Which national team does Criscito play for? - Until now

A fairly large number of foreign players of quite a decent level have been competing in the Russian championship for a long time. But Domenico Criscito stood out against their background.

Domenico Criscito

Country: Italy.
Position: defender.
Born: December 30, 1986.
Height: 183 cm.
Weight: 75 kg.

Biography and career of a football player

Domenico Criscito was born in the south of Italy in the town of Cercola. He started playing football at the Virtus Volla club school. At the age of 16, he was noticed by Genoa youth coaches and Domenico moved to this club.

Genoa and Juventus

2003-2011

Why did I combine these two clubs into one? It's simple - for almost a decade, Criscito constantly moved from Genoa to Turin and back. He made his debut for Genoa in the 2002-2003 season, but played only one match. A year later, 50% of the rights to Criscito were bought by Juventus (the mechanism of joint ownership of rights to a football player is common in a few countries; it is not used in Russia).

Criscito played for two seasons (2004-2005 and 2005-2006) for the youth team of Juventus, without ever appearing as a starter, after which he returned to Genoa. The 2006-2007 season was his first (well, not counting that one match in 2003) in big football– 39 matches and 4 goals scored. Genoa then played in Serie B, and at the end of the season won a ticket to the elite division (by the way, Juventus went the same way, ending up in Serie B as a result of a corruption scandal).

After this, Criscito finds himself back in Juventus. But he was never able to break into the main team, and six months later he returned to Genoa, this time for good.

Here Criscito will play for three and a half years, during which time he will play 124 matches for the club (5 goals), and will receive an invitation to the Italian national team. Criscito played as a left back. Being a solid professional, he never grabbed stars from the sky. It didn’t work out for him with Juventus, and other top clubs showed no interest in the defender.

"Zenith"

2011-2018

But Zenit was interested in Criscito and in June 2011 he became a St. Petersburg player, signing a 5-year contract. In Russia, Criscito started right off the bat. Already in the first match against him he scored an assist (2:0), and subsequently demonstrated consistently high level games.

Criscito played for Zenit for 7 seasons, played 225 matches, scored 20 goals, won 2 championships, a Cup and 2 Russian Super Cups, and was recognized three times as the best left-back in the championship.

No offense to Criscito, but his performance in Russia clearly demonstrated the difference between the leagues. If in Serie A his play did not reach above the level of a middling club, then in the RFPL he was one of the best players of one of the leading clubs in the country.

"Genoa"

2018 – present

After Zenit, Criscito returned to Genoa, which he helped avoid relegation to Serie B in the 2018-2019 season.

Italy national team

2009-2018

Domenico Criscito made his debut for the Italian national team in August 2009, and less than a year later he went to the World Cup with it. In South Africa, Domenico played in all the matches, but the Italians could not qualify from the group.

After that, he was called up to the national team periodically, for example, in the selection for Euro 2012 he played in two matches, at the 2014 World Cup - in one. In applications for final tournaments Criscito didn't hit again.

He did not officially announce the end of his participation in the Azzurra squadron, but he has not volunteered to join it since June 2018. In total, Criscito played 25 matches for the Italian national team.

Titles of Domenico Criscito

Team

Two-time Russian champion.
Winner of the Russian Cup.
Two-time winner of the Russian Super Cup.

Individual

Listed four times 33 the best football players Russian Championship, three of them at No. 1.

Family and personal life of Domenico Criscito

Domenico Criscito's wife's name is Pamela. They are raising two sons - Alfredo (he was named after Domenico's father) and Alessandro.

Criscito is the sixth Zenit foreign player to receive the honor of being the team captain.
Criscito did not go to the 2012 European Championship due to a scandal with fixed matches. Suspicions against him were not confirmed, but Cesare Prandelli excluded Domenico from the expanded list of candidates.
“Mimmo” is the nickname given to Domenico Criscito by the fans.
Domenico Criscito made a tattoo with the names of his sons in Russian.

