friendly against Austria.

In 2010, he was on a list of players for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. However, he was later not included in the final squad. His only major international tournament was the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. Italy did not get past the group stage in that tournament.

International Statistics

Coaching and Managerial Roles

Legrottaglie stopped playing football at the end of the 2013–14 season. He was almost 38 years old. After retiring, he returned to AS Bari to manage their under-17 team.

In July 2015, he became the head coach of Akragas, a club in Sicily. He left the role in January 2016. On 9 January 2017, he became an assistant coach at Cagliari Calcio. He left Cagliari in October when the head coach was dismissed.

On 24 June 2019, Legrottaglie became the manager of the under-19 team for Delfino Pescara 1936. In January 2020, he was promoted to head coach of the main Pescara team.

As of June 2023, Legrottaglie works as a technical director for UC Sampdoria. He works with former Juventus teammate Andrea Pirlo, who is the head coach.

Playing Style

Nicola Legrottaglie was known for his strong physical presence. He was also good at heading the ball, which made him a threat when his team had free kicks or corners. He was a strong and elegant player. He was good at tackling and organizing the defense. He also had good technical skills and could pass the ball well. He was a versatile player who could read the game well.

Honours and Achievements

Modena

• Serie C1: 2000-01
• Supercoppa di Serie C: 2001

Juventus

• Coppa Italia runner-up: 2003–04
• Supercoppa Italiana: 2003
• Serie B: 2006–07

AC Milan

• Serie A: 2010–11

Images for kids

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  Legrottaglie in 2010

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  Legrottaglie playing for Juventus in 2008

See also

In Spanish: Nicola Legrottaglie para niños