Andrea Barzagli (; born 8 May 1981) is an Italian former professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...
who played as a
centre-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Defenders fall into four main categories: centre-backs, full-backs, sweepers ...
. He was selected to the
Serie A Team of the Year
The AIC Serie A Team of the Year (in Italian: ''Squadra dell’anno AIC'') is an annual award given to a set of eleven footballers in the top tier of Football in Italy, Italian football, the Serie A, who are considered to have performed the best d ...
four times.
After playing for several smaller Italian clubs in the lower divisions of Italian football in his early career, he made his Serie A debut with
Chievo
Chievo (4,500 inhabitants) is a frazione of Verona located to the west of the city, around from the historic city centre, on the shores of the river Adige.
It is best known for its football team, A.C. ChievoVerona.
History
The name came from t ...
in 2003, and eventually came to prominence while playing for
Palermo
Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...
. In 2008, he was signed by German side
VfL Wolfsburg
Verein für Leibesübungen Wolfsburg e. V., commonly known as VfL Wolfsburg (), is a German professional sports club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. The club grew out of a multi-sports club for Volkswagen workers in the city of Wolfsburg. I ...
, where he remained for two and a half seasons, winning a
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany and the highest level of the German football league system. The Bundesliga comprises 18 teams ...
title in 2009. In 2011, he returned to Italy, joining Juventus, where he later won eight consecutive
Serie A
The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
titles between 2012 and 2019, among other trophies, including a record of four consecutive
Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since.
Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
titles between 2015 and 2018; having also played two UEFA Champions League finals between 2015 and 2017.
At international level, he represented the
Italy national football team
The Italy national football team () has represented Italy in men's international Association football, football since its first match in 1910. The national team is controlled by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), the governing body for fo ...
on 73 occasions between 2004 and 2017, taking part at the
2004 Summer Olympic Games
The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece.
The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...
where he obtained a bronze medal, at two
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is an international association football competition among the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the FIFA, Fédération Internatio ...
s (
2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
and
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
), three
UEFA European Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro or Euros, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition ...
s (
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
,
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
, and
2016
2016 was designated as:
* International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly.
* International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
), and at the
2013 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup was the ninth FIFA Confederations Cup, which was held in Brazil from 15 to 30 June 2013 as a prelude to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The most recent winners of the six continental championships appeared in the tourn ...
, where himself and the team also won bronze. He was most notably a member of the Italian
2006 World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams represe ...
winning squad, as well as a starting member of the Italian squad that reached the
UEFA Euro 2012 final
The UEFA Euro 2012 final was the final match of Euro 2012, the fourteenth edition of the European Championship, UEFA's competition for national football teams. The match was played at the Olympic Stadium in Kyiv, Ukraine, on 1 July 2012, and was ...
.
Club career
Early career in Italy
In the 1998–99 season, Barzagli made his first professional football appearance with semi-professional
Rondinella
Rondinella is an Italian wine grape variety. Almost all of the total global growing area of is in the Veneto region of northern Italy, and the grapes are used in wines from the Valpolicella and Bardolino wine regions. Rondinella always appea ...
before moving to
Serie B
The Serie B (), officially known as Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had b ...
side
Pistoiese
Football Club Pistoiese SSD, commonly known as Pistoiese, is an Italian association football club, based in Pistoia, Tuscany. Currently, Pistoiese plays in Serie D. Originally founded on 21 April 1921, the club has also played Serie A on a num ...
in 2000–01,
[ in a co-ownership deal. He initially played as a ]midfielder
In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...
, before being moved to defence by manager Giuseppe Pillon
Giuseppe "Bepi" Pillon (born 8 February 1956) is an Italian football manager and former player.
Playing career
Born in Preganziol, Province of Treviso, Pillon moved his first footsteps into football with hometown team Pro Mogliano, before to joi ...
. A year later he rejoined Rondinella Calcio in Serie C2
Serie C2 was the fourth highest football league in Italy, the lowest with a professional status.
History
Before the 1978–79 season, there were only three professional football leagues in Italy, the third being Serie C. The league menaging t ...
. He then signed for Ascoli for the 2001–02 season[ (from ]Piacenza
Piacenza (; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, and the capital of the province of Piacenza, eponymous province. As of 2022, Piacenza is the ninth largest city in the region by population, with more ...
, a Serie A side from 2001 to 2003) and helped them gain promotion to Serie B
The Serie B (), officially known as Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had b ...
. He remained in Ascoli for another year without further success. In July 2003 he was sold by Piacenza in another co-ownership deal. He made his Serie A
The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
debut with Chievo
Chievo (4,500 inhabitants) is a frazione of Verona located to the west of the city, around from the historic city centre, on the shores of the river Adige.
It is best known for its football team, A.C. ChievoVerona.
History
The name came from t ...
in a 1–1 draw at Brescia
Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...
on 31 August 2003.[
On 20 July 2004, Barzagli was signed by Serie A outfit ]Palermo
Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...
, helping the club to an UEFA Cup
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star.
Computer scientists and Mathematici ...
spot during his first season with the club. He was bestowed with the captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
's armband after Eugenio Corini
Eugenio Corini (born 30 July 1970) is an Italian professional football coach and former player.