Now Domenico Criscito firmly connects his fate with Genoa. In one of his interviews, he said that his plans are to play for another 2-3 years, and then try himself as a coach. Apparently, he doesn’t see himself outside of football.

Domenico Criscito(Italian Domenico Criscito; December 30, 1986, Cercola, Naples, Campania) - Italian football player, defender of St. Petersburg Zenit and the Italian national team.

Career

Club

Domenico Criscito is a graduate of the Virtus Volla club. There he was discovered by the youth coach of the Genoa club, Claudio Onofri, who invited him young player to the Genoese team. On June 7, 2003, at the age of 16, Criscito made his debut for Genoa in home match Series B with Cosenza, which ended in favor of the home team 3:0. In 2004, Criscito moved to Juventus, which bought half of the rights to the player for 500 thousand euros plus 50% of the rights to Juve player Antonio Nocerino. In the youth team of the Old Lady, Criscito won the Italian youth championship in 2006, and was also a substitute in the first team’s games several times, including Champions League matches, but did not appear on the field.

In the summer of 2006, under a joint ownership agreement, Criscito returned to Genoa. The head coach of the club, Gianpiero Gasperini, entrusted him with a place in the main team. For his performance, Criscito was called up to the Italian youth team. In December, Criscito scored his first goal for the club, hitting Frosinone, helping the club win 3:2. In January 2007, Juventus paid €5.25 million for the remaining 50% of the rights to the player and gave half of the rights to Andrea Masiello and Abdoulaye Konko. Criscito signed a contract with the Old Lady until June 30, 2011. According to the agreement, Criscito spent the rest of the season at Genoa.

On August 25, 2007, in the match of the first round of Serie A, Criscito made his debut for Juve in a match with Livorno, which Juventus won 5:1. In the first few matches, Claudio Ranieri used Criscito as a starting player, but Domenico was soon forced to give up his place to Giorgio Chiellini, who had recovered from injury. On January 4, 2008, Criscito returned to Genoa on loan with the option to buy the player, where he moved to have playing practice. At the end of the season, Genoa did not want to buy the player, but extended the loan agreement as part of the transfer of Raffaele Palladino.

On February 1, 2009, Criscito scored his first Serie A goal in a 1–0 victory over Palermo. On June 25, Genoa bought part of the rights to Criscito, paying 5.5 million euros. On August 20, 2009, Criscito made his first appearance in European competition in a match with Odense, which the Genoese club won 3:1. On June 25, 2010, Genoa bought the remaining rights to Criscito from Juventus for 6 million euros. In July, Criscito suffered a left knee injury and was out of action for some time.

In winter, Genoa management began to lean toward selling Criscito. Zenit St. Petersburg, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan claimed it.

On June 8, 2011, Criscito held negotiations regarding a transfer to the Neapolitan Napoli; in the event of a transfer, the transfer amount would be 6 million euros. On June 21, Criscito’s agent, D’Amico, visited St. Petersburg, the purpose of his arrival in Russia was negotiations with Zenit regarding Criscito’s transfer to the St. Petersburg club. On June 27, official confirmation appeared of Criscito’s transfer to Zenit, who signed a contract with the defender for a period of 5 years. The footballer joined the team on July 8. According to the Genoese newspaper Il Secolo XIX, Zenit paid 12 million euros for Criscito, the player’s annual salary will be 3 million euros. According to Enrico Preziosi, the president of Genoa, the transfer amount was 11 million euros. According to the website www.transfermarkt.de, the transfer amount was 15,000,000 euros. On August 6, Domenico made his debut for Zenit in a match with CSKA, in which his team won 2:0, and the defender himself made an assist.

On March 16, 2012, in a match with Dynamo Moscow, he scored the first goal in official matches for the St. Petersburg team.

On August 2, 2014, in a match with Arsenal Tula, he scored a double. On December 3, 2014, he played his hundredth match for Zenit.

On March 15, 2015, Domenico Criscito led the team to the match against Torpedo Moscow as team captain, becoming only the sixth foreign player in Zenit history to receive such an honor.

