Francesco Zizzari
Birth date31 May 1982 (age 44)
Birth placeLa Spezia, Italy
Height1.83 m
PositionForward
CurrentclubSporting Recco[1]
Years 12000–2001
Caps 130
Goals 14
Clubs 1Baracca Lugo
Years 22001–2002
Caps 228
Goals 24
Clubs 2Brindisi
Years 32002–2007
Caps 312
Goals 32
Clubs 3Spezia
Years 42003
Caps 40
Goals 40
Clubs 4→ Pordenone (loan)
Years 52004–2005
Caps 532
Goals 510
Clubs 5→ Pavia (loan)
Years 62005–2006
Caps 626
Goals 64
Clubs 6→ Pistoiese (loan)
Years 72006–2007
Caps 732
Goals 77
Clubs 7→ Grosseto (loan)
Years 82007–2008
Caps 812
Goals 81
Clubs 8Lucchese
Years 92008
Caps 919
Goals 92
Clubs 9Spezia
Years 102008–2009
Caps 1027
Goals 1015
Clubs 10Ravenna
Years 112009–2010
Caps 1121
Goals 113
Clubs 11Pescara
Years 122010–2012
Caps 1220
Goals 121
Clubs 12Reggina
Years 132011–2012
Caps 1325
Goals 132
Clubs 13→ Siracusa (loan)
Years 142013
Caps 1410
Goals 141
Clubs 14Bassano
Years 152013–2014
Caps 1511
Goals 151
Clubs 15Foggia
Years 162014–2015
Caps 1637
Goals 1616
Clubs 16Gavorrano
Years 172015–2016
Clubs 17Sestri Levante
Years 182016
Clubs 18Ponsacco
Years 192016–
Clubs 19Sporting Recco

Francesco Zizzari (born 31 May 1982) is an Italian footballer who plays as a forward for Sporting Recco.

Career

Early career

Born in La Spezia, Liguria[2] (some reported in Foggia, Apulia,[3] ) Zizzari started his career in Serie D teams in Lugo, Emilia-Romagna and Brindisi, Apulia. He won the champion of Group H in 2001–02 Serie D. Zizzari then signed by Spezia. he made his league debut for Spezia in 2003–04 Serie C1. Zizzari then spent 3 seasons out on loan in various Serie C1 teams. He made a breakthrough with A.C. Pavia in 2004–05 Serie C1, reaching the finals of promotion playoff. Pavia lost to Mantova in aggregate, 1–6.[4][5] In August 2007 he was signed by Lucchese.[6] In January 2008, Zizzari returned to La Spezia.[7] In his median Serie B season, he scored twice.[8] The club relegated and bankrupted after the season, thus Zizzari became a free agent.

Ravenna

Zizzari was signed by Ravenna on 7 August 2008. He scored 15 goals in 2008–09 season, the first season since the third tier renamed to Lega Pro Prima Divisione. While his partner, Davis Curiale and Luca Gerbino Polo scored nearly 1 goal per game with 8 goals in half season and 5 goals respectively. Zizzari also scored two goals in the promotion playoff against Padova, losing 2–3 in the first round/semi-finals. However Ravenna decided to sell Zizzari to raise fund in transfer market.

Pescara

Zizzari was signed by fellow third-tier club Pescara in a co-ownership deal for €300,000.[9][10] Zizzari re-joined former Grosseto teammate Marco Sansovini and former coach Antonello Cuccureddu. However Sansovini secured a place in starting line-up but Zizzari only able to play 11 starts, a reverse compared to 2006–07 season. However Zizzari had a better goal scoring record of 3 goals, 1 goal lesser than Sansovini. That season Massimo Ganci was the team goalscorer of 8 goals. He made substitute appearances in the promotion playoffs. He scored once for the playoff winner. In June 2010 Pescara bought the remain 50% registration rights from Ravenna by submitting a higher bid (just €500[9]) than Ravenna to Lega Pro, a mechanism to decide the ownership when both clubs failed to form an agreement. However Zizzari did not included in the Serie B plan of Pescara.

Reggina

Zizzari was signed by fellow Serie B club Reggina in another co-ownership deal on 16 July 2010, for €400,000,[11] rejoining Ravenna coach Gianluca Atzori. On the same day Emmanuel Cascione also moved from Reggina to Pescara in a co-ownership deal for €440,000.[11][12][13] In his median season for Reggina, Zizzari made 20 league appearances but only started half of them. Atzori preferred Emiliano Bonazzoli and Alessio Campagnacci as starting forward. Zizzari scored his only goal near the end of season (round 39) against Varese, a 1–1 draw.[14] Both Varese and Reggina entered the promotion playoff. (along with Padova and Novara) Reggina was paired with Novara and losing to Novara by lower seeding. Eventually Novara won the playoff. Zizzari only played the first leg as the substitute of Bonazzoli.[15] After the arrival of Roberto Breda on 23 June 2011 as new coach, Zizzari also ruled out from 2011–12 Serie B plan of Reggina. Pescara also gave up the remain 50% registration rights of Zizzari to Reggina on 24 June, the deadline of co-ownership market.[16] In the same window, Pescara acquired Cascione for an additional €100,000.[11]

