Melania Gabbiadini

Melania Gabbiadini (born 28 August 1983) is an Italian former football forward. After beginning her career with Bergamo in 2000, she later joined AGSM Verona in 2004 and went on to captain the team, until her retirement in 2017.[2] She won five Scudetti with the club.[3]

Melania Gabbiadini
Gabbiadini with AGSM Verona in 2015
Personal information
Full name Melania Gabbiadini
Date of birth (1983-08-28) 28 August 1983
Place of birth Calcinate, Italy
Height 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Bolgare
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2004 Bergamo 146 (150)
2004–2017 AGSM Verona 150 (153)
International career‡
2003–2017 Italy 114 (45)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 25 July 2017
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 25 July 2017

A fast winger,[4] with an eye for goal, Gabbiadini was an experienced player at international level, who made over 100 caps for the Italy women's national football team. She is a veteran of Italy's 2005, 2009, 2013, and 2017 UEFA Women's Championship campaigns, being voted to the Squad of the Tournament in the 2013 edition of the tournament.[5] She was voted the Serie A Female Footballer of the Year in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015,[6][7][8] and was inducted into the Italian Football Hall of Fame in 2016.

Club career

Gabbiadini began her career with Bergamo in 2000, winning the Serie B title with the club in 2002.[9] After the club's bankruptcy in 2004, she moved to AGSM Verona, the club with which she remained until her retirement in 2017.[10] With Bardolino Verona, she won the Serie A title during the 2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, and 2014–15 seasons, as well as the Coppa Italia during the 2005–06, and 2006–07 seasons, and the Supercoppa italiana in 2005, 2007, and 2008; she was also voted the Serie A Female Footballer of the Year in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.[11][12] With Verona, she also reached the semi-finals of the 2007–08 UEFA Women's Cup.[13]

International career

After representing her country at under-21 level on 5 occasions, Gabbiadini made her senior debut for Italy on 16 April 2003, in a 5–0 away friendly win over the Netherlands.[14] Included in the squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2005 in North West England,[15] she scored twice in a 5–3 defeat to Norway as Italy made a group stage exit.

At UEFA Women's Euro 2009 in Finland, Gabbiadini played in all four games and scored in a 2–0 win over Russia as the Italians reached the quarter-finals.[16] Four years later, national coach Antonio Cabrini named Gabbiadini in his selection for UEFA Women's Euro 2013 in Sweden.[17] After scoring two goals in the group stage against Denmark[18] and hosts Sweden,[19] she played the entire match in the Italians' 1–0 quarter-final defeat to perennial champions Germany.[20] She was voted to the Squad of the Tournament for her performances.[5]

On 16 February 2016, ahead of the 2016 UEFA Women's Champions League Final media launch held in Reggio Emilia, she was awarded a commemorative cap and medal by UEFA for having obtained over 100 caps for the Italian national team.[21][22] In November 2016, she was included in Italy's squad for the 2016 International Women's Football Tournament of Manaus, which was held from 7 to 18 December.[23]

She retired after the UEFA Women's Euro 2017.[24] However, she finished her international career with 114 appearances and 45 goals.[25]

Goals scored in official competitions
CompetitionStageDateLocationOpponentGoalsResult
England 2005 UEFA EuroQualifiers2004–09–25Niš Serbia and Montenegro1–02–1
First Stage2005–06–12Preston Norway1–1 2–43–5
Finland 2009 UEFA EuroQualifiers2007–10–31Parma Romania5–05–0
2008–02–16Villacidro Republic of Ireland2–14–1
2008–05–24Buftea Romania1–0 5–16–1
First Stage2009–08–31Helsinki Russia1–02–0
Germany 2011 World CupQualifiers2009–09–19Domžale Slovenia3–0 4–08–0
2009–11–25Francavilla Armenia3–0 6–07–0
2010–03–31Ascoli Finland1–11–1
2010–06–19Montereale Slovenia1–06–0
2010–06–23Vantaa Finland2–13–1
Sweden 2013 UEFA EuroQualifiers2011–10–22Prilep North Macedonia7–09–0
2011–11–19Pruszków Poland1–0 2–0 5–06–1
2011–11–23Trani Greece1–02–0
First Stage2013–07–13Halmstad Denmark1–02–1
2013–07–16Halmstad Sweden1–31–3
Canada 2015 World CupQualifiers2013–09–20Tallinn Estonia2–0 4–05–0
2014–02–13Novara Czech Republic1–0 2–06–1
2014–04–10Cluj Romania2–02–1
2014–05–08Skopje North Macedonia5–0 7–011–0
2014–06–14Prague Czech Republic3–04–0
2014–10–25Rieti Ukraine2–12–1
2014–10–29Lviv Ukraine1–22–2
2014–11–22The Hague Netherlands1–01–1
Netherlands 2017 UEFA EuroQualifiers2016–09–16Lurgan Northern Ireland2–03–0

