Alberto Fontana (footballer, born 1974)

{{short description|Italian retired footballer|bot=PearBOT 5}} {{for|the footballer born in 1967|Alberto Fontana (footballer, born 1967)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2026}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Alberto Fontana | image = | fullname = Alberto Maria Fontana | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1974|12|2|df=y}} | birth_place = Turin, Italy | height = 1.88 m | position = Goalkeeper | currentclub = | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = 1992–1994 | youthclubs1 = Juventus | years1 = 1994–1996 | clubs1 = Aosta | caps1 = 35 | goals1 = 0 | years2 = 1996–1998 | clubs2 = Voghera | caps2 = 38 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 1998–2001 | clubs3 = Verona | caps3 = 2 | goals3 = 0 | years4 = 1999 | clubs4 = → Reggiana (loan) | caps4 = 1 | goals4 = 0 | years5 = 2000 | clubs5 = → Sandonà (loan) | caps5 = 9 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 2000–2001 | clubs6 = → Pistoiese (loan) | caps6 = 1 | goals6 = 0 | years7 = 2001–2002 | clubs7 = Roma | caps7 = 0 | goals7 = 0 | years8 = 2001–2002 | clubs8 = → Palermo (loan) | caps8 = 1 | goals8 = 0 | years9 = 2002–2009 | clubs9 = Torino | caps9 = 16 | goals9 = 0 | years10 = 2009–2012 | clubs10 = Novara | caps10 = 33 | goals10 = 0 | totalcaps = 136 | totalgoals = 0 | club-update = }}

'''Alberto Maria Fontana''' (born 2 December 1974) is an Italian retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

He spent the vast majority of his 18-year senior career as a backup. In Serie A, he represented Torino and Novara, for a total of 25 games.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://sportstory.it/2012/01/portiere-di-riserva-la-storia-di-alberto-maria-fontana/ |title="Portiere di riserva", la storia di Alberto Maria Fontana |trans-title="Backup goalkeeper", the story of Alberto Maria Fontana |publisher=Sport Story |language=Italian |date=23 January 2012 |accessdate=21 January 2016 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023074955/http://sportstory.it/2012/01/portiere-di-riserva-la-storia-di-alberto-maria-fontana |archivedate=23 October 2015 }}</ref>

==Football career== Born in Turin, Fontana started his career at Juventus but played his first seasons as a senior in Serie C1, Serie C2 and Serie D. In mid-1998, he joined Serie B club Hellas Verona and, the following campaign, he returned to the third division, successively representing Reggiana and Sandonà.

In mid-2000, Fontana returned to the second level, signing with Pistoiese where he served as David Dei's backup. He met the same fate at his new club Palermo (Roma's farm team at that time), to Vincenzo Sicignano.

In June 2002, Fontana joined Torino of the top division in a co-ownership deal, in exchange with Gabriele Paoletti. During his seven-year stint, the longest of his career, he played second-fiddle to Luca Bucci, Stefano Sorrentino, Massimo Taibi, Christian Abbiati and Matteo Sereni.

In summer 2009, 35-year-old Fontana was released by ''Toro'' and joined Novara in division three, where he again was second-choice, now to Albania's Samir Ujkani. He also played a few games due to injury of the latter,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.torinogranata.it/ex-granata/novara-ujkani-out-gioca-fontana-24082|title=Novara, Ujkani out. Gioca Fontana|trans-title=Novara, Ujkani out. Fontana plays|publisher=Torino Granata|language=Italian|date=17 October 2011|accessdate=7 April 2014}}</ref> including 15 in 2011–12's top level, which ended in relegation.