The defender of the national champions visited the Radio Zenit studio and devoted an hour of his time to satisfy the curiosity of St. Petersburg fans. Adaptation to Russia, past and upcoming games in the Premier League and Champions League, singing and visiting the Hermitage - the transcript of the conversation included all this and even more.

Domenico, please dispel all doubts. What is the correct accent in your first and last name?

– DoMenico Criscito.

Everyone saw you on Saturday at Petrovsky, but, nevertheless, you left the national team due to injury. I would like to understand what happened there and what is happening to you now?

– I had a small problem with the groin, and in order not to take another risk, so as not to aggravate the situation, we, together with the medical staff, decided to take a break, decided to give me a rest, and so I returned back to the club.

What is the nature of this injury? Are you tired or did the Luzhniki synthetics take its toll?

– I had unpleasant feelings even before the match with Spartak, perhaps from fatigue, and then, of course, playing on an artificial field affected me. But now I’m fine, I managed to recover for the match with Dynamo and I hope that everything will be fine in the future.

Regarding synthetics. How do you feel about this? If I remember correctly, in Italy only Cesena has an artificial pitch.

– Yes, in Italy Novara and Cesena really have synthetic fields. As for me, this was the first time I played on such a surface, and I can say that I felt quite good, because the field was good, and this fact did not pose any problems for me.

(listener question) Previously best player your role was Roberto Carlos. Who will you tag now?

– I really like Bale from Tottenham.

After he scored three against Inter?

Okay, what else?

– There are a lot of strong players playing in my position: Evra and Abidal. I always want to learn something new and try to pick up little secrets from these great masters.

This is very interesting. What was the last little secret you spied or the most memorable?

- All these players play very well both defensively and offensively, they connect well forward and try not to give up the ball just like that, not to knock it out anywhere, they always try to make targeted passes - this is important.

Rosina said that in your company with Husti they specifically speak English, and Rosina does not switch to Italian in order to improve your knowledge of the language. It should be noted that Rosina himself now speaks English much better than before.

“I’m also making little progress, it seems to me.” Of course, when they speak quickly, I don’t understand anything, but I’m trying to slowly improve my English.

Did you skip school?

Yes, I often didn’t go to classes.

(listener question) What, in your opinion, was not enough to win the match with Dynamo?

– I think we lacked luck in the final stages of attacks, in front of the opponent’s goal, especially in the first half, when we had a lot of chances. But I think we are on the right track. If everything continues like this, we will finish the championship in first place. I believe that we are the strongest team in the tournament.

Samedov played a lot against you in the first half, and in the second as well. And in the first half, Voronin actively moved into the right midfielder zone. It seemed that in some episodes you were not on time - almost for the first time during your performance at Zenit.

- Yes, I think that one of the main characteristics of Dynamo in this match, one of the main techniques that they used, was this change of positions, when players constantly came to occupy the zone on the flank. Very often I found myself in a situation of “one against two” on the flank, and, of course, it is not easy in such a situation. Dynamo players have high performing skills and created difficulties for me, especially in the first half.

Do I understand correctly that between the lines you can read a complaint about your partners who played above you on the flank, were they both Danni and Lazovic?

- No, of course not, because they have to take care of playing in attack, to organize attacking combinations, and they do their job very well.

(student question) In the match, when Alexander Kerzhakov was playing in front, you very successfully rose up to attack and made a throw to him with your left foot. This time it was a coaching instruction - to play clearly in defense or did you decide not to take risks, not to go up to help Danny and also, for example, Sasha Bukharov?

– I myself looked at the situation from the game, and most often it was not possible to join the attacks, because Dynamo left its forwards very high, it was necessary to closely monitor them and help the central defenders. As for Kerzhakov, indeed, he is a fundamental player for our team, he is top scorer, but Bukharov is also a very important player, because every time he was given a chance, he showed that he was ready to take it, ready to use it, always gave the maximum of what he was capable of, and in training he always works hard professionalism, with great dedication.

(listener question) The best football player in the history of Italian football?

