{{Short description|Italian footballer (born 1954)}} {{about|the Italian football coach and player|the Italian politician and President of Lazio|Francesco Rocca (politician)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Francesco Rocca | image = Francesco Rocca - AS Roma 1974-75.jpg | caption = Rocca with Roma in 1974 | full_name = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1954|8|2|df=yes}} | birth_place = San Vito Romano, Italy | height = 1.79 m | position = Left-back | currentclub = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | years1 = 1972–1981 | clubs1 = Roma | caps1 = 141 | goals1 = 0 | nationalyears1 = 1973 | nationalteam1 = Italy U21 | nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | nationalyears2 = 1974–1976 | nationalteam2 = Italy | nationalcaps2 = 18 | nationalgoals2 = 1 | manageryears1 = 1988 | managerclubs1 = Italy Olympic | manageryears2 = 1995–1997 | managerclubs2 = Italy U18 (equivalent to current U19) | manageryears3 = 1996–1998 | managerclubs3 = Italy U17 (equivalent to current U18) | manageryears4 = 2000–2004 | managerclubs4 = Italy U20 | manageryears5 = 2004–2006 | managerclubs5 = Italy U17 | manageryears6 = 2006–2007 | managerclubs6 = Italy U18 | manageryears7 = 2006–2008 | managerclubs7 = Italy U19 | manageryears8 = 2008–2011 | managerclubs8 = Italy U20 }}
'''Francesco Rocca''' ({{IPA|it|franˈtʃesko ˈrɔkka}}; born 2 August 1954)<ref>[http://goal.com/en/people/italy/34543/francesco-rocca Italy Under 20 >> Francesco Rocca] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180630161746/http://www.goal.com/en/people/italy/34543/francesco-rocca |date=30 June 2018 }} at Goal.com</ref> is an Italian professional football coach and former player, who played as a defender. He spent his entire career with Italian club Roma, with whom they won the Coppa Italia twice. He was the coach of the Italy U20 national team from 2008 until 2011.<ref name="egypt"/> He also led the Italy Olympic side to a fourth-place ranking at the 1988 Summer Olympics.
==Club career== Born in the San Vito Romano village 40 km from Rome, Rocca played his club football exclusively for Roma from 1972 to 1981. Rocca played 163 games for Roma, including 141 games in Serie A<ref name="egypt"/> and 22 in the Coppa Italia cup – winning the later competition for two consecutive years between 1980 and 1981 – but did not score any goals for the club.
At the age of 26, a serious injury forced Rocca to retire.<ref name="egypt">[https://web.archive.org/web/20091006061846/http://www.fifa.com/u20worldcup/teams/team=1888273/profile.html FIFA U-20 World Cup Egypt 2009 - Italy (ITA)] at FIFA</ref>
==International career== Rocca played 18 games for the Italy national team from 1974 to 1976, and scored a goal for Italy against the United States.<ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/ital-intres1970.html Italy - International Matches 1970-1979] at RSSSF</ref>
==Managerial career== As a manager, Rocca took Italy to a fourth place at the 1988 Summer Olympics.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070808125255/http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/tournament=512/edition=3351/teams/team=1889316.html Men's Olympic Football Tournament - Seoul 1988] at FIFA</ref> He also led the U-19 team which finished as the runner-up in the 2008 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship. After the tournament he changed to being a coach of the U-20 team, and led his team to the 2009 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
He is one of eleven members of the Hall of Fame of A.S. Roma.<ref name="Hall of Fame"/>
==Style of play== Rocca was nicknamed "Kawasaki" (after the Japanese brand of motor bikes) because of his pace, work-rate, energy, and durability in the left-back position; he was also an accurate crosser of the ball.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080327064219/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/clubfootball/news/newsid=716429.html The children of the Wolf], FIFA, 19 March 2008</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.repubblica.it/sport/calcio/serie-a/parma/2010/02/11/news/biabiany-2262157/|title=Biabiany come Bolt Nessuno è come lui|publisher=La Repubblica|language=it|date=11 February 2010|access-date=15 January 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cinquantamila.it/storyTellerArticolo.php?storyId=0000002263459 |title=GALLI "TUTTI SANNO SEGNARE MA PARARE SOTTO IL SETTE…" |publisher=www.cinquantamila.it |access-date=22 September 2018 |language=it |author1=Alberto Polverosi |date=31 December 2013 |archive-date=23 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923005800/http://www.cinquantamila.it/storyTellerArticolo.php?storyId=0000002263459 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
==Honours== '''Roma''' *Coppa Italia: 1979–80, 1980–81
'''Individual''' *A.S. Roma Hall of Fame: 2012<ref name="Hall of Fame">{{cite web|url=http://www.asroma.com/it/club/hall-of-fame|title=Hall of Fame|publisher=A.S. Roma|language=it|access-date=27 July 2016|archive-date=22 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190322104434/https://www.asroma.com/it/club/hall-of-fame|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{A.S. Roma Hall of Fame}} {{Italy Squad 1988 Summer Olympics}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rocca, Francesco}} Category:1954 births Category:Living people Category:Footballers from the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital Category:Italian men's footballers Category:Italian football managers Category:AS Roma players Category:Serie A players Category:Italy men's international footballers Category:Italy men's under-21 international footballers Category:Men's association football defenders Category:AS Roma non-playing staff Category:Association football scouts Category:20th-century Italian sportsmen