Fabiano Santacroce

Infobox Football biography
playername = Fabiano Santacroce
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1986|8|24
cityofbirth = Camaçari
countryofbirth = Brazil
height = Height|m=1.81
position = Centre back
currentclub = Napoli
clubnumber = 13
youthyears =
youthclubs = Como
years = 2004–2005 2005–2007 2008–
clubs = Como Brescia
Napoli
caps(goals) = 15 (0) 43 (3) 17 (0)
nationalyears = 2007–
2008–
nationalteam = Italy U-21
Italy
nationalcaps(goals) = 03 (0)
00 (0)
pcupdate = October 5 2008
ntupdate = November 21 2007

Fabiano Santacroce (born 24 August 1986 in Camaçari, Bahia) is an Italian footballer playing for Napoli. He was born in Brazil to an Italian father and a Brazilian mother, then spending his childhood in the Lombard town of Casatenovo, in Northern Italy.

Career

Brescia

Santacroce moved his first footsteps into the youth system of Brescia, and made his first debut for the "rondinelle" in a Serie B game on 23 April 2006, against Cesena. He played at Brescia from 2005 to 2007, also ensuring a place in the Italian U-21 team due to his impressive performances with the Lombardian side.

Napoli

During the January 2008 transfer window, Serie A club Napoli completed the signing of Santacroce in a permanent move, becoming the third Brescia player to join the "azzurri" that year, the other two being Marek Hamšík and Daniele Mannini. He quickly established himself into Napoli's regular lineup, forming a valid defense duo with team captain Paolo Cannavaro, and playing very well throughout the remainder of the season. Santacroce has been described by a number of people in Italy, including Napoli President Aurelio De Laurentiis, as the "new Alessandro Nesta" [ [http://www.goal.com/en/articolo.aspx?contenutoid=625057 Goal.com - Editorial - Calcio Debate: Fabiano Santacroce – The ‘New Alessandro Nesta’? ] ]

International career

In 2008–09, Santacroce was confirmed as a Napoli regular, and his performances were quickly noted by new Italy head coach Marcello Lippi, who on October 5, 2008 called him to join the "azzurri" squad for the FIFA World Cup 2010 qualification matches against Bulgaria and Montenegro. [cite news |url=http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11844_4251638,00.html |publisher=SKY Sports |accessdate=2008-10-06 |date=2008-10-06 |title=Rossi handed Italian call-up] Santacroce dedicated his first senior call-up to his former Como youth team coach Stefano Borgonovo, who is battling Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. [cite news |url=http://it.eurosport.yahoo.com/06102008/2/santacroce-dedica-borgonovo.html |publisher=Yahoo! Eurosport Italia |accessdate=2008-10-06 |date=2008-10-06 |title=Santacroce, dedica a Borgonovo |language=Italian]

References

External links

*it icon [http://www.gazzetta.it/speciali/serie_b/2008_nw/giocatori/79076.shtml gazzetta.it]