Gene Gnocchi

Football player infobox
playername = Gene Gnocchi


fullname = Eugenio Ghiozzi
height =
nickname = "Gene"
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1955|3|1
cityofbirth = Fidenza
countryofbirth = Italy
currentclub = Parma
clubnumber = 52
position =
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 2007
clubs = Parma
caps(goals) = 0 (0)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
pcupdate = 23/3/2007
ntupdate = 23/3/2007

Gene Gnocchi (byname of Eugenio Ghiozzi; born March 1, 1955), best known by his stage name is an Italian television presenter, comedian and footballer.

Gene Gnocchi was born in Fidenza into a working class family. He was an aspiring vocalist in a rock band when he was younger, and also has a degree as a lawyer; however, both these different roads produced quite unsuccessful results.

He took advice from the general public and took the road of a comedian. He started to appear on the then unknown stage of Milan's Zelig in the 1980s, as well as an emerging comedian on the Maurizio Costanzo Show.

Gene started enjoying success in the 1990s and now is mostly known for his role in "Quelli che il calcio", a Raidue football-related TV show with Simona Ventura, usually aired on Sundays.

The Serie A dream

During the 2006/2007 edition of "Quelli che il calcio", Gene Gnocchi challenged the entire world of football, asking for an opportunity to play five minutes in a Serie A match. He wants to prove that he is a better than some of the overestimated Serie A players, and wants to remind that at the end of the day football is only a game.

A lot have encouraged this initiative, including Marcello Lippi and Alessandro Del Piero. Four teams, Atalanta, Bologna (of Serie B), Siena and Torino in fact offered a trial to the comedian.

On 23 March 2007, at 52 years of age, he finally signed a three-months contract with Parma, [ [http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/mar23l.html Parma net veteran comedian!] (Channel4.com)] that is also his favourite Serie A team, for a yearly wage of €18,000, the minimum salary allowed in Italy for a professional footballer. He chose to wear the #52 shirt, referring to his age, with the name "Gnoccao", a spoof on Brazilian footballers based on his name. [ [http://www.fcparma.it/it/NewsDetail.aspx?Id=81577 FCParma.it] ] . He was initially expected to make his debut on the last league matchday, on May 27, 2007, against Empoli. However, as Parma was still involved in the relegation battle, Gnocchi's Serie A debut did not happen. He made his debut with the Parma jersey on May 31 in a friendly match against Carpenedolo. [ [http://www.fcparma.it/it/NewsDetail.aspx?Id=83262 FCParma.it] ]

References

External links

*it icon [http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Squadre/Parma/Primo_Piano/2007/03_Marzo/23/ghirardi.shtml Parma chairman on Gnocchi's signing]
* [http://italian.imdb.com/name/nm0323515/ Internet Movie Database Entry]
*it icon [http://www.tgcom.mediaset.it/sport/articoli/articolo354500.shtml TgCom Article]