.jpg) Ballotta in 2018 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1964-04-03)3 April 1964 (age 61) | ||
| Place of birth | Casalecchio di Reno, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1981–1982 | Bologna | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1982–1984 | San Lazzaro | 22 | (0) |
| 1984–1990 | Modena | 188 | (0) |
| 1991 | Cesena | 5 | (0) |
| 1991–1994 | Parma | 33 | (0) |
| 1994–1995 | Brescia | 32 | (0) |
| 1995–1997 | Reggiana | 72 | (0) |
| 1997–2000 | Lazio | 13 | (0) |
| 2000–2001 | Inter | 10 | (0) |
| 2001–2002 | →Modena (loan) | 35 | (0) |
| 2002–2004 | Modena | 52 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | Treviso | 35 | (0) |
| 2005–2008 | Lazio | 49 | (0) |
| Total | 542 | (0) | |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2014 | Castelvetro (Goalkeeper Coach) | ||
| 2014 | Castelvetro | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Marco Ballotta (born 3 April 1964) is an Italian former professionalfootballer who played as agoalkeeper.
His professional career spanned a quarter of a century, but he was nevercapped for theItaly national team. He also held the distinction of being the oldest player ever to appear in both theSerie A and theChampions League.
During 15Serie A seasons, Ballotta appeared in 138 games for six clubs, mainlyModena andLazio.
Born inCasalecchio di Reno,Emilia Romagna, Ballotta emerged throughBologna's youth system before starting out as a senior with hometown clubBoca San Lazzaro. In the 1984 summer he joinedModena, where he remained for the next six years. In January 1991 he transferred toCesena, but only stayed for six months before being purchased byParma also inSerie A.
Ballotta was in top form during1992–93, as Parmawon theUEFA Cup Winners' Cup[2] and finished third in the league. However, his momentum did not continue intothe next season and he only made three league appearances. He did start both legs in the team's2–1 aggregate win overA.C. Milan in theUEFA Super Cup,[3] but was benched in favor ofLuca Bucci for the1993–94 Cup Winners' Cup, as Parma reached thefinal for the second consecutive year, only to be defeated byArsenal.[4]
Ballotta signed withBrescia in 1994, being relegated inhis sole season. He then spentthe following campaign inSerie B withReggiana, achieving promotion at the first attempt. Afterbeing immediately relegated, he left forLazio for1997–98, initially as third-choice.
After three seasons with theBiancocelesti, Ballotta enjoyed a brief stint withInter Milan, who acquired the player as part ofAngelo Peruzzi's multi-billionlire move to Lazio. Inter claimed the transfer fee for Ballotta and Peruzzi were 7 billion and 40 billion respectively (thus 33 billion plus Ballotta),[5][6] whileLa Gazzetta dello Sport claimed the transfer fee of Peruzzi was 35 billion plus Ballotta.[7] During this timeframe he was also loaned to Modena, helping them gain promotion to the top flight in2002 and subsequently signing permanently for free.[6]
Ballotta remained at theStadio Alberto Braglia until the club's relegation at the end of2003–04, spendingthe following season withTreviso in the second tier. Despite a fourth-place finish, they were promoted in place ofGenoa after the latter were demoted toSerie C1 following a match-fixing scandal, and he was once again back in the top level after rejoining Lazio as a replacement forFabrizio Casazza as third goalkeeper.
Ballotta made eight starts during the2005–06 campaign, as an injury replacement for both Peruzzi andMatteo Sereni. On 23 October 2005, he set the record as the oldest player to have played in the first division when he started in Lazio's lineup againstRoma at the age of 41 years and 203 days, beating the previous record set on 7 May 1983 whenDino Zoff played his last game at the age of 41 years and 34 days.[8][9]
Due to Peruzzi's ongoing injury problemsthe following season, Ballotta made eleven league appearances as Lazio finished third behind Inter and Roma. They subsequently clinched aberth in theUEFA Champions League.
Ballotta started the first two matches of2007–08, until the gloves were handed to new acquisitionFernando Muslera for the next five rounds. Following the 5–1 home loss against Milan on 7 October 2007, he regained the starting spot, which he kept until the end of the season.[10] He also started in all Champions League matches, in which he also became the oldest player ever to play in the competition during a 1–1 draw withOlympiacos on 18 September 2007, at the age of 43 years and 168 days, beating the previous record held by another Italian,Alessandro Costacurta, who was 40 years and 211 days in Milan's loss toAEK Athens on 21 November 2006.[11][12]
Ballotta retired after his contract with Lazio expired at the end of the season, expressing an interest in continuing his career, before eventually signing a deal asgeneral manager[citation needed] at former club Modena. This experience was however short-lived and, after just 35 days, he decided to stop working at the club.[13]
In late 2008, Ballotta returned withPrima Categoria (eighth level) side Calcara Samoggia, but in another position:forward.[14]
Modena[15]
Parma[15]
Lazio[15]
Records
