FRANCE 98 – General Media News Template

Enrico Chiesa, the man called up to replace ailing Fabrizio Ravanelli in Italy’s World Cup squad, is the classic example of the local boy who made good after hitting the headlines with Sampdoria.

Born and bred in Genoa, Chiesa signed on with the port city’s famous club as a gangly 16-year-old. But eight years went by before he finally hit the big time with an explosive season in 1995-96. Chiesa, who is extraordinarily fast and has a lethal shot with either foot, learned his trade in second, third and fourth division football before his first real break came in 1994.

Coming off a good season in the Serie B with Modena (14 goals), he was signed up by Cremonese, then in the Serie A. Another 14 goals there won him a return to Sampdoria the following season, where he teamed up with veteran striker Roberto Mancini. It was to be a marriage made in heaven. Chiesa banged in 22 goals and finished up as the Serie A’s second highest-scoring marksman, enough for a place in Italy’s ill-fated expedition to England for Euro 96.

The only positive note for Chiesa was scoring Italy’s equaliser in what went on to be a fatal 2-1 defeat to eventual finalists, the Czech Republic. The other major event in the summer of 1996 was signing on at Parma, where he paired up with the gifted but erratic Argentine striker Hernan Crespo. Despite injury, and coach Carlo Ancelotti’s ponderous system of play which made Crespo the target man, he managed to score 14 league goals in his first season and another 10 in the one just ended. His ability is beyond doubt, but what is less clear is how smoothly he will integrate with his fellow attackers.

When Roberto Baggio was due to sign for Parma last summer, Chiesa was among the dissenting voices, hinting he would be looking for another club if the pony-tailed ace joined the team. Though it was nothing personal – Chiesa pointed out that he would effectively be redundant with Baggio as playmaker – it could make for some interesting exchanges in the dressing rooms.More recently, Chiesa has been linked with a move to either AC Milan or AS Roma next season, and seems excited by the prospect of a fresh start, although he appreciates what Parma have achieved.

” At Sampdoria, it was a different kind of football, “ he said. ” Ancelotti wants us to make sacrifices for the benefit of the team, so you don’t get so many scoring opportunities. ” But then I have to say that the 22 goals that I scored for Sampdoria didn’t get us into the UEFA Cup, but the 14 I scored for Parma helped us into the European Champions League. “