A talented, dynamic, and hard-working playmaker, known for his precise long passing, flair and his ability to orchestrate his team's attacking moves ...
controversially left the Sicilian club in the summer of the 2007–08 season.
Wolfsburg
In 2008, Barzagli was in contract negotiations with Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Florence, Tuscany. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while ...
and was widely expected to sign. To everyone's surprise the deal fell through as Barzagli, a native Florentine, had already stated his eagerness to join. Barzagli's agent spoke to media saying: "The difference between what we were asking and what they offered was minimal – it amounted to £100,000. Andrea was willing to give up a lot of money to play for Fiorentina, but they didn’t take our requests into consideration". Instead Barzagli choose to join VfL Wolfsburg
Verein für Leibesübungen Wolfsburg e. V., commonly known as VfL Wolfsburg (), is a German professional sports club based in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony. The club grew out of a multi-sports club for Volkswagen workers in the city of Wolfsburg. I ...
and the Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany and the highest level of the German football league system. The Bundesliga comprises 18 teams ...
following fellow Italian and teammate Cristian Zaccardo
Cristian Zaccardo (; born 21 December 1981) is an Italian former footballer who played as a defender. He mainly played as a centre back, although he was also capable of playing as a full-back or in midfield.
He began his club career with Ita ...
. He was given the number 43. It was later reported that the Italian international snubbed Fiorentina's five-year £1.2 million contract for VfL Wolfsburg's three-year offer of £2.5 million. The official transfer fee was €12.95 million. Barzagli played every minute of the 2008–09 Bundesliga
The 2008–09 Bundesliga was the 46th season of the Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season began on 15 August 2008 with a 2–2 draw between defending champions Bayern Munich and Hamburger SV and ended with the last matches o ...
championship winning season for Wolfsburg. He later credited his Wolfsburg coach during the 2008–09 season, Felix Magath
Wolfgang Felix Magath (; born 26 July 1953) is a German football manager and former player.
The most notable spell of his playing career was with Hamburger SV, with whom he won three Bundesliga titles, the 1977 European Cup Winners' Cup Final a ...
, for having helped him to improve as a footballer and for instilling a stronger mentality and work ethic in him. On 15 September 2009, he made his UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
debut in Wolfsburg's 3–1 home win over CSKA Moscow
CSKA Moscow () is a Russian sports club based in Moscow. It was created in 1911 in the Russian Empire on base of OLLS (Skiing Society, founded 1901). Later, during the Soviet Union, Soviet era, it was the central part of the Armed Forces (sports ...
. He scored his first goal for Wolfsburg in a 4–0 win over TSG Hoffenheim on 4 April 2010. He closed his second season at Wolfsburg with two appearances in the Champions League and three in the Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
, as well as 1 goal in 24 league
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
* ''League of Legends'', a 2009 multiplayer online battle a ...
appearances. In his third season with the German club, he collected 17 league
League or The League may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Leagues'' (band), an American rock band
* ''The League'', an American sitcom broadcast on FX and FXX about fantasy football
* ''League of Legends'', a 2009 multiplayer online battle a ...
appearances before moving to Juventus
Juventus Football Club (; from , ), commonly known as Juventus or colloquially as Juve (), is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football clubs in Italy, club based in Turin, Piedmont, who compete in Serie A, the ...
in January.
Juventus
2011–2014
On 26 January 2011, Barzagli left Wolfsburg to return to Italy, joining Serie A giants Juventus for a contract of €300,000 fixed and €300,000 variable, which would keep him at the club until 2013. Barzagli's contract with Wolfsburg was due to expire on 30 June 2011. He made his debut with the Turin club in a 2–1 away defeat against his former team Palermo, on the 23rd match-day of the season on 2 February 2011. His first six months with the Bianconeri coincided with the second half of a terribly disappointing 2010–11 campaign under Luigi Delneri
Luigi Delneri (born 23 August 1950), often incorrectly written as Del Neri, is an Italian football manager and a former player.
After a playing career as a midfielder including for several Serie A clubs, he began managing in the lower leagues, a ...
, which saw the club finish only seventh in Serie A
The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
, with Barzagli making 15 appearances in the league that season.
With the arrival of Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte (; born 31 July 1969) is an Italian professional Association football, football manager and former player who is currently the head coach of Serie A club Napoli. He is widely regarded as one of the best football managers in the wo ...
as the new Juventus coach, Barzagli became an integral part of the Juventus backline, and was one of the club's most consistent performers, culminating in a recall to the national team
A national sports team (commonly known as a national team or a national side) is a team that represents a nation, rather than a particular club or region, in an international sport.
The term is most commonly associated with team sports, for exa ...
. Juventus finished the 2011–12 season with the best defence in Italy and in Europe, only conceding 20 goals in 38 appearances. Barzagli scored his first goal for Juventus on 13 May 2012, scoring a penalty against Atalanta
Atalanta (; ) is a heroine in Greek mythology.
