Fabrizio Ravanelli

Infobox Football biography
playername = Fabrizio Ravanelli
fullname = Fabrizio Ravanelli


nickname = "Penna Bianca" (White Feather) The Silver Fox
height = height|m=1.88
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1968|12|11
cityofbirth = Perugia
countryofbirth = Italy
currentclub =
position = Striker (retired)
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1986-1989
1989
1989-1990
1990-1991
1991-1992
1992-1996
1996-1998
1998-2000
2000-2001
2001-2003
2003
2004-2005
clubs = Perugia
Avellino
Casertana
Avellino
Reggiana
Juventus
Middlesbrough
Olympique de Marseille
Lazio
Derby County
Dundee
Perugia
Total
caps(goals) = 090 0(41)
007 00(0)
027 0(12)
000 00(0)
032 00(8)
111 0(41)
034 0(17)
045 0(21)
027 00(4)
050 0(14)
005 00(3)
039 00(9)
467 (167)
nationalyears = 1995-1998
nationalteam = Italy
nationalcaps(goals) = 022 00(8)

Fabrizio Ravanelli (born December 11, 1968) is a former Italian football player.

Ravanelli was born in Perugia. He has played with a dozen European teams, among them Perugia, Juventus, Lazio, Marseille, Middlesbrough, Derby County and Dundee F.C., as well as getting 22 caps with the Italian national team.

Known as the "White Feather" in recognition of his prematurely whitened hair, he was one of Europe's top goalscorers in the mid 1990s. Playing for Juventus, Ravanelli won one Serie A title (1994-95), one Coppa Italia (1994-95), one SuperCoppa Italiana (1995), one Champions League (1995-96), and one UEFA Cup (1992-93).

He made an immediate positive impact on moving into the English Premier League with Bryan Robson's Middlesbrough though his success was not sustained. He scored a hat-trick on his debut against Liverpool on the opening day of the 1996-97 season. Despite being one of the league's top scorers, Middlesbrough were relegated in the year that he joined. He alienated himself from teammates and fans with his constant complaints and criticisms of the club's training regime and facilities, as well as the town itself, despite being the [http://www.4thegame.com/club/mfc/news/18020/ highest paid footballer in the Premiership] at the time. Whilst at the club he resided in the local small North Yorkshire village of Hutton Rudby where Middlesbrough football associates such as Paul Merson, Gordon McQueen and several other notable individuals have had residences. He was regarded as very supportive of the local community and specifically charity events.

He joined Derby County in 2001 because he was still hungry, but could not save the club from relegation in 2002. Due to Derby's financial problems they had to defer his wage payments which they paid for several years.

He then joined Dundee following the end of his Derby contract but was sacked after the club released all of their top earners.

After the experience in Scotland he went back home to finish his career with Perugia, where he tried to help the club out of relegation trouble.

He now works as a football pundit for SKY Italia and Mediaset.

Trivia

* He scored for Juventus in the 1996 Champions League Final against Ajax.
* Ravanelli's signature celebration when scoring a goal was pulling his shirt over his head and running around the field. Ravanelli has been a big opposer to the new FIFA rule put in place where a player gets a yellow card for removing his shirt during a celebration.

* Ravanelli features in the Playstation game, ISS Pro as 'Caliuto'. The different name is presumably due to matters of copyright.

* Ravanelli also features in FIFA 2005 as 'Penna Bianca' due to copyright reasons wearing number 36, although John Motson commentates on him as Ravenelli.

* The only game in which Ravanelli scored for Dundee was against Clyde in a League Cup match. He ended up scoring a hatrick.

* In September 271994 he scored 5 goals in only one match.( Juventus-CSKA Sofia 5-1 )

External links

* [http://www.juventus1897.it/articolo.asp?id=2123 Ravanelli's biography] it icon
* [http://www.ravanelli.com/ Ravanelli's Website]