Resident from birth toCossato, in the province ofBiella, Gilardino started playing with Cossatese, with whom he remained until the Under-15 category of Juniors.[17]
After another year in the youth ofASD Junior Biellese Libertas under the guidance of Luca Prina,[18] Gilardino went toPiacenza. The coachLuigi Simoni gave him his debut in Serie A at age 17, on 6 January 2000, againstAC Milan. The season ended with the Piacenza's relegation toSerie B, but Gilardino still managed to make an impact by scoring 3 goals in 17 matches.[19]
In September 2000,"Gila", as he is often nicknamed and already considered a talent, was sold toHellas Verona inco-ownership,[20] for 7 billionItalian lire (€3,615,198).[21] Despite his young age, he scored five goals in his two seasons at the club where he made 39 league appearances. Gilardino attracted Verona to sign him in full in June 2001,[22][23] for 8.5 billion lire. (€4,389,884).[21]
Gilardino was bought byParma in a co-ownership deal during the2001–02 season for 9.5 billion lire (€4,906,341)[21] and loaned back to Verona. At Verona, Gilardino played two seasons under the guidance ofAttilio Perotti, and thenAlberto Malesani.
Gilardino was also involved in a car accident which ruled him out of the season on 28 April 2001: a truck crossed his car off the road and ended up in theriver Sile, but he managed to abandon it before it sank. However, a fracture of the sternum ruled him out of the rest of the season.[24] Gilardino, not yet 20 years old, scored 5 goals in 39 matches in two seasons at Verona.
Gilardino's career was launched on the international stage in 2002, as Parma purchased the remained 50% of his registration rights and returned Šerić to Verona.[25] The move was strongly requested by then Parma coachCesare Prandelli.[26] Later,Adrian Mutu, Gilardino's teammate at Verona, was also signed, to replace the departingMarco Di Vaio. However, Mutu andAdriano started most of Parma's matches in the2002–03 Serie A, relegating Gilardino to the substitutes' bench. Gilardino nonetheless made 24 league appearances and scored four goals, as well as one goal in theCoppa Italia.
In the2003–04 season, Gilardino scored 23 goals in Serie A, 17 of which came in the second half of the season, also thanks to the return of Adriano toInternazionale. Gilardino's 23 goals placed him second in Serie A for the season, behindAndriy Shevchenko's 24. Gilardino also scored three goals in theUEFA Cup. The player credited his manager Cesare Prandelli for helping him to grow technically.[27] Gilardino's success at club and U-21 level earned him a contract extension until June 2007.[28]
In his third championship in Parma (2004–05), he repeated this feat, scoring another 23 goals in the league and finishing as the second-best scorer inSerie A once again, preceded byCristiano Lucarelli's 24. He scored in a playoff match against Bologna, bringing his total haul to 24 goals.[29] He also scored once in theUEFA Cup. He scored 51 goals for Parma in only 97 appearances in Serie A.
On 17 July 2005, Gilardino made a €25 million transfer to Milan, acquiring the number 11 shirt.[30][31] He scored his first goal for theRossoneri in a match againstSampdoria. He would finish the2005–06 season with 17 goals in 34Serie A appearances and two goals in three appearances in theCoppa Italia, but he failed to find his offensive form in Milan's2005–06 UEFA Champions League campaign, going goal-less in all 12 matches.[32]
In the2006–07 season, Gilardino's scored his firstUEFA Champions League goal on 1 November 2006, in a 4–1 win againstAnderlecht. His European offensive output the next season was equally disappointing, with only two goals. However, one of his two goals helped Milan seal a decisive 3–0 win overManchester United in the second leg of the semi-finals on 3 May 2007, which put them back into theChampions League final and set up a rematch withLiverpool. He played only two minutes as a substitute forFilippo Inzaghi in Milan's 2–1 victory.
