Vincenzo Iaquinta facts for kids
Iaquinta in 2010
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 21 November 1979 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Cutro, Italy | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.91 m | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Striker | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Reggiolo | 33 | (6) | |||||||||||||
| 1998 | Padova | 13 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 1998–2000 | Castel di Sangro | 52 | (8) | |||||||||||||
| 2000–2007 | Udinese | 176 | (58) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2013 | Juventus | 86 | (30) | |||||||||||||
| 2012 | → Cesena (loan) | 7 | (1) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 374 | (106) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2010 | Italy | 40 | (6) | |||||||||||||
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Honours
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Vincenzo Iaquinta (born 21 November 1979) is a former Italian professional footballer. He played as a striker, which is a player who focuses on scoring goals.
Before joining Juventus in 2007, he played for several smaller Italian clubs. He then moved to Udinese in 2000, where he played for seven seasons. During this time, he even played in the UEFA Champions League, a big European club competition.
Later, he was loaned to Cesena in 2012. He returned to Juventus but faced injuries and did not play much. He retired from football in 2013.
Iaquinta also played 40 matches for the Italy national football team between 2005 and 2010. He scored six goals for his country. He was part of the team that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup, which is one of the biggest football tournaments in the world. He also played in the 2010 tournament.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Reggiolo
Vincenzo Iaquinta was born in Cutro, Italy. His parents moved to Northern Italy for work. He started his football career with his brother at a club called Reggiolo. He played there for the 1996–1997 season. He made 33 appearances and scored six goals.
Moving to Padova
In January 1998, Iaquinta moved to Padova. This club was in Serie B, which is Italy's second-highest football league. His time at Padova was short. After just six months, he played 13 matches and scored three goals. He was then sold to Castel di Sangro.
Playing for Castel di Sangro
After his short time in Serie B, Iaquinta played for Castel di Sangro for two seasons. This club was in Serie C1, a lower Italian league. Here, Iaquinta became a key player. He played 52 matches and scored eight goals. His good performances caught the eye of Udinese, a club in Serie A.
Success at Udinese
In June 2000, Udinese signed Iaquinta. In his first season, he played 16 matches and scored two goals. He slowly became a regular starter. In the 2002–03 season, he scored eight goals in 28 matches. Udinese finished sixth in Serie A, which meant they qualified for the UEFA Cup.
During the 2004–05 season, Iaquinta played 39 matches and scored 15 goals. Udinese finished fourth in Serie A. This allowed them to play in the UEFA Champions League, Europe's top club competition. In the 2005–06 season, he scored 17 goals. This included three goals in his first Champions League match against Panathinaikos. In his last season with Udinese (2006–07), he scored 14 goals. He played well with his teammate Antonio Di Natale. After many great seasons, Juventus signed him.
Time at Juventus
Juventus signed Iaquinta on 19 June 2007. He signed a five-year contract. In his first season (2007–08), Iaquinta was often a substitute. He played behind famous strikers like Alessandro Del Piero and David Trezeguet. Still, he played 29 matches and scored nine important goals. One memorable goal was a last-minute winner against Napoli.
In the 2008–09 season, Iaquinta started as the fourth-choice striker. However, he got more chances to play when other players were injured. He scored an important goal against Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League. This was Juventus' 600th goal in European competitions. In this season, he played 38 matches and scored 16 goals.
For the 2009–10 season, Iaquinta became a regular starter. But a major injury kept him out for six months. In the 2010–11 Serie A season, he faced more competition for a starting spot.
Loan to Cesena and Retirement
On 31 January 2012, Iaquinta joined Cesena on loan. He made his debut on 9 February. He helped Cesena score and also scored a penalty himself. He played seven matches for Cesena, but injuries continued to affect him.
After his loan, he returned to Juventus. Juventus had just won the league title. However, Iaquinta continued to struggle with injuries. He did not play any matches in the 2012–13 Serie A season. Juventus won the league again that year. On 22 July 2013, his contract ended, and he announced his retirement from football. He said he wanted to become a coach.
International Career
Iaquinta first played for the Italian national team on 30 March 2005. This was in a friendly match against Iceland.
He was part of the Italian team that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup. This was a huge achievement! His first goal for Italy came in their opening match of the tournament. On 12 June, he scored Italy's second goal in a 2–0 win against Ghana. He played in five of Italy's seven matches. This included the semi-final against Germany and the final against France.
Iaquinta missed Euro 2008 due to an injury. He later played in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. He also played for Italy in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. In that tournament, he scored a penalty in a 1–1 draw against New Zealand. His last international match was on 24 June 2010. Italy lost to Slovakia and was eliminated from the tournament. In total, he scored six goals for Italy.
Playing Style
Vincenzo Iaquinta was known as a tall and strong striker. He was very fast and good at scoring goals inside the penalty area. He was also good at heading the ball. Because of his speed and hard work, he could make great runs to get past defenders. This helped him score goals or create space for his teammates. He was also good at counter-attacks, which are quick attacks after winning the ball back.
Even though he preferred to play as a main striker, he could play in different attacking positions. He could also play as a second striker or a winger. He was strong enough to hold the ball up for his teammates. Throughout his career, Iaquinta often had injuries, which sometimes limited how much he could play.
Personal Life
Vincenzo Iaquinta married Arianna Cucinotta on 14 June 2003. They have four children together. Their two sons are Giuseppe (born 2002) and Edoardo (born 2004). They also have two daughters, Carlotta (born 2008) and Ginevra (born 2015).
Honours
Juventus
- Serie A: 2012–13
Italy
Individual
- Coppa Italia top scorer: 2007–08
Images for kids
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Iaquinta in 2010
See also
In Spanish: Vincenzo Iaquinta para niños