===Italian football scandal=== On 18 June 2012, Fontana was banned along with former Novara teammate Nicola Ventola for three years and six months, as the Italian Football Federation found the match between Novara and Chievo for the 2010–11 Coppa Italia to be fixed.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.novaratoday.it/sport/novara-calcio-scommesse-30-dicembre-2011.html|title=L’inchiesta sulle partite truccate sta sconvolgendo anche Novara|trans-title=Match-fixing enquiry is upsetting even Novara|publisher=Novara Today|language=Italian|date=30 December 2011|accessdate=21 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.figc.it/Assets/contentresources_2/ContenutoGenerico/40.$plit/C_2_ContenutoGenerico_32610_StrilloComunicatoUfficiale_lstAllegati_Allegato_0_upfAllegato.pdf|title=Comunicato ufficiale N°101/CDN (2011–12)|trans-title=Official announcement N°101/CDN (2011–12)|publisher=Italian Football Federation|language=Italian|date=18 June 2012|accessdate=18 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120813061315/http://www.figc.it/Assets/contentresources_2/ContenutoGenerico/40.$plit/C_2_ContenutoGenerico_32610_StrilloComunicatoUfficiale_lstAllegati_Allegato_0_upfAllegato.pdf|archive-date=13 August 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Cristian Bertani was also arrested.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.sportmediaset.mediaset.it/calcio/calcioscommesse/articoli/84483/scommesse-il-pescara-parte-da--2.shtml|title=Scommesse: il Pescara parte da -2|trans-title=Betting: Pescara starts with -2|publisher=Sport Mediaset|language=Italian|date=18 June 2012|accessdate=21 January 2016|archive-date=20 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620171121/http://www.sportmediaset.mediaset.it/calcio/calcioscommesse/articoli/84483/scommesse-il-pescara-parte-da--2.shtml|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In November 2012, Fontana's appeal to the Italian Olympic Committee's TNAS was accepted.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Calcio-Infetto/28-11-2012/tnas-ascolta-fontana-annullata-squalifica-913349540082.shtml|title=Il Tnas ascolta Fontana – Annullata la squalifica|trans-title=Tnas hears Fontana – Disqualification annulled|publisher=La Gazzetta dello Sport|language=Italian|date=28 November 2012|accessdate=21 January 2016}}</ref> His contract was terminated late in that year,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.novaratoday.it/sport/novara-calcio-portiere-fontana-rescissione.html|title=Novara Calcio: risolto il contratto con Jimmy Fontana|trans-title=Novara Calcio: contract termination with Jimmy Fontana|publisher=Novara Today|language=Italian|date=11 December 2012|accessdate=21 January 2016}}</ref> and he retired shortly after.

==Personal life== Fontana is not related to another football goalkeeper, also named Alberto Fontana, who had an even longer professional career. As his footballing namesake, he was nicknamed ''Jimmy'' after singer Jimmy Fontana.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.tuttonovara.it/auguri-a/auguri-ad-alberto-fontana-27350|title=Auguri ad Alberto Fontana!|trans-title=Happy birthday Alberto Fontana!|publisher=Tutto Novara|language=Italian|date=2 December 2012|accessdate=21 January 2016}}</ref>

==Honours== ===Individual=== * Torino FC Hall of Fame: 2015<ref name="2ndedition">{{Cite web |date=6 December 2015 |title=Grande successo per la Hall of Fame Granata |url=https://www.toronews.net/mondo-granata/grande-successo-per-la-hall-of-fame-granata/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210219022425/https://www.toronews.net/mondo-granata/grande-successo-per-la-hall-of-fame-granata/ |archive-date=19 February 2021 |access-date=19 February 2021 |website=Toro News |language=it-IT}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * {{TuttoCalciatori|Fontana_Alberto_Maria}} * [http://aic.football.it/scheda/2214/fontana-alberto-maria.htm Football.it profile] {{in lang|it}} * [http://www.gazzetta.it/speciali/statistiche/2008_nw/giocatori/50258.shtml Gazzetta dello Sport profile (2007–08)] {{in lang|it}} * {{Soccerway|alberto-maria-fontana/4200}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fontana, Alberto}} Category:1974 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from Turin Category:Italian men's footballers Category:Men's association football goalkeepers Category:Serie A players Category:Serie B players Category:Serie C players Category:Juventus FC players Category:ASD AVC Vogherese 1919 players Category:Hellas Verona FC players Category:AC Reggiana 1919 players Category:FC Pistoiese SSD players Category:AS Roma players Category:Palermo FC players Category:Torino FC players Category:Novara FC players