Mauro Camoranesi

Mauro Camoranesi

Personal information
Full name	Mauro Germán Camoranesi Serra
Date of birth	4 October 1976 (1976-10-04) (age 35)
Place of birth	Tandil, Argentina
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 8 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Right winger
Club information
Current club	Lanús
Number	16
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1995–1996	Aldosivi	31	(0)
1996–1997	Santos Laguna	22	(8)
1997	Wanderers	6	(1)
1997–1998	Banfield	38	(16)
1998–2000	Cruz Azul	75	(21)
2000–2002	Verona	54	(7)
2002–2010	Juventus	224	(27)
2010–2011	VfB Stuttgart	7	(0)
2011–	Lanús	23	(1)
National team‡
2003–2010	Italy	55	(5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18:06, 27 July 2011 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 20 June 2010

Mauro Camoranesi, Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI,^[1][2] (born 4 October 1976 in Tandil, Argentina) is an Italian Argentine World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Lanús in the Argentine Primera División. He is a midfielder, usually on the right wing. His pin-point passing ability is known to be one of the best in the game and he is widely considered by critics, fans and players alike to be one of the best wingers of his generation.

Camoranesi was part of Italy's winning squad at the 2006 World Cup.

Club career

Early career

Camoranesi had always been a big fan of the Argentinian club River Plate growing up, but as a youngster, he played in the squad of Club Atlético Aldosivi. Aldosivi is situated in Mar del Plata just 100 miles away from Camoranesi's birthplace of Tandil. However, he moved to Mexico to begin his professional playing career at Santos Laguna. The club won the Primera División de México during the Invierno 1996 season and Camoranesi scored one goal in 13 games for the team; this was the club's first ever championship success. Santos Laguna fans nicknamed him "El Cholo".

Banfield

More travels came for the young Argentine the following year, as he moved to Uruguayan club Montevideo Wanderers briefly, before returning to his homeland to play for Banfield, solidifying himself as an impressive attacking right midfielder, while playing 38 games with 16 goals.

Cruz Azul

The following season, Camoranesi moved once again, this time back to Mexico and club Cruz Azul, where he played from 1998 to 2000, making over 60 appearances and scoring 20 goals.

Verona

He caught the attention of Italian Serie A side Verona by scoring 21 goals in 79 games with Cruz Azul, an impressive achievement for a midfielder. He moved to Italy in 2000, signing with Verona where he played for two years.

Juventus

In 2002, Camoranesi was signed on a co-ownership deal; initially Juventus paid Verona €4.8 million (reportedly £3 million) and gave them co-ownership of Max Vieri.^{[citation needed]} On 26 June 2003, he was signed outright by the Bianconeri on a permanent basis for an additional fee of €5 million; this was the same day Juventus signed Marco Di Vaio and Enzo Maresca in similar deals.^[3]

Camoranesi won Serie A in 2002–03, and Italian Super Cups in 2002 and 2003. Camoranesi was also a Serie A champion with the GVH in 2004–05 and 2005–06, but Juventus were stripped of both of those titles as another result of the 2006 Italian football scandal.

Despite his agent Sergio Fortunato linking the player to clubs such as Lyon, Valencia, and Liverpool over the summer of 2006, following Juventus's relegation, Camoranesi made an announcement himself in September, pledging loyalty to Juventus "In January, I will not ask to be sold; I'm happy to stay here.",^[4] he stated.

Camoranesi contributed to a number of notable goals when Juventus played in Serie B after the relegation. Against Lecce in April 2007, he performed an impressive piece of skill similar to a Cruyff turn, turning the ball through a defender's legs on the wing, before retrieving it to help set up Juventus's first goal of the match. Later in the match, he scored his side's third; Camoranesi took the ball past three Lecce defenders, before hitting the ball from the edge of the box, with his left foot into the top corner.^[5] Just days before he had scored a header in the 2–0 victory against close title contenders Napoli. His original shirt number was 16, but was changed to 8 for the 2007–08 season. He changed back to number 16 from 8 after just one season. Despite suffering several injuries during the 2007–08 season, he was a very important and influential player in Juventus' return season. He also won the award Guerin d'Oro in this Season.

Camoranesi had an impressive pre-season before the up and coming 2008–09 Serie A season. After struggling in the first few games in the start of Serie A season 2009–10, Camoranesi came back strongly and proved to be one of Juventus' most important players. He managed to get his name on ths scoresheet too, scoring the solitary goal against Maccabi Haifa in the Champions League, as well as a brace in a 5–2 win over Atalanta.