On 23 July 2011 he was signed by third-tier club Siracusa in a 1-year loan.[17] Coached by Andrea Sottil, Siracusa was the first in the winter break. However Zizzari did not found his form and the coach preferred Mohamed Fofana (who never partnered Zizzari in the formation) and Adriano Montalto as starting forwards (or as the only starting centre forward). Zizzari only made 5 starts, either as a centre forward in 4–2–3–1 formation (two times)[18][19] or one of the two forwards in 4–3–1–2/4–4–2 formation at the very first of 2011–12 season (two times plus against Prato on 27 November when playmaker Mancosu rested).[20]

Lega Pro clubs

On 31 January 2013 Zizzari was signed by Bassano of Lega Pro Seconda Divisione as a free agent.[21] He made 7 substitute appearances for the Veneto club in 2012–13 Lega Pro Seconda Divisione. On 3 September 2013 he was signed by Foggia Calcio in a 1-year contract.[22] The club was admitted to Lega Pro Seconda Divisione from Serie D on 5 August 2013 to fill the vacancies,[23] however, the southern Italian club must finished 8th or above in 2013–14 season in order to avoid relegation back to Serie D due to the merger of Prima Divisione and Seconda Divisione of Lega Pro. On 31 January 2014 Zizzari was released by Foggia.[24] He was signed by fellow fourth-tier club Gavorrano.[25]

Serie D

Zizzari followed Gavorrano to play in 2014–15 Serie D. In July 2015 he was signed by Sestri Levante.[26] In 2016, he was signed by Ponsacco.

Honours

Brindisi
Grosseto

References

  1. ^ Lo Sporting Recco punta su un ex attaccante della Reggina Archived 28 November 2020 at the Wayback Machine‚ sport.strill.it, 1 December 2016
  2. ^ Pescara Profile (in Italian)
  3. ^ "Francesco Zizzari" (in Italian). US Siracusa. Archived 24 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ^ "Playoff di C1, il Napoli non-passa San Paolo pieno ma è 0-0 con l'Avellino" (in Italian). la Repubblica. 12 June 2005. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  5. ^ "Mantova". Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 31 December 2011.
  6. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  7. ^ "no title (2007–08 winter transfer window)" (in Italian). Lega Calcio. 3 February 2008. Archived 3 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  8. ^ "Gazzetta.it". www.gazzetta.it
  9. ^ Delfino Pescara 1936 Srl bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2010, PDF purchased from Italian CCIAA (in Italian)
  10. ^ "Mercato" (in Italian). Delfino Pescara 1936. 18 July 2009. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  11. ^ Delfino Pescara 1936 Srl bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2011, PDF purchased from Italian CCIAA (in Italian)
  12. ^ "Colpo Cascione. Parte Zizzari" (in Italian). Delfino Pescara 1936. 16 July 2010. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  13. ^ "Trattative concluse" (in Italian). Reggina Calcio. 17 July 2010. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  14. ^ Lega Serie B [dead link]
  15. ^ Lega Serie B [dead link]
  16. ^ "Speciale Calciomercato: esiti compartecipazioni" (in Italian). Delfino Pescara 1936. 24 June 2011. Archived from the original on 23 November 2015. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  17. ^ "FRANCESCO ZIZZARI E' UN CALCIATORE DEL SIRACUSA" (in Italian). US Siracusa. 23 July 2011. Archived from the original on 24 April 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  18. ^ "Siracusa, il cuore per vincere a Bassano, doppio Mancosu per tornare a sognare". Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 30 December 2011.
  19. ^ Match Report: Siracusa Frosinone Frosinone.com Accessed 29 March 2014
  20. ^ "Triestina - Siracusa 4-0 — U.S. Triestina Calcio". www.triestinacalcio.it. Archived from the original on 10 November 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
  21. ^ "CAMPAGNA TRASFERIMENTI -MILANO-GENNAIO 2013" (in Italian). Lega Pro. 31 January 2013. Archived from the original on 1 July 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2013.
  22. ^ "Zizzari firma con il Foggia" (in Italian). Foggia Calcio. 3 September 2013. Archived from the original on 29 March 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  23. ^ Il Consiglio Federale (5 August 2013). "Comunicato Ufficiale N°44/A (2013–14)" (in Italian). FIGC. Retrieved 22 April 2014.
  24. ^ "Rescissione con Zizzari" (in Italian). Foggia Calcio. 31 January 2014. Archived from the original on 29 March 2014. Retrieved 29 March 2014.
  25. ^ "NUOVI ACQUISTI" (in Italian). US Gavorrano. February 2014. Archived 8 April 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 29 January 2014.
  26. ^ "Sestri Levante, e' fatta per l'attaccante Zizzari" (in Italian). Città della Spezia. 27 July 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015.