Vincenzo Montella facts for kids
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Montella as manager of Milan in 2016
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Vincenzo Montella | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 18 June 1974 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Pomigliano d'Arco, Italy | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | |||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Striker | |||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||
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Current team
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Turkey (head coach) | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1986–1990 | Empoli | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||
| 1990–1995 | Empoli | 51 | (27) | |||||||||||||
| 1995–1996 | Genoa | 34 | (21) | |||||||||||||
| 1996–1999 | Sampdoria | 83 | (54) | |||||||||||||
| 1999–2009 | Roma | 192 | (83) | |||||||||||||
| 2007 | → Fulham (loan) | 10 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| 2007–2008 | → Sampdoria (loan) | 13 | (4) | |||||||||||||
| Total | 383 | (192) | ||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2005 | Italy | 20 | (3) | |||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2011 | Roma U15 | |||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Roma (interim) | |||||||||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Catania | |||||||||||||||
| 2012–2015 | Fiorentina | |||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Sampdoria | |||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Milan | |||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Sevilla | |||||||||||||||
| 2019 | Fiorentina | |||||||||||||||
| 2021–2023 | Adana Demirspor | |||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Turkey | |||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||
Vincenzo Montella (born 18 June 1974) is an Italian football manager and former striker. He is currently the head coach of the Turkey national football team.
During his time as a player, Montella was known as "Aeroplanino" (meaning "Little Airplane"). This nickname came from his small size and his special way of celebrating goals. He would spread his arms out like airplane wings! He was a great goalscorer. Montella played for Italian clubs like Empoli, Genoa, Sampdoria, and Roma. He also played for a short time in England with Fulham.
He is best remembered for his time at Roma from 1999 to 2007. With Roma, he won the Serie A league title and the Supercoppa Italiana in the 2000–01 season. He also helped Roma reach the Coppa Italia final in 2003. In 2013, Montella was honored by being added to the AS Roma Hall of Fame.
Montella also played for the Italian national team. He played 20 games between 1999 and 2005, scoring three goals. He was part of the Italian team that reached the final of UEFA Euro 2000. He also played for Italy in the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
After retiring as a player, Montella became a coach. He started as Roma's temporary manager in 2011. He then coached Catania and Fiorentina. At Fiorentina, he led the team to finish fourth in the league three times in a row. He also guided them to the 2014 Coppa Italia final and the UEFA Europa League semi-finals in 2015.
In 2016, he became the manager of Milan. That year, he won his first trophy as a coach, the Supercoppa Italiana. After Milan, he managed Sevilla in Spain. He led Sevilla to the Copa del Rey final and the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. He later returned to Fiorentina and then managed Adana Demirspor in Turkey. In September 2023, he became the head coach of the Turkish national team, helping them qualify for UEFA Euro 2024.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting at Empoli
Vincenzo Montella began his football journey in 1990. He started playing for Empoli in Italy's lower leagues. He spent five years there, showing his talent as a goalscorer.
Moving to Genoa and Sampdoria
In 1995, Montella moved to Genoa. He had a fantastic season, scoring 21 goals. He also helped Genoa win the Anglo-Italian Cup. After that, he joined Sampdoria, a bigger club in the top league, Serie A. He played there for three years, scoring many goals.
Becoming a Roma Legend
Montella joined Roma in 1999. The coach, Fabio Capello, preferred taller strikers. However, Montella still became Roma's top scorer in his first season with 18 goals.
The next year, Roma signed Gabriel Batistuta, another famous striker. Montella often started games on the bench. But he was a key player in Roma winning their third league title, the Scudetto, in the 2000–01 season. He scored important goals, including one in the title-winning match against Parma.
Montella was very popular with Roma fans. He was especially good in the Rome derby against Lazio. In 2002, he scored four goals in a single derby match, which is still a record! He played 215 games for Roma and scored 94 goals, making him one of the club's top scorers ever.
Loan Spell at Fulham
In 2007, Montella went on loan to Fulham in England. He quickly became a fan favorite. He scored two goals in his first home game in the FA Cup. He also scored his first Premier League goal with a penalty kick. Even though he was popular, he didn't start many games. He returned to Italy after six months.