There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia (region), Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene (mythology), Clymene and who is primarily known from the tales of the Caly ...
in the last league match of the season, in a 3–1 home win. He helped Juventus win the 2011–12 scudetto
The ''scudetto'' (; Italian for 'little shield') is a decoration having the colors of the flag of Italy which is sewn onto the jersey of the Italian sports clubs that won the highest level championship of their respective sport in the previous ...
undefeated, and the 2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
Supercoppa Italiana
The Supercoppa Italiana, also known as the Italian Super Cup, is an annual super cup tournament in Italian football. Founded in 1988 as a two-team competition, it has featured four teams since 2023 (the winners and runners-up of the previous ...
; Juventus also made the final of the Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since.
Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
that season. His stellar season earned him a place in the Serie A Team of the Year
The AIC Serie A Team of the Year (in Italian: ''Squadra dell’anno AIC'') is an annual award given to a set of eleven footballers in the top tier of Football in Italy, Italian football, the Serie A, who are considered to have performed the best d ...
. At the end of the season, he renewed his contract with Juventus until 2015.
During the 2012–13 season, Barzagli made a total of 45 appearances in all competitions for Juventus, his highest personal tally since his first season at Wolfsburg. Most of these were made alongside Leonardo Bonucci
Leonardo Bonucci (; born 1 May 1987) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a centre-back. Considered one of the best defenders of his generation, he was known for his technique, ball-playing skills, tackling and his ability ...
and Giorgio Chiellini
Giorgio Chiellini (; born 14 August 1984) is an Italian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Defender (association football)#Centre-back, centre-back or Defender (association football)#Full-back, left-back. Consi ...
in Antonio Conte's now typical three-man backline and 3–5–2 formation, as the club again prevailed in Serie A
The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
, winning their second consecutive title, and made their way to the quarter-finals of the Champions League and the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since.
Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
; due to their performances together, the three-man defence earned the nickname ''BBC'', a reference to the players' initials, and soon the trio established themselves as one of the best defences in world football during the following seasons. Although Barzagli did not score during the 2012–13 season, he impressed, however, in the home fixture against Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
People, characters, figures, names
* Roma or Romani people, an ethnic group living mostly in Europe and the Americas.
* Roma called Roy, ancient Egyptian High Priest of Amun
* Roma (footballer, born 1979), born ''Paul ...
in September 2012, when he won the ball in his own half, ran past an opponent with a "sombrero
In English, a , ; ) is a type of wide-brimmed Mexican men's hat used to shield the face and eyes from the sun. It usually has a high, pointed crown; an extra-wide brim (broad enough to cast a shadow over the head, neck, and shoulders of the w ...
", and made a lung-bursting run that culminated in a through-ball assist for Sebastian Giovinco
Sebastian Giovinco (; born 26 January 1987) is an Italian former professional association football, footballer who played as a forward (association football), forward. A quick and creative player on the ball, Giovinco was a versatile attacker c ...
, as Juventus won the match 4–1.
In the 2013–14 season, Barzagli's consistent performances continued for Juventus, despite having dealt with injury problems throughout the season. Juventus won the 2013 Supercoppa Italiana and their third consecutive Serie A title, their thirtieth overall, with a record 102 points, finishing again with the best defence in the League. Juventus disappointed in Europe, however, and were eliminated in the group stage of the Champion's League, although they managed to reach the semi-finals of the Europa League
The UEFA Europa League (UEL), usually known simply as the Europa League, is an annual association football, football club competition organised since 1971 by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) for eligible European footb ...
that season.
2014–2019
After the 2014 World Cup, Barzagli endured an injury and was operated in Finland on 1 July 2014, being ruled out for three months. Barzagli missed the entire first half of the 2014–15 season, and only returned to the starting line-up in a friendly match with the youth side. He was called up for the first leg of Juventus's semi-final match-up against Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since.
Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
. He made his first appearance for Juventus since his injury eight months before, coming on as a substitute in Juventus's 1–0 home win over Sassuolo
Sassuolo (; ) is an Italian town, ''comune'', and industrial centre of the Province of Modena in Emilia-Romagna.
Standing on the right bank of the river Secchia some southwest of Modena, the town is best known for being the centre of the Ita ...
on 9 March 2015. Barzagli started the next league game on 14 March 2015, helping Juventus to keep a clean sheet in a 1–0 away win over Palermo.
On 2 May 2015, Barzagli helped Juventus keep a clean sheet in a 1–0 away victory over Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria, commonly referred to as Sampdoria (), is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa, Liguria.
Sampdoria was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the ...
, which allowed the Turin club to clinch the Serie A title for a fourth consecutive season. On 20 May, he featured in Juventus's 2–1 victory over Lazio
Lazio ( , ; ) or Latium ( , ; from Latium, the original Latin name, ) is one of the 20 Regions of Italy, administrative regions of Italy. Situated in the Central Italy, central peninsular section of the country, it has 5,714,882 inhabitants an ...
in the 2015 Coppa Italia final, as Juventus completed a domestic double that season; this was also the club's record tenth Coppa Italia title. On 6 June, Barzagli started for Juventus in the 2015 UEFA Champions League final
The 2015 UEFA Champions League final was the final match of the 2014–15 UEFA Champions League, the 60th season of Europe's premier club football tournament organised by UEFA, and the 23rd season since it was renamed from the European Champion ...