Stuttgart

On 31 August 2010, Camoranesi signed a one-year contract with Stuttgart as a free agent.^[6] His contract with Juventus was mutually terminated on the same day.^[7] On 26 January 2011, his contract with Stuttgart was mutually terminated, with Camoranesi admitting that he "just didn't fit in the club sporting wise, although he liked the team, the people and the city." He wants to continue his career in Argentina.^[8]

Lanús

On 2 February 2011, Camoranesi signed a two-year contract with Lanús with the option to coach youth players if he decides to retire.^[9]. In October 2011, Camoranesi made headlines for kicking an opponent in the head. Camoranesi fouled Patricio Toranzo and was shown a red card by the referee. Instead of walking off, Camoranesi ran back and kicked Toranzo in the head while Toranzo was still lying on the ground. Toranzo later commented that Camoranesi is "not much of a man, just a coward" and suggested Camoranesi would need to see a psychiatrist for his violent behaviour. Camoranesi faces a long ban from football after kicking an opponent in the head.^{[10] [11]}

International career

Camoranesi is an Italian Argentine;^[12] his dual citizenship made him eligible to play for either Argentina or Italy, but the Azzurri showed interest in him first and, on 12 February 2003, he made his international debut in a friendly match against Portugal, which Italy won 1–0, under former coach Giovanni Trapattoni. Camoranesi played for Italy at UEFA Euro 2004 and was also part of Marcello Lippi's Italy team which won the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He has been capped 55 times by Italy and has scored five goals, the first of which came in Italy's 2006 World Cup qualifier away to Belarus on 7 September 2005, which the Italians won 4–1.

During the 2006 World Cup Finals in Germany, he admitted the reason for not singing Italy's national anthem before their matches was because he did not know the words,^[13] although he could be seen singing (at least a part of) the anthem during the World Cup celebrations in Circus Maximus on 10 July 2006. Camoranesi was not the first Juventus player born in Argentina to play for Italy; Omar Sivori played for gli azzurri as well.

At the end of the final match in Germany's World Cup, in which Italy defeated France on penalties, Camoranesi had teammate Massimo Oddo chop off a large chunk of his long hair as the rest of the squad danced around them in a circle. Camoranesi then went up to the camera and dedicated the triumph by saying in Spanish: "Para los pibes del barrio..."

Camoranesi commented in an interview in regards to the World Cup victory: "I feel Argentine but I have defended the colors of Italy, which is in my blood, with dignity. That is something nobody can take away."^[14]

He was successively called up to Italy's squads for UEFA Euro 2008 and 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. Then he took part also at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, his last experience with the Italian national team.

Club career statistics

^[15]

Club performance			League		Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Mexico			League		Cup		North America		Total
1995–96	Santos Laguna	Primera División	13	1					13	1
1996–97			9	7					9	7
Uruguay			League		Cup		South America		Total
1997	Montevideo Wanderers	Primera División	6	1					6	1
Argentina			League		Cup		South America		Total
1997–98	Banfield	Primera B Nacional	38	16					38	16
Mexico			League		Cup		North America		Total
1998–99	Cruz Azul	Primera División	33	11					33	11
1999–00			31	9					31	9
Italy			League		Coppa Italia		Europe		Total
2000–01	Hellas Verona	Serie A	22	4	1	0	-		23	4
2001–02			29	3	1	0	-		30	3
2002–03	Juventus	Serie A	30	4	1	0	13	1	44	5
2003–04			26	3	5	1	4	0	35	4
2004–05			36	4	1	0	9	1	46	5
2005–06			34	3	0	0	9	0	43	3
2006–07		Serie B	33	4	2	0	-		35	4
2007–08		Serie A	22	5	1	0	-		23	2
2008–09			19	1	1	0	6	1	26	2
2009–10			24	3	0	0	9	1	33	4
Germany			League		DFB-Pokal		Europe		Total
2010–11	Stuttgart	Bundesliga	7	0	0	0	6	0	13	0
Argentina			League		Cup		South America		Total
2011	Lanús	Primera División	23	1					23	1
Country	Mexico		86	28					86	28
	Uruguay		6	1					6	1
	Argentina		50	16					39	16
	Italy		275	34	13	1	50	4	338	39
	Germany		7	0	0	0	6	0	13	0
Total			436	80	13	1	50	4	497	85