Gilardino led Milan in2006–07 Serie A scoring with 12 goals; no other Milan player hit double figures. At the end of the season, he revealed in an interview to feel challenged, to experience bitterness at not having played the Champions League final won by Milan, and was considering the possibility of leaving Milan.[33] However, following a clarification with management, he decided to stay.[34]
Gilardino contributed a brace in Milan's 5–1 defeat ofLazio on 7 October 2007 (which marked his first domestic goal following a double in Milan's 5–2 victory overAscoli on 18 April), and likewise for his first Champions League brace netting of the season in a 4–1 victory overShakhtar Donetsk on 24 October. In the second half of the season, Gilardino was often left on the substitutes' bench by managerCarlo Ancelotti, to be relegated to third striker behind Inzaghi andAlexandre Pato. Later, Gilardino described the last few months spent at Milan as the worst of his career,[35] while stressing the positive aspects of his experience in Milan and his estimate for theRossoneri.[36]
With Milan, Gilardino was considered a strong front man who was adept at holding the ball and leading attacks.[37]
On 25 May 2008,Fiorentina sporting directorPantaleo Corvino confirmed a deal to sign Gilardino from Milan had been completed.[38] On 28 May, the deal was confirmed from the official website of theRossoneri: Gilardino moved for €15 million[39] and signed a five-year deal. At Fiorentina, Gilardino was reunited by former Parma teammates Adrian Mutu,Sébastien Frey andMarco Donadel, as well as his former manager at Parma, Cesare Prandelli.
Gilardino's first goal with theViolas was in the first leg of thethird qualifying round for the2008–09 Champions League againstSlavia Prague, where he scored the second goal of the match. On 31 August, Gilardino scored on his Serie A debut againstJuventus in the 89th minute to tie the match at 1–1. In the successive league match, he supplied an assist to Adrian Mutu to open the score in the match againstNapoli, but Fiorentina still finished on the losing side by suffering a 1–2 defeat at theStadio San Paolo. In the first match in the Champions League group stage, againstLyon, he scored two goals in the first half to give Fiorentina a two-goal cushion, only to be cancelled by two second-half goals fromFrédéric Piquionne andKarim Benzema. On 18 October, thanks to a brace againstReggina, Gila became the seventh youngest Italian player to score 100 goals in Serie A.[40] On 27 October 2008, Gilardino was given a two-match suspension for unsportsmanlike conduct have after scoring with his hand in Fiorentina's 3–1 victory atPalermo. The handball was not seen by refereeEmidio Morganti.[41] Gilardino insisted the handball was unintentional,[35][42] claiming it was caused by defenderPaolo Dellafiore.[43]
On 25 April 2009, Gilardino scored a brace in Fiorentina's 4–1 victory againstRoma, thereby scoring 100 goals in his last six years. In the same period in Europe, onlySamuel Eto'o,Thierry Henry andLuca Toni scored more goals.[44] Gilardino finished the 2008–09 season with 19 Serie A goals (all from open play), placing him in fourth place in the league scoring charts and contributing significantly to Fiorentina's fourth place in the Serie A. Among the highlights of his season was a double against Roma and an astonishing tight angle shot againstGenoa while being marked by three defenders.[45]
Gilardino had an exceptional campaign inthe Champions League the following season, first scoring a dramatic late goal to give Fiorentina a 2–2 draw atSporting CP, then againstDebrecen, and then scoring in the third minute of stoppage time against Liverpool in the final match day of the group stage atAnfield, which gave Fiorentina a first-place finish at the expense of Lyon. On this occasion, Gilardino scored ten goals in European competitions for Fiorentina, equalling the record set byGabriel Batistuta.[46] Gilardino later said the goal at Anfield was the most important goal of his career.[47] He ended the2009–10 season with four goals in the Champions League and 15 inSerie A.