, ahead of his injured defensive teammate Chiellini, but were defeated 3–1 by Barcelona
Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
at Berlin's Olympiastadion.
On 25 July, Barzagli sustained a thigh strain, and was initially ruled out for three weeks, meaning that he would miss the 2015 Supercoppa Italiana
The 2015 Supercoppa Italiana was the 28th edition of the Supercoppa Italiana. It was played on 8 August 2015 at the Shanghai Stadium in Shanghai, China. With Juventus winning both the 2014–15 Serie A championship and the 2014–15 Coppa Italia ...
; however, he was able to recover in time to start the match as Juventus defeated Lazio 2–0 on 8 August to claim a record seventh Supercoppa Italiana title.
During the beginning of the 2015–16 season, Barzagli demonstrated his versatility by filling in for the recovering Stephan Lichtsteiner
Stephan Lichtsteiner (; born 16 January 1984) is a Swiss former professional association football, footballer. An attacking right-back or wing-back (association football), wing-back, he was known for his energetic runs down the right winger, rig ...
as a rightback; in this position, he made a series of impressive performances, including an assist for Álvaro Morata
Álvaro Borja Morata Martín (born 23 October 1992) is a Spanish professional Football player, footballer who plays as a Striker (association football), striker for Süper Lig club Galatasaray S.K. (football), Galatasaray, on Loan (sports), loa ...
's opening goal in a 2–0 home win over Sevilla
Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula.
Seville ...
in the Champions League group stage on 30 September, which earned him the Juventus Player of the Month Award for October. On 8 November, Barzagli made his 300th Serie A appearance in a 3–1 away win over Empoli
Empoli () is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Florence, Tuscany, Italy, about southwest of Florence, to the south of the Arno River, Arno in a plain formed by the river. The plain has been usable for agriculture since Ancient Ro ...
. On 6 March 2016, Barzagli scored his second ever goal for the club since the 2011–12 season in a 2–0 away win over Atalanta; coincidentally, his first goal for the club also came against Atalanta, 91 games earlier. On 8 May, he made his 150th Serie A appearance for Juventus in a 2–1 away defeat to Verona
Verona ( ; ; or ) is a city on the Adige, River Adige in Veneto, Italy, with 255,131 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region, and is the largest city Comune, municipality in the region and in Northeast Italy, nor ...
; this was his 30th league appearance of the season, and his 40th in all competitions, the most he had totalled since the 2012–13 season. After helping Juventus to a fifth consecutive Serie A title, on 11 May, Barzagli extended his contract with the club until the end of the 2017–18 season.
On 6 November 2016, Barzagli dislocated his shoulder in the fifth minute of play against Chievo after falling awkwardly and was stretchered off the pitch and taken to hospital. Tests the following day estimated he would be out for two months. He returned to action sooner than expected on 17 December, coming on as a substitute in the 68th minute of a 1–0 home win over Roma.
On 3 June 2017, Barzagli started in his second Champions League final in three years with Juventus, but they were defeated 4–1 by defending champions Real Madrid.
On 29 June 2018, Barzagli extended his contract with Juventus for one season. After initially struggling with injuries early on in the season, he returned to the starting line-up for the club's league fixture on 26 September, and made his 200th Serie A appearance with Juventus during the match, captaining the team in a 2–0 home win over Bologna
Bologna ( , , ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy. It is the List of cities in Italy, seventh most populous city in Italy, with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nationalities. Its M ...
. On 23 October, he made his 50th UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
appearance (excluding qualifying rounds), coming on as a late substitute for Juan Cuadrado
Juan Guillermo Cuadrado Bello (born 26 May 1988) is a Colombian professional Association football, footballer who plays for club Atalanta BC, Atalanta and the Colombia national football team, Colombia national team. He usually plays on the righ ...
in a 1–0 away win over Manchester United
Manchester United Football Club, commonly referred to as Man United (often stylised as Man Utd) or simply United, is a professional association football, football club based in Old Trafford (area), Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, Engl ...
.
On 13 April 2019, after appearing in a 2–1 away defeat to SPAL
Società Polisportiva Ars et Labor, commonly referred to by the acronym SPAL (), is a professional football club based in Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. During the 2024–25 season the team played in Serie C, the third tier of the Italian foot ...
, Barzagli announced he would retire at the end of the season
A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
. On 19 May, in Juventus's final home game of the 2018–19 Serie A
The 2018–19 Serie A (known as the Serie A TIM for sponsorship reasons) was the 117th season of top-tier Italian football, the 87th in a round-robin tournament, and the 9th since its organization under a league committee separate from Serie B. ...
season, a 1–1 draw against Atalanta, Barzagli made his final appearance of his career, and was given a send-off as Juventus celebrated winning the Serie A title. In the 61st minute, he came off for Mario Mandžukić
Mario Mandžukić (; born 21 May 1986) is a Croatian association football, football coach and a former player who was most recently an assistant coach for the Croatia national football team, Croatia national team. As a player, he played as a for ...
and was given a standing ovation by the crowd.
International career
Youth career, senior debut and 2006 World Cup victory
Barzagli was a member of the Italian under-21 side that conquered the 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Championship
The 2004 UEFA European Under-21 Championship was the 14th staging of UEFA's European Under-21 Championship. The final tournament was hosted by Germany between 27 May and 8 June 2004.
