Alessandro Birindelli

Alessandro Birindelli (Italian pronunciation: [alesˈsandro birinˈdɛlli]; born 12 November 1974) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a full-back or as a wide midfielder. He is the head coach of Serie C Group B club Pianese.

Equally at ease on both the left and the right flanks, he was best known for his 11-year spell with Juventus, during which time he won several accolades and appeared in 305 official games in all competitions.

Born to Paolo and Erminia Birindelli in Pisa as the second of two children, Birindelli started playing football at the age of eight for the local team of San Frediano (an area of Pisa not far from his boyhood home and the church of the same name).

A longtime Juventus fan, being an admirer of Michel Platini, he was also influenced by Paolo Maldini's professionalism and sportsmanship, and entered Empoli FC's youth academy, beginning his career as a right winger before moving into defence. In 1996, he won the Coppa Italia Serie C, as the team finished second in its group in Serie C1, thus earning Serie B promotion; Empoli followed this with another climb, now to Serie A, after collecting 64 points which trailed only Brescia Calcio's 66.

After nearly 150 official matches, Birindelli ended his career with Empoli and moved to Juventus in 1997, managed at the time by Marcello Lippi, joining an already strong squad – which featured young prodigies Alessandro Del Piero and Zinedine Zidane – and arriving alongside Edgar Davids and Filippo Inzaghi. He made his league debut in a 2–0 victory over US Lecce on 31 August, but his first competitive appearance had taken place in the Supercoppa Italiana defeat of Vicenza Calcio.

In his first season Birindelli won the Scudetto over Inter Milan, by five points. He was an unused substitute as the club lost the UEFA Champions League for the second consecutive time, now to Real Madrid.

Birindelli won two more leagues with Juventus, in 2002 and 2003, adding two Italian Supercups and also reaching two Coppa Italia finals. Again, he was a part of the side which lost in a Champions League final, this time in the 2002–03 edition against AC Milan on penalties which was the first all-Italian final in the history of the competition, being one of only team players to convert his attempt in an eventual 3–2 defeat.

In the summer of 2005, while playing a friendly against S.L. Benfica, Birindelli injured his ankle and missed the entire campaign. Due to the Turin club's involvement in the 2006 Italian football scandal, it was stripped of its 2005 and 2006 titles, and also relegated to the second division.