Style of play

A quick forward and a prolific goalscorer, Gabbiadini was known for her technical ability and her pace on the ball, and was often deployed as a winger or as a main striker. She also stood out for her leadership and work-rate throughout her career.[4][24]

Personal life

As well as being a footballer, Gabbiadini is a tattoo designer.[26] Her younger brother Manolo plays as a forward for Sampdoria and has represented the Italy men's national team.[4][27]

Gabbiadini's participation at UEFA Women's Euro 2017 was widely noted by Dutch viewers due to her striking resemblance to former professional footballer Wim Kieft, who coincidentally played in the Italian Serie A around the time of her conception. Television show Voetbal Inside mentioned this and jokingly questioned whether he would be her actual father.[28]

Honours

Club
AGSM Verona[29]
Bergamo[29]
  • Serie B: 2001–02

Individual

References
  1. "Forwards". Italian Football Federation. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  2. Soccerway
  3. "Calcio Femminile Bardolino - Prima squadra". Archived from the original on 2011-10-05. Retrieved 2011-12-03. ASD Bardolino
  4. Enea Zampoleri (26 May 2012). "Il senso dei Gabbiadini per il gol – Manolo e Melania si raccontano a Sportweek" (in Italian). Tutto Atalanta. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  5. Paul Saffer (28 July 2013). "UEFA Women's EURO 2013 roll of honour". UEFA.com. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  6. "Melania Gabbiadini migliore calciatrice italiana 2013". 28 January 2014. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  7. Teo Lerro (16 December 2014). "Galà Aic: Conte miglior tecnico, Pirlo re dei calciatori". Il Quotidiano Italiano. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  8. "Oscar del Calcio, dominio Juve. Buffon: "Donnarumma ha doti da grande"" [Serie A Oscars, Juve dominate. Buffon: "Donnarumma has the characteristics to be great"] (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 14 December 2015. Retrieved 14 December 2015.
  9. Noemi Diamantini. "MELANIA GABBIADINI" (in Italian). Calcio Donna. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  10. Luca Cirillo (18 April 2013). "Gabbiadini, la sorella: "Mi ispiro a Pato ma anche ad un ex calciatore del Napoli"" (in Italian). Calcio Napoli 24. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  11. "Melania Gabbiadini" (in Italian). Verona Calcio Femminile. Archived from the original on 11 November 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  12. Gloria Callarelli (11 January 2015). "Melania Gabbiadini: "Verona bellissima, spero in un progetto con l'Hellas"" (in Italian). Verona Sera. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  13. "ASD CF Bardolino Verona". UEFA.com. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  14. "Italia Campionato Europeo Femminile Svezia 10 – 28 Luglio 2013" (PDF) (in Italian). Italian Football Federation. p. 12. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  15. Turner, Georgina (26 May 2005). "Italy – An Azzurre masterclass". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  16. "Melania Gabbiadini". uefa.com. UEFA. Archived from the original on 8 December 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  17. "Cabrini finalises Italy's Women's EURO squad". uefa.com. UEFA. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  18. "L'Italia stende la Danimarca e "vede" i quarti" (in Italian). UEFA.com. 13 July 2013. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  19. "Europeo femminile: vince la Svezia, ma l'Italia è ai quarti" (in Italian). Sky Sport. 16 July 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  20. Sebastiano Vernazza (21 July 2013). "Europeo donne, Italia eliminata nei quarti. Vince 1–0 la Germania" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  21. "Presentata a Reggio Emilia la finale della UEFA Women's Champions League" (in Italian). FIGC.it. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  22. "First women receive 100-cap awards". UEFA.com. 1 October 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  23. "Torneo in Brasile dal 7 dicembre. Bottaro: "Ringrazio le società per la collaborazione"" (in Italian). FIGC.it. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2017.
  24. Piksel.com. "Figc – News – Melania Gabbiadini's farewell to football: "I wanted to do it in an Italy shirt"". FIGC – Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio.
  25. "Presentata a Reggio Emilia la finale della UEFA Women's Champions League". figc.it (in Italian). 16 February 2016. Archived from the original on 25 February 2016.
  26. Vernazza, Sebastiano (1 July 2012). "Frasi, smile e corone: gli azzurri campioni di tatuaggi Tutti marchi garantiti" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  27. "Europe's footballing brothers and sisters". UEFA. 9 February 2017.
  28. Wim Kieft look-a-like: "Heeft ze ook een loopneus!?" - VOETBAL INSIDE, retrieved 2022-07-14
  29. "Melania Gabbiadini: Soccerway Profile". Soccerway. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  30. "Italian football Hall of Fame to induct ten new stars". 25 October 2016. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  31. "Nazionale, a Buffon il 'Pallone azzurro'" (in Italian). La Repubblica. 1 January 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2017.
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