Today is the 37th birthday of Juventus centre-back and 2006 World Cup winner Andrea Barzagli.
Born in Fiesole, a suburb of Florence, in 1981 Barzagli actually began his career as a midfielder with local side Rondinella Calico before moving to Serie B side A.C. Pistoiese in 2000–01.
It was there that he moved into defence, before returning to Rondinella in January.
After spells with Piacenza and Ascoli he made it to Serie A with Chievo for the 2003-04 season, making his first top-flight appearance in a 1-1 draw with Brescia on August 31 2003.
Today is the 37th birthday of Juventus centre-back and 2006 World Cup winner Andrea Barzagli.
Born in Fiesole, a suburb of Florence, in 1981 Barzagli actually began his career as a midfielder with local side Rondinella Calico before moving to Serie B side A.C. Pistoiese in 2000–01.
It was there that he moved into defence, before returning to Rondinella in January.
After spells with Piacenza and Ascoli he made it to Serie A with Chievo for the 2003-04 season, making his first top-flight appearance in a 1-1 draw with Brescia on August 31 2003.
Barzagli’s real breakthrough came with Palermo, with the centre-back spending four seasons in Sicily.
His form with the Rosanero earned him a call-up for the 2006 World Cup, and he played against both Australia and Ukraine at the tournament after Alessandro Nesta’s injury and Marco Materazzi’s suspension.
Italy kept clean sheets in both games, but Materazzi returned for the semi-final and final.
Barzagli appeared set for Fiorentina in the summer of 2008, and was keen to join having grown up in the city.
Instead though he joined German side Wolfsburg in a €13m deal, playing every minute as they won the 2008-09 Bundesliga title.
The following two seasons proved to be less successful though, and Barzagli joined Juventus for €300,000 plus another €300,000 in bonuses in January 2010.
While the first six months were a disappointment, with the Old Lady finishing seventh, the arrival of Antonio Conte soon turned things around.
Barzagli was deployed in a back-three alongside Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, forming the formidable ‘BBC’ partnership.
With that defence as their bedrock, Juve won six Scudetti in a row, as well as lifting three Coppe Italia and reaching two Champions League finals.
On the final day of that first title winning season, the Bianconeri won a penalty and allowed Barzagli to take the kick.
Not known for his goalscoring, the defender nonetheless fired it into the top-corner for the first of his two goals with Juve.
The BBC also became the foundation for the national team, with Italy reaching the Euro 2012 final and the Euro 2016 quarter-finals.
That backline was broken up last summer when Bonucci joined Milan, but Juventus will once again win the Scudetto.
Barzagli is one of the players who has been present for all seven triumphs, along with Chiellini, Gianluigi Buffon, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Claudio Marchisio.
They also have the chance to make it four Coppa Italia in a row, with the final against Milan to be played tomorrow night.
Though the veteran has now turned 37, he’s expected to sign a new contract later this month, keeping him in Turin for another season.
If confirmed, that would take him into his ninth season with Juventus – not bad for a €600,000 signing.