International career statistics

Italy national team
Year	Apps	Goals
2003	6	0
2004	5	0
2005	7	2
2006	11	1
2007	4	0
2008	9	1
2009	11	1
2010	2	0
Total	55	5

Honours

• Primera División de México:

• Winner: 1996 (Santos Laguna)
• Runner-up (1): 1999 (Cruz Azul)

Juventus

• Serie A

• Winner (1): 2002–03

• Coppa Italia

• Runner-up (1): 2003–04

• Supercoppa Italiana

• Winner (2): 2002, 2003
• Runner-up (1): 2005

• Serie B: 2006–07

• UEFA Champions League

• Runner-up (1): 2002–03

International

• FIFA World Cup: 2006

References

1. ^ "?". FIFA.com. http://www.fifa.com/en/organisation/president/index/0,4095,129202,00.html?articleid=129202. ^{[dead link]}
2. ^ "?". AscotSportal.com. http://www.ascotsportal.com/news/newsdtl.aspx?PID=89262e2c-3beb-4080-bd5e-949f498ecbcc&CID=4ca0fc99-f8bf-4260-b379-ee5bca3085eb&NID=e47baa4d-fe98-4feb-a0ff-a007b8e62e87. ^{[dead link]}
3. ^ "Reports and Financial Statements at 30 June 2003". juventus.com. http://www.juventus.com/site/filesite/finance/bilanci_relazioni/28_ott_2003_eng.pdf. Retrieved 16 February 2011. 
4. ^ "Football Italia @ Bravo". http://www.bravo.co.uk/footballitalia/newsdetail.php?n=694&p=1. ^{[dead link]}
5. ^ "Channel 4 – Week 34 Serie B". http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/breps34.html. ^{[dead link]}
6. ^ "VfB sign Camoranesi". VfB Stuttgart. 31 August 2010. http://vfb.de/archiv/en/aktuell/news/2010/38391.php. Retrieved 31 August 2010. 
7. ^ "Camoranesi: consensual rescinding of contract". Juventus F.C.. 31 August 2010. http://www.juventus.com/site/eng/NEWS_newsseriea_217E16A170E249DFBAC398EE413AC05F.asp. Retrieved 31 August 2010. ^{[dead link]}
8. ^ "All the best Mauro!". VfB Stuttgart. 26 January 2011. http://www.vfb.de/en/aktuell/meldungen/2010//alles-gute-mauro!/page/413-0-1-1296123573.html. Retrieved 31 January 2011. 
9. ^ "Mauro Camoranesi Signs Two-Year Deal With Lanús". Club Atlético Lanús. 2 February 2011. http://www.goal.com/en/news/585/argentina/2011/02/02/2335139/official-mauro-camoranesi-signs-two-year-deal-with-lanus. Retrieved 2 February 2011. 
10. ^ "Mauro Camoranesi needs therapy". Goal.com. 29 October 2011. http://www.goal.com/en/news/585/argentina/2011/10/28/2732214/racing-clubs-patricio-toranzo-mauro-camoranesi-needs-therapy. Retrieved 29 October 2011. 
11. ^ "Sparkar liggande spelare i huvudet". Aftonbladet. 29 October 2011. http://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotboll/internationell/ovrigaligor/article13855572.ab. Retrieved 29 October 2011. 
12. ^ He is a third generation Italian Argentine, whose Italian descent dates back to a great-grandfather from Porto Potenza Picena, in the Italian region of Marche (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJYgQWHBjyU&feature=related)
13. ^ "Argentina's my anthem: Camoranesi". ESPN Soccernet. 14 June 2008. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=371118&cc=5739. Retrieved 16 February 2011. 
14. ^ "?". lastampa.it. http://www.lastampa.it/sport/cmsSezioni/quijuve/200610articoli/4281girata.asp. ^{[dead link]}
15. ^ Mauro Camoranesi at National-Football-Teams.com

External links

• Mauro Camoranesi – FIFA competition record
• Mauro Camoranesi at National-Football-Teams.com
• Statistics at Guardian StatsCentre
• FootballDatabase profile and stats
• Argentine Primera statistics (Spanish)
• Official Juventus Website Profile
• ESPN:The reluctant Italian

Persondata
Name	Camoranesi Serra, Mauro German
Alternative names
Short description	Footballer
Date of birth	4 October 1976
Place of birth	Tandil, Argentina
Date of death
Place of death