Gianni Comandini

Gianni Comandini
Personal information
Date of birth	18 May 1977 (age 47)
Place of birth	Cesena, Italy
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Youth career
	Cesena
Senior career*
Years	Team
1994–1996	Cesena
1996–1997	Montevarchi
1997–1999	Cesena
1999–2000	Vicenza
2000–2001	AC Milan
2001–2005	Atalanta
2004	→ Genoa (loan)
2005	→ Ternana (loan)
Total
International career
1998–2000	Italy U21
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gianni Comandini (born 18 May 1977) is an Italian former footballer who played principally as a forward.

Club career

Early career

Born in Cesena, Comandini joined the youth academy of his hometown team AC Cesena, and made his full debut for them in Serie B during the 1995–96 championship. After appearing once during the season he transferred for a year to Serie C1 side Montevarchi, returning in 1997–98 to newly relegated Cesena. There he played regularly throughout the season, contributing to the team's promotion back to Serie B.

In 1998 Comandini signed to join Vicenza; the contract specified that he would first spend another season with Cesena, for whom he scored 14 times during the season. At Vicenza, he was the club's top scorer during the 1999–2000 season, his 20 goals contributing to the team's Serie B championship title and promotion to Serie A. At the season's close he was sold to AC Milan for around 20 billion lire. ^{[citation needed]}

During his first season in Serie A Comandini played in 13 games, scoring twice, both times in the 6–0 derby against Internazionale on 11 May 2001, in the 30th matchday of the 2000–01 season. He also scored in a 2000–01 UEFA Champions League qualifier against Dinamo Zagreb.^[1]

Atalanta

In June 2001, Comandini was sold to Atalanta for 30 billion lire; teammate Luigi Sala for 7 billion lire.;^[2] teammate Luca Saudati for 18 billion lire as part of Cristian Zenoni and Massimo Donati's deal to Milan.

He scored four times for Atalanta during 2001–02, and appeared in ten games during their 2003–04 campaign, before transferring to Serie B side Genoa in January 2004. He returned later that year to Atalanta, for whom he appeared twice in Serie A, before a January 2005 transfer to Ternana, where he made seven appearances.

In 2006, following persistent physical problems and at age 29, Comandini retired from professional football. He moved back to Cesena, where he opened a restaurant and played for the Polisportiva Force Vigne, an amateur side founded by his father Paolo in 1983 and affiliated to the Italian amateur sports federation Centro Sportivo Italiano.^[3]

International career

Comandini was a member of the Italy Under 21 national side between 1998 and 2000, earning 19 caps and scoring 6 goals, usually playing as a second striker behind Nicola Ventola. Comandini represented Italy at the 2000 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, under manager Marco Tardelli, and was an important part of the team's successful campaign, as they won the tournament.^[4]

The same year, being eligible for the under 23 side and having never appeared for the full Italy national side in a World Cup, he represented Italy at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games in Sydney. He appeared in four games, including the quarter-final defeat to finalists Spain.^[5]^[4]

Honours

Club

Vicenza

Serie B: 1999–2000

International

Italy U21

UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 2000

References

^ "Inter suffer setback against Helsingborg". espnfc.com. 9 August 2000. Retrieved 18 November 2015.
^ Pietro Serina (30 June 2001). "Comandini, Sala, Dabo: l' Atalanta si fa grande". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 27 April 2010.
^ Calpietra, Alessio Gianni Comandini: "Ho lasciato il calcio perchè è un ambiente non sempre limpido", Tutto Mercato, 6 October 2006
^ ^a ^b "Nazionale in cifre: Commandini, Gianni". figc.it (in Italian). FIGC. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2015.
^ Player stats at Fifa official website

[1] "Inter suffer setback against Helsingborg". espnfc.com. 9 August 2000. Retrieved 18 November 2015.

[2] Pietro Serina (30 June 2001). "Comandini, Sala, Dabo: l' Atalanta si fa grande". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 27 April 2010.

[3] Calpietra, Alessio Gianni Comandini: "Ho lasciato il calcio perchè è un ambiente non sempre limpido", Tutto Mercato, 6 October 2006

[Nazionale_in_cifre:_Commandini,_Gianni-4] "Nazionale in cifre: Commandini, Gianni". figc.it (in Italian). FIGC. Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 28 April 2015.

[5] Player stats at Fifa official website

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