Back to Sampdoria and Retirement
After Fulham, Montella was loaned to Sampdoria again for the 2007–08 season. He then returned to Roma for his final season in 2008–09. He mostly played as a substitute. On 2 July 2009, Vincenzo Montella announced he was retiring from playing professional football.
International Career
Montella first played for the Italian national team in 1999. He was part of the squad for UEFA Euro 2000, where Italy reached the final. Even though Italy lost to France in the final, Montella helped the team get there.
He also played for Italy in the 2002 FIFA World Cup. In a group stage match against Mexico, he had a goal disallowed but then set up another goal that helped Italy move to the next round. In total, Montella played 20 games for Italy and scored three goals.
Playing Style
Vincenzo Montella was known as "The Little Airplane" because of his size and how he celebrated goals. He was a fast, smart, and hard-working striker. He was good at scoring goals with both feet. People called him a "goal-poacher" because he was so good at finding the net.
He was also a versatile player, meaning he could play in different attacking roles. He had good passing and dribbling skills. Sometimes, his coach at Roma, Fabio Capello, said he was a bit "selfish" on the field. Despite some injuries, Montella was a very effective and exciting player to watch.
Coaching Career
Starting at Roma
After retiring, Montella started coaching Roma's youth team. In February 2011, he became the temporary head coach for Roma's main team. He led them to a sixth-place finish in the league. However, new club owners decided to hire a different coach for the next season.
Managing Catania
In June 2011, Montella became the new coach for Catania. He signed a two-year contract. He led Catania to a good mid-table finish in the league. After one season, he left Catania by agreement in June 2012.
Success with Fiorentina
Montella joined Fiorentina in June 2012. He made big changes to the team, bringing in many new players. In his first season, Fiorentina finished fourth in the league.
In his second season, Montella led Fiorentina to the 2014 Coppa Italia final, but they lost to Napoli. The team finished fourth in the league again. In his third season, Fiorentina reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League. They finished fourth in the league for the third time in a row. He was let go by the club in June 2015.
Coaching Sampdoria and Milan
In November 2015, Montella became the new head coach for Sampdoria. He stayed there until June 2016.
Then, he moved to Milan in June 2016. On 23 December, Montella led Milan to win their first trophy since 2011, the Supercoppa Italiana. They beat Juventus in a penalty shootout. In his first season, Milan finished sixth in the league, which meant they qualified for European competition again. However, after a difficult start to the next season, Montella was sacked by Milan in November 2017.
Time in Spain with Sevilla
On 28 December 2017, Montella was appointed manager of Spanish club Sevilla. He guided Sevilla to their first-ever UEFA Champions League quarter-final. They beat Manchester United to get there. Sevilla also reached the Copa del Rey final, but they lost to Barcelona. Despite these achievements, Montella was sacked in April 2018 after a long period without a win in the league.
Return to Fiorentina and Turkey
Montella returned to Fiorentina in April 2019, but his second time there lasted only eight months. He then moved to Turkey to manage Adana Demirspor in September 2021. In his second season, he led Adana Demirspor to their best-ever league finish, qualifying them for European competition for the first time.
In September 2023, Montella became the new manager of the Turkey national football team. He quickly helped the team qualify for UEFA Euro 2024. At the tournament, Turkey reached the quarter-finals, beating Georgia and Czech Republic in the group stage, and Austria in the round of 16, before losing to the Netherlands.