Italy won the competition for the fifth time. Italy's Alberto ...
under the guidance of manager Claudio Gentile
Claudio Gentile (; born 27 September 1953) is an Italian football manager and former player who played as a defender in the 1970s and 1980s.
Gentile appeared for Italy in two World Cup tournaments, and played for the winning Italian team in ...
, and he also appeared at the Summer Olympics in Athens that year, winning a bronze medal. On 17 November 2004, Barzagli debuted for the Italian senior squad in 1–0 friendly home victory against Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
under coach Marcello Lippi
Marcello Romeo Lippi (; born 12 April 1948) is an Italian former professional association football, football player and manager, who led the Italy national football team, Italy national team to victory in the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
He was appoin ...
.
He was called up for the 2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international Association football, football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to FIFA World Cup hosts ...
and, while not expecting to play at all, was deployed as a substitute in a 1–0 victory against Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
in the second round, following Marco Materazzi
Marco Materazzi (; born 19 August 1973) is an Italian former professional Association football, footballer and Association football manager, manager.
Early in his career, Materazzi played with various Italian teams in Serie B and Serie C, and w ...
's sending-off. He subsequently appeared again, starting in his side's 3–0 victory over Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the List of European countries by area, second-largest country in Europe after Russia, which Russia–Ukraine border, borders it to the east and northeast. Ukraine also borders Belarus to the nor ...
in the quarter-finals following Materazzi's suspension and Alessandro Nesta
Alessandro Nesta (; born 19 March 1976) is an Italian professional football coach and former player who is the current head coach of Serie A club Monza. Usually deployed as a centre-back, he is widely considered as one of the best defenders of ...
's injury; he appeared for the full 90 minutes in this fixture, and kept clean sheets in both matches. Italy went on to win the World Cup final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final examination or finals, a test given at the end of a course of study or training
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which d ...
that year on penalties over France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
.
Post-World Cup victory and Euro 2008
A key member of Italy's defence under new Italy manager Roberto Donadoni
Roberto Donadoni (; born 9 September 1963) is an Italian football manager and former midfielder.
A skilful and versatile winger, Donadoni was capable of playing on either flank, or in the centre. He began his career with Atalanta, and late ...
, Barzagli was deployed six times in UEFA Euro 2008 qualifying matches, and appeared in the crucial 2–1 victory over Scotland
Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...
. He was selected to Italy's UEFA Euro 2008
The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2008 or simply Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial association football, football tournament contested by the member nations of UEFA ( ...
squad, and partnered alongside Materazzi in the heavy 0–3 defeat against the Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
, after Italian skipper Fabio Cannavaro
Fabio Cannavaro (; born 13 September 1973) is an Italian professional association football, football coach and former player who last was the head coach of Croatian club GNK Dinamo Zagreb, Dinamo Zagreb. He is regarded as one of the greatest De ...
on 2 June suffered an injury in training. Barzagli later suffered an injury in training on 19 June, which kept him out for the rest of the tournament, as Italy were eliminated on penalties in the quarter-finals by the eventual champions Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
.
Because of the fallout from Italy's heavy opening loss of the tournament, Barzagli subsequently appeared for the Azzurri only one time during the following three years, in Italy's 2–1 World Cup qualifier
The FIFA World Cup qualification is a set of competitive matches that a national association football team plays in order to qualify for one of the available berths at the final tournament of the men's FIFA World Cup.
Qualifying tournaments ar ...
away win against Cyprus
Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...
after Alessandro Gamberini
Alessandro Gamberini (; born 27 August 1981) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a central defender. He is working as assistant coach for Virtus Verona.
He spent most of his professional career with Fiorentina, appearing ...
fell injured after 60 seconds. In spite of winning the Bundesliga with Wolfsburg in 2009, he was not picked by Marcello Lippi for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth FIFA Confederations Cup, Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009, as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton ...
, or for the 2010 World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...
tournaments, in South Africa.
Return to the national team: Euro 2012, 2013 Confederations Cup and 2014 World Cup
On 2 October 2011, after three years of absence, he was again called up to the national team by manager Cesare Prandelli
Claudio Cesare Prandelli (; born 19 August 1957) is an Italian former football coach and former player.
Playing career
Prandelli was a midfielder who moved from Atalanta to Juventus in 1979. His first game for Juventus was in the 1979–80 Eur ...
, due to his consistent and excellent performances for Juventus; on 11 October, he started in Italy's Euro 2012 qualifier away match against Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
, and also subsequently started in the European qualifier against Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland ( ; ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, part of the United Kingdom in the north-east of the island of Ireland. It has been #Descriptions, variously described as a country, province or region. Northern Ireland shares Repub ...
.
On 13 May 2012, Barzagli was selected by Prandelli for the 32-man shortlist for Italy's Euro 2012 squad; he was named as one of the final 23 members of Italy's squad on 29 May. On 1 June 2012, in a preparation match for Euro 2012
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 ...
against Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
, he captained the team for the first time after Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon (; born 28 January 1978) is an Italian former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper. Widely regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time, he is ...
was taken off to be replaced by Morgan De Sanctis
Morgan De Sanctis (; born 26 March 1977) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
De Sanctis played for several Italian clubs throughout his career; he began his career with Pescara, and later also played for Juve ...
