Francesco Flachi

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Francesco Flachi
Personal information
Date of birth April 8, 1975 (1975-04-08) (age 33)
Place of birth    Florence, Italy
Height 1.72 m
Playing position Striker
Youth clubs
Fiorentina
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1993-1999
1996-1997
1998
1998-2007		 Fiorentina
→Bari (loan)
→Ancona (loan)
Sampdoria		 37 (4)
21 (3)
17 (10)
250(107)   

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only.
* Appearances (Goals)

Francesco Flachi (born 8 April 1975 in Florence) is an Italian footballer. He last played for Sampdoria in Serie A. Flachi played as a deep-lying striker who created and scored.

Contents

[edit] Fiorentina, Bari and Ancona: 1993-1998

After some years the Fiorentina youth team, Flachi got his senior debut in 1993 in Serie B in the season they achieved promotion, scoring twice in twelve games. His Serie A debut was on 4 September 1994, against Cagliari Calcio in a 2-1 win.

Flachi lost his place in the squad, and in the season 1996-1997 he was loaned out to Bari. His good performances prompted a return to Florence, but the competition of Gabriel Batistuta and Luis Oliveira was ruthless, and in January 1998, Flachi was again loaned, this time to A.C. Ancona, where he got an impressive 10 goals in 17 games.

[edit] 1999: Move to Sampdoria

Upon leaving his childhood club, Flachi moved to U.C. Sampdoria, who had just been relegated to the Serie B, and spent the next 4 years in ‘‘purgatory’’.

In the first season with Samp, with manager Giampiero Ventura, he did not succeed to gain a starter berth, still scoring 5 times in 28 games. In the following season, with the arrival of coach Luigi Cagni, he scored 17 times in 34 matches, as well as creating many too. In 2001-2002, he became known by fans as "salvatore della patria", "saviour of the homeland" in Italian. In that season, which would be the last for the Genovese outfit in the second flight, Flachi recorded 16 goals in 37 games.

[edit] The arrival of president Garrone, Serie A and national limelight

In 2002, the Blucerchiati were bought by Riccardo Garrone, and Walter Novellino was hired, with Flachi netting 9 goals in 35 appearances upon the return to Serie A, while also welcoming his first daughter, Valentina.

His relationship with Novellino was not ideal. They had numerous arguments on and off the pitch. Flachi paid for his attitude by remaining on the bench in the first half of the Serie A 2003-04. As the partnership of Massimo Marazzina and Atsushi Yanagisawa did not click, Novellino began playing Flachi and Fabio Bazzani with good results. The team eventually finished 8th, with 24 goals between Flachi (11) and Bazzani (13).

In the Serie A 2004-05, with 14 goals in 35 appearances and some assists, Flachi achieved somewhat of a legend status amongst fans of the Blucerchiati. In that season Sampdoria nearly earned UEFA Champions League qualification but had to settle for 5th, meaning a return to Europe. In 2005-06, Flachi continued to display top football (31 matches, 11 goals), this time accompanied by new striker Emiliano Bonazzoli. However, Sampdoria failed to quaify from their UEFA Cup group and finished 14th in the league (12th after the match fixing scandal).

[edit] Betting and cocaine

On September 21, 2006, Flachi was suspended for two months by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio as investigations concluded he and teammate (2003-05) Moris Carrozzieri were gathering information for gamblers in Italian football. Their club received a €20,000 fine[1].

Trace amounts of cocaine were found in Flachi's system in a random test after a 2-0 loss to Inter Milan on January 28, 2007. On May 31, he was suspended for 16 months. Later, the ban was increased to two years[2]. As a result of the ban his contract with Sampdoria was canceled and, being 34 years of age when his ban is lifted in 2009, he is widely expected to retire before the ban runs out.[3]

[edit] National team

Flachi represented Italy's U18 team in the 1992 European Under-18 Football Championship. He received callups for the Italian main squad, but did not debut.

[edit] Clubs

[edit] Interesting facts

Flachi is a lifelong Fiorentina fan, and anytime he scores against Fiorentina he doesn't celebrate.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Sampdoria striker gets ban for gambling offence, soccernet.espn, September 21, 2006
  2. ^ Flachi to sit out 16 months, UEFA.com, May 31, 2007
  3. ^ Flachi sacked by Samp footballitalia.com, retrieved August 17 2007
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