Luca Bucci

Luca Bucci

Luca Bucci with Parma in 1994
Personal information
Date of birth (1969-03-13) 13 March 1969
Place of birth Bologna, Italy
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Playing position Goalkeeper
Youth career
1984–1986 Parma
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1986–1987 Parma 1 (0)
1987 Pro Patria 1 (0)
1987–1988 Rimini 1 (0)
1988–1990 Parma 4 (0)
1990–1992 Casertana 67 (0)
1992–1993 Reggiana 36 (0)
1993–1997 Parma 95 (0)
1997 Perugia 17 (0)
1997–2003 Torino 160 (0)
2003–2004 Empoli 17 (0)
2005–2008 Parma 81 (0)
2009 Napoli 1 (0)
National team‡
1994–1995 Italy 3 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 30 April 2009.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 30 April 2009

Luca Bucci (born 13 March 1969 in Bologna) is a retired Italian football goalkeeper. Bucci played for several Italian clubs throughout his career; he is mostly remembered for his successful spell with Parma, where he won various domestic and European titles. At international level, he represented the Italy national football team, and was an unused member of the team that reached the 1994 FIFA World Cup Final, and a reserve goalkeeper for Italy at UEFA Euro 1996.

Club career

After a few years in the third and second levels (winning the 1992–93 Serie B title with AC Reggiana), Bucci made his Serie A debut playing for Parma F.C., in a league match against Udinese Calcio on 29 August 1993. He soon achieved prominence during a particularly successful stint with the club, winning an UEFA Supercup in 1993, and an UEFA Cup in 1995; he also received runners-up medals in the Coppa Italia, in the Cup Winners' Cup, and in Serie A with the club. At Parma, however, Bucci was soon overtaken by the emergence of 17-year-old Primavera keeper Gianluigi Buffon during the 1996–97 season, which moved Bucci to leave the team in order to play more regularly.[2][3]

After playing six months for Perugia Calcio, Bucci joined second division's Torino F.C. in 1997, later gaining promotion to Serie A throughout his time with the Turin club after winning the 2000–01 Serie B title with the club, and remaining with the granata for six seasons, until his contract expired. He then decided to join Empoli F.C. However, he only managed to play in half of the games, while the club was eventually relegated, with Bucci leaving at the end of season.[2][3]

After six months without a club, Bucci moved back to Parma in January 2005 to replace Gianluca Berti who left for Torino F.C.,[4] initially as a reserve goalkeeper. He was the first choice after Sébastien Frey’s departure, ahead of Cristiano Lupatelli and Matteo Guardalben in the 2005–06 season, Alfonso De Lucia and Fabio Virgili in the 2006–07 season, Nicola Pavarini and Radek Petr in the 2007–08 season. After Parma's relegated he was released in June 2008.[2][3]

After another seven months as a free agent, he joined S.S.C. Napoli, following an injury crisis that hit the club.[5] He made his debut with Napoli on 19 April, in a 2–0 away loss to Cagliari,[6] becoming the fifth goalkeeper to be used by the azzurri in the 2008–09 season (the other four being Gennaro Iezzo, Nicolás Navarro, Matteo Gianello and Luigi Sepe).[3][7]

After the season, he decided to retire and became youth team goalkeeper coach at Parma.[3][8]

International career

Uncapped, Bucci was called by Italy manager Arrigo Sacchi as Italy's third goalkeeper for the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, behind Gianluca Pagliuca and Luca Marchegiani, making no appearances. Italy finished the tournament in second place, after losing on penalties in the final against Brazil. He would make his full debut on 21 December of that year, appearing in a 3–1 friendly win over Turkey. He was also a back-up goalkeeper for Italy at UEFA Euro 1996. In total, Bucci made three senior appearances for Italy between 1994 and 1996.[9]

Honours

Club

Reggiana[10]
Parma F.C.[10]
Torino F.C.[10]

International

Italy[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Luca Bucci". National Football teams. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 Luca Momblano. "Luca Bucci e il numero 5 sulle spalle: una storia nera" (in Italian). Sport Review.it. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Benedetto Ferrara (17 June 2009). "Bucci si sfila i guanti Se non ci fosse stato Buffon..." (in Italian). La Repubblica. Retrieved 24 May 2015.
  4. ↑ "Bucci answers Parma call". UEFA.com. 20 January 2005. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  5. ↑ "Luca Bucci si allenerà a Castelvolturno col Napoli" [Luca Bucci to train at Castelvolturno with Napoli] (in Italian). SSC Napoli. 5 February 2009. Retrieved 5 February 2009.
  6. ↑ "Cagliari spettacolo, Jeda-Lazzari e il Napoli è ko" (in Italian). Datasport. 19 April 2009. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
  7. ↑ "Napoli, è l' ora del quinto portiere E il "vecchio" Bucci si emoziona" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 19 April 2009. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
  8. ↑ "Settore Giovanile Organigramma". Parma FC (in Italian). Retrieved 7 July 2010.
  9. ↑ "Nazionale in cifre: Bucci, Luca". figc.it (in Italian). FIGC. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 "Luca Bucci" (in French). Eurosport. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
  11. ↑ "L. Bucci". Soccerway. Retrieved 16 December 2015.
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