. On 4 June, Barzagli suffered an injury during training, which put his place at Euro 2012 in jeopardy; despite initial concerns that he would be unable to participate in the tournament, he was kept in the squad by Prandelli in place of his back-up, Davide Astori
Davide Astori (; 7 January 1987 – 4 March 2018) was an Italian professional footballer who played as a central defender.
After playing youth football for Pontisola and AC Milan, Astori started his senior career at Serie C clubs Pizzighettone ...
, after it was stated that he would only miss Italy's opening group matches against Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
and Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
.
On 18 June 2012, after recovering from his injury, Barzagli was picked over Leonardo Bonucci to play against Ireland
Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...
alongside Juventus teammate Chiellini in Italy's last match of the Euro 2012
The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2012 or simply Euro 2012, was the 14th European Championship for men's national football teams organised by UEFA. The final tournament, held between 8 June and 1 ...
group stage. In his first match of the tournament, he aided the team to keep a clean sheet in a 2–0 win over Ireland, which allowed Italy to qualify for the knock-out round. On 24 June 2012, Barzagli started in Italy's Euro 2012 quarter-final match against England
England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...
, which also resulted in an Italian victory on penalties, after the match had finished 0–0 following extra time. On 28 June 2012, Barzagli continued his success in Euro 2012 by aiding Italy in a 2–1 victory against Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. Italy were eventually defeated by defending European and World Champions
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game ...
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
in the final of the tournament; although they were defeated 4–0, their place in the final automatically qualified them for the 2013 Confederations Cup.
On 16 May 2013, Barzagli was named to Prandelli's 31-man short-list for Italy's 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup squad; he was eventually called up to the final 23-man Italy squad for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup was the ninth FIFA Confederations Cup, which was held in Brazil from 15 to 30 June 2013 as a prelude to the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The most recent winners of the six continental championships appeared in the tourn ...
in Brazil on 3 June, and he went on to appear in three of Italy's five matches throughout the tournament. He started in Italy's two opening group wins against Mexico
Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...
and Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
, whilst he was rested in Italy's 4–2 defeat to hosts and eventual champions Brazil
Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...
; in the opening 2–1 win over Mexico, he conceded a penalty after fouling Giovani Dos Santos
Giovani dos Santos Ramírez ( ; born 11 May 1989) is a Mexican former professional Association football, footballer. A versatile Forward (association football), forward, dos Santos played as an Midfielder#Attacking midfielder, attacking midfi ...
inside the box. After picking up an injury in the semi-final penalty shoot-out defeat against Spain, following a 0–0 draw, he missed Italy's penalty shoot-out victory over Uruguay
Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...
in the bronze medal match, which allowed them to finish the tournament in third place, their best ever finish in the Confederations Cup.
Barzagli retained his place in the starting lineup throughout the 2014 World Cup Qualifying campaign, as Italy qualified for the tournament undefeated, with two matches to spare. Barzagli was also named to Prandelli's 30-man short-list for the 2014 World Cup on 13 May 2014, and he was also later called up as one of Italy's starting centrebacks for the 2014 FIFA World Cup
The 2014 FIFA World Cup was the 20th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for list of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams organised by FIFA. It took place in Brazil fr ...
in Brazil on 1 June. He appeared in all three of Italy's group matches throughout the World Cup, also making his 50th cap in the final group match defeat against Uruguay, as they were knocked out in the first round of the tournament with three points.
Euro 2016, 2018 World Cup qualifying campaign and retirement
After featuring for Italy in defence during their successful UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying
The UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying tournament was a football competition that was played from September 2014 to November 2015 to determine the 23 UEFA member men's national teams joining the automatically qualified host team France in the UEFA Euro 2 ...
campaign under manager Antonio Conte, Barzagli stated in October 2015 that he would retire from international football after Euro 2016
The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2016 (stylised as UEFA EURO 2016) or simply Euro 2016, was the 15th UEFA European Championship, the quadrennial international men's football championship of Europe o ...
. On 31 May 2016, he was officially named to Conte's 23-man Italy squad for the tournament. Barzagli started in every match of the tournament, helping his nation to keep three clean sheets alongside Bonucci and Chiellini, as Italy reached the quarter-finals, only to be eliminated by Germany 6–5 on penalties on 2 July, despite successfully converting his penalty in the resulting shoot-out against the reigning World Cup champions. Following the defeat in what was initially thought to be the final international match of his career, a visibly emotional Barzagli stated in a press conference with RAI Sport
Rai Sport HD is an Italian sports TV channel, launched in 1999 by the state-owned RAI television network. It broadcasts Italian and international sports events in Italy on DTT channel 58 on ''Rai Mux A'' from HDTV. It is also available on Sky ...
: "We really did give everything. Unfortunately what we're left with is defeat and in my view nothing will remain of all the good things we did. All that remains is disappointment and in a few years nobody will remember anything about this Nazionale that truly gave everything. We really enjoyed our time together and wanted it to continue. We're sad."
Following the tournament, new national team manager Gian Piero Ventura
Gian Piero Ventura (; born 14 January 1948) is an Italian football manager.