On 27 February 2011, Gilardino scored the ninth league goal of the season and his 200th career goal as a professional player in a match againstBari, which gave Fiorentina a 1–0 lead.[48](138 in Serie A, 8 in Italian Cup, 13 in the Champions League, 5 in the UEFA Cup, 17 in the senior national team, 15 in Under 21 national team, 4 in the Italian Olympic team). On 6 March 2011, Gilardino scored in Fiorentina's 3–0 victory againstCatania, his 44th goal in Serie A for Fiorentina. This placed him in tenth place among the markers purple and 30th place in the scorer list of all time.[49]
On 21 August, Gilardino scored the first goal of the2011–12 Serie A season in the match Fiorentina againstCittadella, which ended 2–1.[50] His first league goal of the season came in the second round againstBologna. On 17 December, he scored his second goal of the season.
On 3 January 2012, Gilardino signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with Genoa, and cost €8 million.[51][52] Gilardino chose 82 as his shirt number, as his number 11 was occupied byBoško Janković.[53] On 29 January, during a match against Napoli, he scored his first Genoa goal, at theStadio Luigi Ferraris. He scored his first brace for Genoa from the penalty spot at theSan Siro against Internazionale in an eventual 5–4 loss. He scored his fourth goal in a 2–0 win over Palermo on 13 May, helping Genoa stay six points clear of the relegation zone.
Gilardino scored 4 goals in 14 appearances at Genoa in the second half of the 2011–12 Serie A season. Referred to the facts ofSiena – Genoa 1–4 match in the 2011–2012 season ( pressure from the fans in the stadium with the players that they had to remove the mesh), 6 October 2012 federal prosecutors asked for 30 thousand euro fine for Gilardino and his other 14 teammates.[54]
On 31 August 2012, Gilardino switched clubs again, joiningBologna for €1.3 million loan fee. Gilardino signed a contract worth €2,341,288.[55][56] He made his debut with the shirt Emilian on 1 September 2012 in the lost game against Milan, succeedingRobert Acquafresca. Gilardino netted a brace on 16 September, helping his new side overcome a 2–0 halftime deficit to defeatRoma 3–2 at theStadio Olimpico in Rome.[57] Gilardino scored his second brace for Bologna, in their 4–0 defeat ofCatania on 30 September, bringing his goal tally to five in five games.[58] Gilardino scored his sixth goal for Bologna on 18 November, opening the scoring in a comfortable 3–0 defeat of Palermo, earning his new club a much needed three points.[59]
Gilardino led Bologna to a much needed win on 12 January 2013, netting a brace in the side's 4–0 defeat ofChievo Verona.[60] He powered the club to a 1–0 defeat ofInter Milan on 10 March, scoring with a classy volley from aDiego Pérez cross, firmly establishing Bologna in mid-table and easing their relegation fears.[61] He finished the season with 13 goals in 35 matches.
After the season at Bologna, where he dragged his team to an early salvation thanks to his 13 goals, he returned to Genoa, at the request of the former midfielderFabio Liverani, who had become the new coach of the club.[62] He scored his first goal of the season on 17 August againstSpezia in the Italian Cup, the defeat on penalties after a 2–2 draw in regulation time accrued.[63] He made his debut in the league in the 0–2 defeat at the San Siro against Inter and scored his first goal of the season in Serie A the following Sunday during the 2–5 home defeat against Fiorentina.[64]On 20 October, Gilardino scored two goals in the home game against Chievo Verona in the 2–1 game won by Genoa.[65]
On 30 October, in the 9th round of the Serie A, Gilardino scored a decisive goal that allows Genoa in front of Parma.[66] The story is also repeated on the next match against Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico, with a penalty kick goal of doubling.[67] On 23 November, Gilardino carries a penalty equalizer against Milan at the San Siro, coming to 6 season goals in the top flight.[68]On 8 December, Gilardino scored the opening goal at theStadio Sant'Elia againstCagliari Calcio in a 1–2 loss game.[69] On 6 January 2014, he scored the eighth goal of the season on a penalty kick againstSassuolo leading Genoa to 500 victories in Serie A matches with the formula of a single round.[70][71] On 26 January againstFiorentina Gilardino scored the opening goal in a thrilling 3–3 draw.[72] On 16 February, he scored his first brace againstUdinese since he returned the I Rossoblu, which led his team a 3–3 draw.[73] With this two goals, Gilardino reaches 11 season goals and 170 total goals in Serie A, thus exceedingGiuseppe Savoldi and then temporarily ranking 14th among the Serie A all-time scorers.[74] He finished the 2013–14 Serie A season with 15 goals in 36 matches.
