Francesco Flachi

Infobox Football biography
playername = Francesco Flachi


fullname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1975|4|8
cityofbirth = Florence
countryofbirth = Italy
height = height|m=1.72
position = Striker
currentclub = Empoli
clubnumber = 7
youthyears =
youthclubs = Fiorentina
years = 1993–1999
1996–1997
1998
1998–2007
2009–
clubs = Fiorentina
→Bari (loan)
→Ancona (loan)
Sampdoria
Empoli
caps(goals) = 037 00(4)
021 00(3)
017 0(10)
250 (107)

nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
pcupdate =
ntupdate =

Francesco Flachi (born April 8, 1975 in Florence) is an Italian footballer. A deep-lying striker with valuable scoring abilities, Flachi is currently contracted with Empoli F.C., but will not be able to make his debut before January 2009 due to a cocaine-related ban he received on early 2007. [cite news|url=http://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/index.php?action=read&id=109853 |publisher=TuttoMercatoWeb |language=Italian |accessdate=2008-06-22 |date=2008-06-22 |title=UFFICIALE: Flachi all'Empoli]

Club career

Fiorentina, Bari and Ancona: 1993-1998

After some years the Fiorentina youth team, Flachi got his senior debut in 1993 in Serie B in the season they achieved promotion, scoring twice in twelve games. His Serie A debut was on 4 September, 1994, against Cagliari Calcio in a 2-1 win.

Flachi lost his place in the squad, and in the season 1996-1997 he was loaned out to Bari. His good performances prompted a return to Florence, but the competition of Gabriel Batistuta and Luis Oliveira was ruthless, and in January 1998, Flachi was again loaned, this time to A.C. Ancona, where he got an impressive 10 goals in 17 games.

1999: Move to Sampdoria

Upon leaving his childhood club, Flachi moved to U.C. Sampdoria, who had just been relegated to the Serie B, and spent the next 4 years in ‘‘purgatory’’.

In the first season with "Samp", with manager Giampiero Ventura, he did not succeed to gain a starter berth, still scoring 5 times in 28 games. In the following season, with the arrival of coach Luigi Cagni, he scored 17 times in 34 matches, as well as creating many too. In 2001-2002, he became known by fans as "salvatore della patria", "saviour of the homeland" in Italian. In that season, which would be the last for the Genovese outfit in the second flight, Flachi recorded 16 goals in 37 games.

The arrival of president Garrone, Serie A and national limelight

In 2002, the "Blucerchiati" were bought by Riccardo Garrone, and Walter Novellino was hired, with Flachi netting 9 goals in 35 appearances upon the return to Serie A, while also welcoming his first daughter, Valentina.

His relationship with Novellino was not ideal. They had numerous arguments on and off the pitch. Flachi paid for his attitude by remaining on the bench in the first half of the Serie A 2003-04. As the partnership of Massimo Marazzina and Atsushi Yanagisawa did not click, Novellino began playing Flachi and Fabio Bazzani with good results. The team eventually finished 8th, with 24 goals between Flachi (11) and Bazzani (13).

In the Serie A 2004-05, with 14 goals in 35 appearances and some assists, Flachi achieved somewhat of a legend status amongst fans of the "Blucerchiati". In that season Sampdoria nearly earned UEFA Champions League qualification but had to settle for 5th, meaning a return to Europe. In 2005-06, Flachi continued to display top football (31 matches, 11 goals), this time accompanied by new striker Emiliano Bonazzoli. However, Sampdoria failed to quaify from their UEFA Cup group and finished 14th in the league (12th after the match fixing scandal).

Betting and cocaine

On September 21 2006, Flachi was suspended for two months by the Italian Football Federation as investigations concluded he and teammate (2003-05) Moris Carrozzieri were gathering information for gamblers in Italian football. Their club received a €20,000 fine. [ [http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=380773&cc=5739 Sampdoria striker gets ban for gambling offence] , soccernet.espn, September 21 2006]

Trace amounts of cocaine were found in Flachi's system in a random test after a 2-0 loss to Inter Milan on January 28, 2007. On May 31, he was suspended for 16 months. Later, the ban was increased to two years. [ [http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/news/kind=2/newsid=545293.html Flachi to sit out 16 months] , UEFA.com, May 31 2007] As a result of the ban his contract with Sampdoria was canceled.

Following the ban, Flachi started training with Eccellenza Tuscany team Pietrasanta, hoping to return back into active football once his ban expires. [cite news |url=http://www.repubblica.it/2008/02/sezioni/persone/flachi/flachi/flachi.html |publisher=La Repubblica |language=Italian |date=2008-02-15 |accessdate=2008-06-22 |title=Flachi:"La mia vita senza pallone" Paure, dvd e psicofarmaci] On June 2008, Serie B club Empoli F.C. announced to have completed his signing; he would be able to play competitive football from January 2009 on. [cite news |url=http://www.empolifc.it/documento.php?id=7166 |accessdate=2008-06-22 |date=2008-06-22 |title=Francesco Flachi in azzurro |language=Italian |publisher=Empoli FC]

International carer

Flachi represented Italy's U18 team in the 1992 European Under-18 Football Championship. He was also called-up once for the Italian main squad, but did not debut.

References

External links

*it icon [http://www.figc.it/nazionali/DettaglioConvocato?codiceConvocato=1438 National team stats]
*it icon [http://www.sampdoria.it/MostraInfo.asp?id_info=5823 Sampdoria profile]

Persondata
NAME= Flachi, Francesco
ALTERNATIVE NAMES= Flachi, Francesco
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Footballer
DATE OF BIRTH= 1975-4-8
PLACE OF BIRTH= Florence, Italy
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=