His playing career as a midfielder was spent in the lower leagues, having not made the grade at Sampdoria, where he began his coaching career with the youth team in 197 ...
communicated his decision to attempt to convince Barzagli to remain with the national team, even though the defender had previously stated that he would be retiring from international football after the competition. After speaking to Ventura, Barzagli stated in an interview in early August that he would consider continuing to play for the Italy national team if he were to receive a call-up; on 27 August, he was officially called up to the national team once again for a friendly match against France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
on 1 September, and for Italy's first 2018 World Cup qualification
The 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification process was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations to decide 31 of the 32 teams which would play in the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with Russia qualifying automatically as hosts. All 210 ...
match on 5 September, against Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
. He made his return to international football in Italy's 3–1 friendly home defeat to France.
Italy finished in Group G in second place behind Spain, and advanced to the play-off against Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
. Italy failed to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup
The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national association football, football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded t ...
after a 1–0 aggregate loss to Sweden in November 2017. Immediately following the second leg on 13 November, a 0–0 home draw which ultimately proved to be his 73rd and final international appearance, Barzagli announced his retirement from the national team.
After retirement
Following his retirement from professional football, Barzagli was appointed as a member of Juventus's defensive coaching staff under the club's new manager Maurizio Sarri
Maurizio Sarri (; born 10 January 1959) is an Italian professional football manager who is currently manager of Serie A club Lazio.
Sarri did not play football professionally, taking part as an amateur centre back and coach while working as a ba ...
in 2019. He stepped down from his position in May 2020, citing personal reasons as his motivation for leaving the club. On 2 August 2021 it was confirmed, that Barzagli had been hired by the Italian Football Federation
The Italian Football Federation (, ; FIGC ), known colloquially as (), is the governing body of football in Italy. It is based in Rome and Centro Tecnico Federale di Coverciano, the technical department is in Coverciano, Florence.
It manages a ...
where he would have a general role helping the coaches at the various men’s national youth teams up to age Under-20.
Style of play
Regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation, and as one of Italy's and Juventus's greatest defenders ever, Barzagli was known for his strong, commanding and powerful physical build as a centre-back
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Defenders fall into four main categories: centre-backs, full-backs, sweepers ...
, and for being "strong in terms of anticipation, concentration and positional sense." Throughout his career with Italy and Juventus, the defensive trio of Barzagli, Bonucci, and Chiellini, which was dubbed the ''BBC'' in the media, was considered to be one of the greatest in history, with pundits likening it to Italy's and Juventus's successful defensive trio of the 1930s, made up of full-backs Virginio Rosetta
Virginio "Viri" Rosetta (; 25 February 1902 – 29 March 1975) was an Italian footballer who played as a defender. A hard-working player, he was known for his organisational skills, and for his ability to read the game and anticipate other play ...
and Umberto Caligaris
Umberto Caligaris (; 26 July 1901 – 19 October 1940) was an Italian international association football, footballer who played, normally at left-back, for A.S. Casale and Juventus FC, Juventus, before ending his career with Brescia Calcio, Bres ...
, as well as centre-half
In the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to stop attacks during the game and prevent the opposition from scoring.
Defenders fall into four main categories: centre-backs, full-backs, sweepers ...
Luis Monti
Luis Felipe Monti (15 May 1901 – 9 September 1983) was an Italian Argentine footballer who played as a midfielder and an Olympian. Monti has the distinction of having played in two FIFA World Cup final matches with two different national teams ...
, who also won five consecutive league titles.
Considered a "late-bloomer", he stood out in Italy and in Europe during the 2010s, due to his marking, intelligence, aerial prowess, and precise tackling ability, as well as his correct behaviour, capacity to read the game, and his adeptness in one on one situations; these attributes enabled him to establish himself as one of the best defenders in Italy, and be voted to the Serie A Team of the Year
The AIC Serie A Team of the Year (in Italian: ''Squadra dell’anno AIC'') is an annual award given to a set of eleven footballers in the top tier of Football in Italy, Italian football, the Serie A, who are considered to have performed the best d ...
for three consecutive seasons, also making him an important member of both his club and national sides. His calm composure, tactical awareness, consistency, technique, vision, and ball playing ability enabled him to be regarded as one of the best and most complete defenders in the world. Despite not being the quickest defender over short distances, he was also known for his pace, in addition to his anticipation, timing, and ability to read the game, and was a fast sprinter. Although he was usually deployed as a centre-back in a three or four-man defence, he was also capable of playing as a full-back on the right flank.
Due to his highly consistent defensive performances at Juventus, he was given the nicknames "The Wall" and "La Roccia" (the rock) by fans. In addition to his ability as a defender, he was highly regarded for his work-rate, discipline, mentality, and dedication in training, as well as his longevity.
Personal life
Barzagli and his wife Maddalena were married in July 2013 and have a son Mattia and a daughter Camilla.
Career statistics
Club
International
Appearances and goals by national team and year
Honours
Rondinella
* Serie D
The Serie D () is the highest level of semi-professional football in Italy, and the fourth tier of the Italian national league system. It sits beneath the third and lowest fully professional league, Serie C, and feeds in to it through promotion ...