On 5 July 2014, it was announced that Genoa had accepted a €5 million offer for Gilardino from Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande.[75] Gilardino signed a contract with the Chinese side until 31 December 2016 for an amount of 10 million.[76] Gilardino finished his 2014 CSL season in Guangzhou with 5 goals in 14 matches, as Guangzhou won theChinese Super League title for the fourth consecutive season.[77]
On 25 January 2015,Fiorentina officially announced that the club had made a deal withGuangzhou Evergrande that Gilardino would transfer to Fiorentina on loan until the end of 2014–15 season,[78] with a reported buyout clause of €1.5 million.[79][80] On 31 January, Gilardino scored in his new debut for the viola in a 1–1 draw against Genoa.[81] On 26 April, Gilardino scored his 175th Serie A goal in a game against Cagliari.[82] On 18 May, he scores a goal against his former team Parma in a 3–0 win of Fiorentina.[83] He finished the second half season with 4 goals in 14 matches. At the end of the season, Fiorentina decided not to sign him and Gilardino returned to China.
On 27 August 2015, Gilardino signed with Palermo.[84] He made his debut for Palermo in a 2–2 draw against the Carpi on 13 September. On 4 October, Gilardino scored against Roma, ending 2–4 for the giallorossi. Gilardino scored the second goal of the season in the game against Inter Milan, making his eighth goal against the Nerazzurri. On 30 January 2016, he scored his 184th Serie A goal in a 1–1 away draw againstCarpi, equalling Gabriel Batistuta as the eleventh-highest score in Serie A history. He also tied the record for the most different clubs scored against in Serie A (38), which he now holds alongside Francesco Totti andRoberto Baggio.[85] On 15 May 2016, he scored in a 3–2 home win over Verona to help save Palermo from relegation at the conclusion of the2015–16 Serie A season;[86] the goal also enabled him to equalGiuseppe Signori andAlessandro Del Piero as thejoint-ninth highest goalscorer in Serie A history, with 188 goals.[87] He finished the season with 10 Serie A goals in 33 matches.[88]
On 7 July 2016, Gilardino signed withEmpoli on a two-year contract.[89] He spent six months at the club, making 16 appearances across all competitions and scoring one goal.
In September 2018, Gilardino received his UEFA A and UEFA B coaching licences.[93] On 7 October 2018, Gilardino was named assistant coach and technical director ofSerie D club Rezzato alongside head coachLuca Prina.[94][95] On 28 February 2019, Gilardino was promoted to head coach of Rezzato, with Prina demoted to the supervisory role.[96]
On 8 September 2020 he was appointed new manager ofSiena, which just underwent bankruptcy and change of name and was forced to restart fromSerie D.[98] He left his job by mutual consent on 12 January 2021, with Siena in second place in the league table.[99]
On 11 February 2021, he was re-hired as Siena head coach.[100] He completed the season in third place and was confirmed in charge of the club following its readmission toSerie C for the2021–22 season.