Media Appearances
Vincenzo Montella was featured in the EA Sports' FIFA video game series. He even appeared on the cover for the Italian version of FIFA 2000.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Empoli | 1990–91 | Serie C1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | |||
| 1991–92 | 7 | 4 | — | — | — | 7 | 4 | |||||
| 1992–93 | 13 | 6 | — | — | — | 13 | 6 | |||||
| 1993–94 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||||
| 1994–95 | 30 | 17 | — | — | — | 30 | 17 | |||||
| Total | 51 | 27 | — | — | — | 51 | 27 | |||||
| Genoa | 1995–96 | Serie B | 34 | 21 | 1 | 2 | — | 5 | 5 | 40 | 28 | |
| Sampdoria | 1996–97 | Serie A | 28 | 22 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 30 | 24 | ||
| 1997–98 | 33 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | — | 39 | 21 | |||
| 1998–99 | 22 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 3 | — | 29 | 16 | |||
| Total | 83 | 54 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 3 | — | 98 | 61 | |||
| Roma | 1999–2000 | Serie A | 31 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 3 | — | 41 | 21 | |
| 2000–01 | 28 | 13 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 3 | — | 38 | 18 | |||
| 2001–02 | 19 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 26 | 15 | ||
| 2002–03 | 29 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 11 | 0 | — | 45 | 11 | |||
| 2003–04 | 11 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 14 | 5 | |||
| 2004–05 | 37 | 21 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 | — | 46 | 23 | |||
| 2005–06 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | — | 16 | 2 | |||
| 2006–07 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 6 | ||
| 2008–09 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | ||
| Total | 192 | 83 | 19 | 8 | 46 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 258 | 101 | ||
| Fulham (loan) | 2006–07 | Premier League | 10 | 3 | 5 | 3 | — | — | 15 | 6 | ||
| Sampdoria (loan) | 2007–08 | Serie A | 13 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | — | 18 | 5 | |
| Career Total | 383 | 192 | 32 | 17 | 59 | 16 | 6 | 6 | 480 | 228 | ||
International
| Italy | ||||||||
| Year | Apps | Goals | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 2 | 0 | ||||||
| 2000 | 5 | 0 | ||||||
| 2001 | 4 | 1 | ||||||
| 2002 | 7 | 2 | ||||||
| 2003 | – | – | ||||||
| 2004 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| 2005 | 1 | 0 | ||||||
| Total | 20 | 3 | ||||||
International Goals
- Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first.
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 25 April 2001 | Stadio Renato Curi, Perugia, Italy |  South Africa |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 2. | 27 March 2002 | Elland Road, Leeds, England |  England |
1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 3. | 2–1 |
Managerial Statistics
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Roma (interim) |  |
21 February 2011 | 1 June 2011 | 16 | 7 | 4 | 5 | 22 | 21 | +1 | 43.75 | |
| Catania | |
9 June 2011 | 5 June 2012 | 40 | 12 | 15 | 13 | 51 | 56 | −5 | 30.00 | |
| Fiorentina | |
11 June 2012 | 8 June 2015 | 153 | 81 | 32 | 40 | 258 | 167 | +91 | 52.94 | |
| Sampdoria | |
15 November 2015 | 28 June 2016 | 27 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 29 | 46 | −17 | 22.22 | |
| Milan | |
28 June 2016 | 27 November 2017 | 64 | 33 | 13 | 18 | 107 | 74 | +33 | 51.56 | |
| Sevilla |  |
28 December 2017 | 28 April 2018 | 28 | 11 | 7 | 10 | 37 | 44 | −7 | 39.29 | |
| Fiorentina | |
10 April 2019 | 21 December 2019 | 27 | 6 | 7 | 14 | 28 | 37 | −9 | 22.22 | |
| Adana Demirspor |  |
1 September 2021 | 12 June 2023 | 76 | 38 | 17 | 21 | 154 | 103 | +51 | 50.00 | |
| Turkey | |
21 September 2023 | Present | 19 | 9 | 4 | 6 | 28 | 26 | +2 | 47.37 | |
| Total | 450 | 203 | 105 | 142 | 710 | 572 | +138 | 45.11 | ||||
Honours and Awards
As a Player
Genoa
- Anglo-Italian Cup: 1995–96
Roma
- Serie A: 2000–01
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2001
Italy National Team
- UEFA European Championship runner-up: 2000
As a Manager
Milan
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2016
Individual Awards
- Enzo Bearzot Award: 2013
- AS Roma Hall of Fame: 2013
See also
In Spanish: Vincenzo Montella para niños
