Roberto Muzzi

This article is about the footballer born 1971. For the footballer born 1963, see Roberto Mussi.

Roberto Muzzi

Muzzi with Torino in 2007
Personal information
Date of birth	(1971-09-21) 21 September 1971 (age 53)
Place of birth	Rome, Italy
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Team information
Current team	Cagliari (club manager)
Youth career
	Roma
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1990–1994	Roma	57	(6)
1993–1994	→ Pisa (loan)	23	(8)
1994–1999	Cagliari	144	(58)
1999–2003	Udinese	103	(39)
2003–2005	Lazio	39	(4)
2005–2007	Torino	57	(10)
2007–2008	Padova	23	(4)
Total		446	(129)
International career
1989	Italy U18	5	(3)
1990–1994	Italy U21	19	(4)
1992	Olympic Italy	5	(0)
Managerial career
2019–2020	Empoli
2022	Cagliari (caretaker)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Italy UEFA European Under-21 Championship Winner 1992 Europe Winner 1994 France
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Roberto Muzzi (Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto ˈmuttsi]; born 21 September 1971) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a striker: He works as a "club manager" for Cagliari.

During his career, he played for several Italian clubs including Roma, Pisa, Cagliari, Udinese, and Lazio. He was also part of the Italy U-21 team from 1990 to 1994, playing 19 matches and scoring 4 goals under manager Cesare Maldini, and winning the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 1992 and 1994; he also took part at the 1992 Summer Olympics, although he never received a call-up for the senior Italy side.[1] He was known in particular for his electrifying speed as a forward.[2]

Playing career

Muzzi started his career with AS Roma, making his debut in Serie A on 11 February 1990, in a league match against Inter ended in a 1–1 tie, and scoring his first goal the following season. With Roma, he won the Coppa Italia in 1991, also helping his side to reach an all-Italian UEFA Cup Final that season, losing out to Inter, also missing out on the 1991 Supercoppa Italiana, which was won by Sampdoria.[2]

Muzzi was loaned to Serie B club Pisa in November 1993, where he scored 8 goals in 23 games. He then returned to Roma only to be sold in November 1994 to Cagliari, where he then spent four seasons, playing a total 144 games with 31 Serie A goals and 17 in Serie B.[2]

Muzzi joined Udinese during the 1999–2000 season, spending four more seasons with the zebrette; in total, he played 103 games for the club, scoring 39 goals, winning the 2000 UEFA Intertoto Cup, which enabled the Friuli side to qualify for the UEFA Cup the following season. He then returned to Rome to join Lazio for the 2003–04 season; although he was not a regular first-team member, his performances often proved to be decisive on the pitch, as shown by his goal which enabled Lazio to avoid relegation during the 2004–05 season; during his time with the club, he won the 2003–04 Coppa Italia, also reaching the semi-finals of the 2003–04 UEFA Cup, but missed out on the 2004 Supercoppa Italiana to Milan. In September 2005, he joined Serie B side Torino, and was one of the protagonists in the granata's return to the top flight. His second season with Torino, now in Serie A, saw Muzzi scoring only 3 goals.[2]

In September 2006, at the age of 35, and after having turned down a youth coach role at Torino, he agreed a two-year contract with Serie C1's Padova. In October 2008 he announced his retirement from active football.[2]

Coaching and managerial career

After retirement, Muzzi became coach of AS Roma youth in 2009, serving on numerous different positions within the club until 2015.^[citation needed] He subsequently joined Andrea Stramaccioni's coaching staff at Panathinaikos and AC Sparta Prague.^[citation needed] In 2019, Muzzi was named assistant coach under Aurelio Andreazzoli of Empoli before moving to Genoa together.^[citation needed]

On 14 November 2019, Muzzi was appointed coach of Serie B club Empoli, signing a deal with the Tuscan club till the end of the 2019–20 Serie B season.[3] However, following a string of disappointing results during his short tenure at the club, he was sacked on 26 January 2020.[4]

In July 2020, Muzzi was named technical director of Eccellenza amateurs Lupa Frascati.[5] One month later, following the club's takeover by the Lupa Frascati owners, he was announced as new youth system chief of then-Serie C club Arezzo.[6] On 5 February 2022, Muzzi was dismissed from his role.[7]

In July 2022, Cagliari appointed Muzzi as director of football alongside Stefano Capozucca and dealing with organizational and management matters within the first team squad.[8] On 20 December 2022, following the dismissal of Fabio Liverani, Muzzi was appointed interim head coach.[9] Following the appointment of Claudio Ranieri as new head coach, Muzzi filled in for a single game, a 2–0 win against Cosenza, although he could not serve from the dugout and had to be replaced by Fabio Pisacane due to him being sick.[10][11]

Honours

Roma[2]

• Coppa Italia: 1990–91

Udinese[2]

• UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2000

Lazio[2]

• Coppa Italia: 2003–04

Italy U21[1]

• UEFA European Under-21 Championship: 1992, 1994

References

1. "Convocazioni e presenze in campo: Roberto Muzzi" (in Italian). FIGC. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
2. "Roberto Muzzi". Retrieved 23 January 2015.
3. "Ufficiale: Empoli, Roberto Muzzi è il nuovo allenatore" (in Italian). TuttoMercatoWeb. 14 November 2019. Retrieved 14 November 2019.
4. "Empoli, altro cambio in panchina: via Muzzi, arriva Marino". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 26 January 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2020.
5. "Roberto Muzzi: "A Frascati per un grande progetto. La Lupa fa sul serio"". Il Mamilio (in Italian). 8 July 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
6. "Muzzi responsabile dei giovani: "E' un ruolo che mi piace molto"". La Nazione (in Italian). 20 August 2020. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
7. "Caos Arezzo, chi va e chi viene mentre i tifosi della Curva Sud annunciano la linea dura: il punto". Corriere di Arezzo (in Italian). 5 February 2022. Retrieved 9 May 2022.
8. "Calcio: Roberto Muzzi ritorna al Cagliari come club manager". ANSA.it (in Italian). 1 July 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
9. "Comunicato della Società" (in Italian). Cagliari Calcio. 20 December 2022. Retrieved 20 December 2022.
10. "Cagliari-Cosenza: Muzzi ko, in panchina va Pisacane". Centotrentuno.com (in Italian). 26 December 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
11. "Calcio: il Cagliari ritrova il sorriso, 2-0 al Cosenza". ANSA.it (in Italian). 27 December 2022. Retrieved 1 January 2023.

External links

• Profile at La Gazzetta dello Sport