On 24 October 2021, Siena announced to have dismissed Gilardino for a second time following a lackluster start in the club's Serie C campaign.[101]
On 1 July 2022, Gilardino was unveiled as the new head ofGenoa Primavera, the Under-19 team of theRossoblu.[102]
On 6 December 2022, Gilardino was temporarily promoted as head coach following the dismissal ofAlexander Blessin from theSerie B side.[103] Following a positive string of results and an improvement in performances, Gilardino was permanently appointed head coach.[104] After guiding Genoa to direct promotion toSerie A, Gilardino signed a contract extension until 30 June 2024, with an option to extend it for one further year.[105]
On 19 November 2024, after a series of poor results and with the team on the verge of the relegation zone, Gilardino was sacked.[106]
On 26 June 2025, newly-promoted Serie A clubPisa announced the hiring of Gilardino on a two-year deal with a contract extension option for one further year, taking over from departing head coachFilippo Inzaghi.[107] He was sacked on 1 February 2026 after a series of poor results and with the team in relegation zone.[6]
Gilardino played for Italy at the2004 Olympics inAthens, winning a bronze medal;[108] he scored a decisive goal against Iraq in the match for third place. He also led Italy'sunder-21 team to victory in the2004 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, being named the best player and top scorer of the tournament with four goals.[109] Gilardino is currently the all-time top scorer for the Italy national under-21 team, with 19 goals in 30 matches.[108]
After the 2004 Olympics, Gilardino was chosen by the senior national team coachMarcello Lippi. He made his debut on 4 September 2004, at the age of 22, in a 2–1 home win in aWorld Cup qualifier againstNorway.[110] On 13 October, he scored his first international goal in a 4–3 win in a World Cup qualifier againstBelarus, in Parma.[111] Lippi considered him a starter, often in tandem withLuca Toni.
Gilardino was a member of the 23-man Italy squad that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup.[112] He played in the first two matches, scoring a goal in his nation's second group match, a 1–1 draw against theUnited States, with a diving header off a free kick byAndrea Pirlo;[113] He came on as a substitute in the semifinal match against hostsGermany, hitting the post in extra time; in the last minute of the second half of extra time, he provided the assist forAlessandro Del Piero's goal two minutes after the first goal, sealing theAzzurri's 2–0 victory, which earned them a place in thefinal;[114] Italy subsequently defeatedFrance 5–3 on penalties in the final, following a 1–1 draw after extra time.[115]
On 17 October 2007, Gilardino assumed the team captaincy for the first time in his international career afterDaniele De Rossi was substituted during Italy's 2–0 friendly win overSouth Africa. Because of his negative 2007–08 season with theRossoneri, which ended with a miserly 7 goals in 30 appearances, Gilardino was not selected forEuro 2008 by coachRoberto Donadoni.
Gilardino returned to the national team on 20 August 2008 following Lippi's reappointment on theAzzurri bench. He marked his return to the national side by scoring the first of Italy's two goals at the end of the first half in an international friendly againstAustria, which ended in a 2–2 draw.[116]
In June 2009, Marcello Lippi called Gilardino up for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa.[117] Gilardino played a friendly match againstNew Zealand inPretoria, South Africa days before Italy's first match, netting two goals and displaying a wonderful performance.[118] However, the Italian team was eliminated in the first round of the Confederations Cup after a loss to Brazil.[119]
On 10 October 2009, Gilardino scored what he described at the time as the most important goal of his career, after scoring the equalising goal in the 89th minute of a 2–2 away draw againstIreland; this enabled Italy to qualify for the 2010 World Cup asgroup winners, to try to defend their 2006 title.[120]
On 14 October 2009, Gilardino scored a hat-trick in the final 13 minutes of the game againstCyprus to cap a 3–2 victory for Italy, allowing the team to overturn the double disadvantage and win the game.[121]
Gilardino was part of the Italian 2010 FIFA World Cup squad. He started Italy's first game on the group stage againstParaguay, which ended in a 1–1 draw.[122] The tournament was a disaster for Italy and the team was eliminated in the group stage.[123]