: 1998–99
Ascoli
* Serie C1
Serie C1 was the third highest football league in Italy. It consisted of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions.
History
Before the 1978–79 season, there were only three professional football leagues in Italy, the third being Se ...
: 2001–02
* Supercoppa di Lega di Prima Divisione
The Supercoppa di Serie C, formerly named Supercoppa di Lega Pro, is an Italian football competition played by the three group winners of Serie C. The competition was inaugurated in 2000.
Forerunners
The FIGC introduced a third-level national foo ...
: 2001–02
Wolfsburg
* Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany and the highest level of the German football league system. The Bundesliga comprises 18 teams ...
: 2008–09
Juventus
* Serie A
The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...
: 2011–12, 2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
* Supercoppa Italiana
The Supercoppa Italiana, also known as the Italian Super Cup, is an annual super cup tournament in Italian football. Founded in 1988 as a two-team competition, it has featured four teams since 2023 (the winners and runners-up of the previous ...
: 2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
, 2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
, 2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
, 2018
Events January
* January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency.
* January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
* Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia () is the annual domestic cup of Italian football. The knockout competition was organized by the DDS and the Lega Calcio until the 2009–10 season and by Lega Serie A ever since.
Juventus is the competition's most successf ...
: 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
* UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (UCL) is an annual club association football competition organised by the UEFA, Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) that is contested by List of top-division football clubs in UEFA countries, top-divisio ...
runner-up: 2014–15, 2016–17
Italy U21
* UEFA European Under-21 Championship
The UEFA European Under-21 Championship, the UEFA Under-21 Championship or simply the Euro Under-21, is a biennial football competition contested by the European men's under-21 national teams of the UEFA member associations. Since 1992, the comp ...
: 2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
Italy Olympic
*Summer Olympics
The Summer Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics or the Games of the Olympiad, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inaugural Games took place in 1896 in Athens, then part of the King ...
bronze medal: 2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
Italy
* FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often called the World Cup, is an international association football competition among the senior List of men's national association football teams, men's national teams of the members of the FIFA, Fédération Internatio ...
: 2006
2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification.
Events
January
* January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute.
* January 12 – A stampede during t ...
* UEFA European Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship, less formally the European Championship and informally the Euro or Euros, is the primary association football tournament organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). The competition ...
runner-up: 2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
* FIFA Confederations Cup
The FIFA Confederations Cup was an international association football tournament for men's national teams, held every four years by FIFA. It was contested by the holders of each of the six continental championships ( AFC, CAF, CONCACAF, CONMEBO ...
third place: 2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
Individual
* Serie A Team of the Year
The AIC Serie A Team of the Year (in Italian: ''Squadra dell’anno AIC'') is an annual award given to a set of eleven footballers in the top tier of Football in Italy, Italian football, the Serie A, who are considered to have performed the best d ...
: 2011–12, 2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
, 2013–14, 2015–16
* UEFA Champions League Team of the Group Stage: 2015
* Premio Nazionale Carriera Esemplare "Gaetano Scirea"
The ''Premio Nazionale Carriera Esemplare "Gaetano Scirea"'' (""Gaetano Scirea" Exemplary Career National Award") is a recognition dedicated to footballers over the age of 30 playing in Italy's Serie A. Established in 1992, the prize is awarded an ...
: 2017
Orders
:*
5th Class / Knight: ''Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic () is the most senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi.
The highest-ranking honour of the Republic, it is awarded for ...
'': 2004
:*
4th Class / Officer: ''Ufficiale Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana
The Italian honours system is a means to reward achievements or service to the Italian Republic, formerly the Kingdom of Italy, including the Italian Social Republic.
Orders of chivalry
Italian Republic
There are five orders of knighthood ...
'': 2006
:* CONI
Coni may refer to:
*Cuneo, Italy
*Coni, Azerbaijan
*Italian National Olympic Committee
The Italian National Olympic Committee (, CONI), founded in 1914 and a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), is responsible for the develop ...
: ''Golden Collar of Sports Merit'': 2006
References
External links
*
Profile at LegaSerieA.it
Profile at Italia1910.com
Profile at FIGC.it
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barzagli, Andrea
1981 births
Living people
People from Fiesole
Footballers from the Metropolitan City of Florence
Italian men's footballers
Italy men's international footballers
Italy men's under-21 international footballers
Italy men's youth international footballers
Olympic footballers for Italy
Olympic bronze medalists for Italy
Footballers at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2006 FIFA World Cup players
FIFA World Cup–winning players
Serie A players
AC ChievoVerona players
Palermo FC players
FC Pistoiese SSD players
Ascoli Calcio 1898 FC players
VfL Wolfsburg players
Juventus FC players
UEFA Euro 2008 players
UEFA Euro 2012 players
Italian expatriate men's footballers
Bundesliga players
Expatriate men's footballers in Germany
Italian expatriate sportspeople in Germany
Serie B players
Serie D players
Olympic medalists in football
Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2013 FIFA Confederations Cup players
2014 FIFA World Cup players
UEFA Euro 2016 players
Men's association football central defenders
Officers of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
Knights of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
21st-century Italian sportsmen