Alessandro Gamberini Italian footballer, central defender Date of Birth: 27.08.1981 Country: Italy

1. Early Life and Career
2. Bologna Debut and Loan to Verona
3. Return to Bologna and Transfer to Fiorentina
4. Success at Fiorentina
5. National Team Career
6. Later Career

Early Life and Career

Alessandro Gamberini was born on August 27, 1981, in Arezzo, Italy. He began his football career with the youth team of Bologna FC, primarily as a center-back due to his height. However, he also occasionally played in midfield.

Bologna Debut and Loan to Verona

On January 9, 2000, Gamberini made his professional debut with Bologna in a Serie A match against Lazio, which they lost 1-3. He spent three more seasons at Bologna, making occasional appearances as a promising player, earning caps for Italy's U-20 and U-21 teams. In 2002, Gamberini was loaned to Serie B club Hellas Verona, where he became a regular starter until an injury sidelined him towards the end of the season.

Return to Bologna and Transfer to Fiorentina

Upon his return to Bologna, Gamberini established himself as a key player, making 44 appearances over two seasons before the club was relegated to Serie B. In 2005, he was transferred to Fiorentina for a fee of €3 million.

Success at Fiorentina

Gamberini's first season at Fiorentina was marred by injuries, limiting him to only 19 appearances. However, from the 2006/2007 season onwards, he became a pillar in the "Viola's" central defense. On March 4, 2007, he scored his first Serie A goals in a match against Torino, breaking a drought of 134 professional matches. Later that season, he was voted Fiorentina's Player of the Year in a fan poll. In the following seasons, Gamberini helped Fiorentina achieve fourth-place finishes in Serie A.

National Team Career

Gamberini represented Italy at the U-21 level, winning the 2004 European Under-21 Championship. He was called up to the senior Italy squad in 2006 by Marcello Lippi for pre-World Cup training. In August of that year, Roberto Donadoni included him in a friendly match against Croatia, but he did not feature. Gamberini made his international debut on October 17, 2007, in a friendly match against South Africa. He was called up to Italy's squad for the 2008 European Championship to replace the injured Fabio Cannavaro but did not play in the tournament.

Later Career

In 2011, Gamberini was named captain of Fiorentina. He later moved to Chievo in 2015, where he remained until his retirement in 2019.