Gilardino captaining Italy in 2013 during a friendly match versusHaiti
After the embarrassment that was the 2010 World Cup, Cesare Prandelli was chosen as Italy's new coach. On 7 September 2010, Gilardino scored the first goal in the 5–0 victory against theFaroe Islands in the secondqualification match for Euro 2012.[124] On 29 March 2011, Gilardino was made captain in a friendly match between Ukraine-Italy (0–2) held in Kyiv, 30 years since a Fiorentina player (Giancarlo Antognoni) last held the Azzurri captaincy.[125]As result of his good form after his arrival at Bologna, Gilardino was called back to the national team, alongside his teammate Alessandro Diamanti. On 7 October 2012, after an absence of over a year, Gilardino was called up again for the 2014 World Cup qualifying matches againstArmenia andDenmark. On 6 February, in the friendly against the Netherlands, Gilardino came on as a sub in the final minutes, providing an assist for Marco Verratti's equaliser.[126] On 31 May 2013, Gilardino scored a goal in Azzurri's 4–0 victory againstSan Marino.[127]
After the positive performance against San Marino, Gilardino was called up for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil by Prandelli on 3 June 2013.[128] He came on forMario Balotelli in the second half for the first group match againstMexico on 16 June.[129] After Balotelli's injury, Gilardino took his place for all of Italy's subsequent matches,[130] including the semi-final againstSpain,[131] and the victorious third place match againstUruguay.[132]
On 6 September 2013, as Mario Balotelli andPablo Daniel Osvaldo were suspended, Gilardino made the starting eleven for the match againstBulgaria, qualifying for the 2014 World Cup, his first half goal sealing a 1–0 win for theAzzurri.[133] This goal helped Gilardino to overtakeRoberto Bettega on the all-time leading scorers' list of the Italy national team,[133] and made him the first Genoa player to score a goal for theAzzurri sinceRiccardo Carapellese scored in the match againstFrance on 12 February 1956.[134]
Widely regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation. A quick, agile, hard-working, and prolificforward with an excellent positional sense, who is skilled in the air, both with his head and acrobatically, due to his height,[135][136][137][138][139][140] Gilardino played mainly as a striker who prefers to be served in the penalty area. This position allows him to leverage his skills, timing, opportunism, and ability to score goals and finish off chances[137][141] by getting on the end of his teammates' crosses.[142] Possessing good technique and an eye for goal,[138] he is capable of shooting first time, but is also known for his ability to use his skills and strength to protect the ball and to defend himself with his back to goal;[37][138][143] he often uses this ability to provide depth to his team,[144] holding up the ball and subsequently laying it off for teammates, providing them withassists.[145][146][147] Gilardino is naturally right-footed, but in his early years at Parma, he was able to improve his ability with his left foot.[145][146][147]
Shortly after getting his drivers license in April 2001, Gilardino was driving two sisters, Silvia and Cosetta Puppinato, back to their home inTreviso when he veered hisVolkswagen Golf off the road and plunged into a canal.[148] As the car sank, and despite injuries to his vertebra, he managed to open his door and pull the sisters to safety.[148]
Gilardino is close friends with former Milan teammateDaniele Bonera; they were also teammates at Parma. Gilardino once dedicated one of his goals to Daniele's baby daughter Talitha. Besides his goal-scoring, he is well-remembered for his goal celebration as well – getting on his knees and "playing the violin" at the touchline in front of the fans.[149] He became engaged to Alice Bregoli on 31 March 2006[150] and had their first baby, a girl named Ginevra, on 2 March 2008. The couple were wed on 5 July 2009 atLa Cervara Abbey in Santa Margherita Ligure, in the province of Genoa.[151] Their second daughter, named Gemma, was born on 19 March 2011,[152] while their third daughter, Giulia, was born on 4 September 2012.[153]
^dstorace (19 November 2024)."Genoa CFC - Comunicato Stampa".Genoa Cricket and Football Club - Official Website (in Italian). Retrieved19 November 2024.
_-_Alberto_Gilardino_(edited).jpg)