– Roberto Baggio.

Even despite this historic kick over the goal?

– Maradona didn’t score a penalty either.

I really liked the phrase “Virtus Volla”, this is your first team. You couldn't read a short press release about what kind of club this is, because no one knows anything about it. Who brought you into football?

– This is a team from a small town where I grew up, there are only 15 thousand inhabitants. Like any guy who loves football, I slept with the ball as a child. My father took me to this team and arranged for me, I did everything to become a football player, tried to start my career.

Are you happy with your place in world football now?

- Yes, I am now very pleased with my place, as you said, in world football. I wanted to become a football player from an early age, so I am very pleased that this dream has become a reality.

(listener question) Darijo Srna plays in the style of hockey player Kirill Koltsov - he doesn’t always have time to go back. Is it really possible to use this?

- Yes, I think that this fact can help us, because we have a player like Danny, who can beat an opponent one-on-one at any time. When he gets close to a defender, he is always very dangerous, players of this type are always at a special price. Well, as for defensive actions, this is my area of responsibility and that of my partners.

(listener question) What do you think of the St. Petersburg ultras, are they stronger than the Italian ones?

– In Italy I played for Genoa, and the fans there are really very passionate and support their team very seriously, but when I came to St. Petersburg, I realized that the fans here are absolutely no worse. This is amazing support, the fans sing from the first minute to the last, without stopping. It’s rare to find such support and such active fans, so I can only say the best words about the fans of St. Petersburg.

Petrovsky's main hit is, of course, the lambada after either Danko Lazovic or Alexander Kerzhakov scores a goal. To the tune of what song would you like to hear your name being chanted?

– “Azzzurro” by Celentano is a great song!

In general, how do you feel about Adriano Celentano? You know that in our country he is still the ruler of thoughts?

– Of course, in Italy he is a famous singer, but I grew up listening to other performers.

For example? Toto Cutugno?

– More like Eros Ramazzotti.

(listener question) Which player from the Italian national team will move to Zenit next? Do you have any preferences?

– Whoever comes from them, we will welcome everyone with open arms, because in Italy there are a lot good football players.

Do you have any preferences for forwards? Quagliarella, Di Natale?

“Both of these strikers score a lot, and they are both from Naples, like me. Both would help us.

(listener question) Which of your expectations from Russia were confirmed and which were not?

– To be honest, before coming to St. Petersburg, I was told that it was a very beautiful city, but I didn’t think it was that beautiful. I was convinced of this when I arrived; it was a big surprise for me. Then I very quickly managed to adapt both in the city, in life, and in the club, in the team with my partners. Of course, the coaching staff, consisting mainly of Italians, helped a lot.

(listener question) Do you have any favorite places?

– I prefer restaurants. I often go to restaurants “Francesco” and “Rib Eye”.

Few Zenit players came here with their families. You came not only with your wife, you also came with your mother. Are you hesitant to leave them at home alone?

– I think it’s right when a wife is always with her husband. So I hope she is happy to accompany me. I am also glad.

I suspect that, like all Italians, family comes first in your life?

- Yes. Now family is becoming even more important to me because I am expecting the birth of a child.

Books on how to help your wife during pregnancy, how to do housekeeping, and that your wife gets tired too - have you already accumulated all this knowledge?

- Yes it is. We have to study everything.

Well, we wish you good luck and patience. Before you know it, quarantine will be over, and the training camp will be perceived as a welcome holiday, because experienced football players and fathers said that this is a great time when you can, for example, get some sleep.

– No, I’m rather looking forward to the baby being born so I can always be with him.

(listener question) Shoot at goal more often, Domenico, especially from outside the penalty area.

– When I have the opportunity, I always try to shoot on goal. We'll see, I hope I'll score sooner or later.

(listener question) What is your situation with the nightlife of St. Petersburg? City lights are a phenomenon that has ruined the careers of many football players.

– Yes, that’s why I prefer to stay home with my wife in the evening, watch a movie and go to dinner.

Last movie that impressed you? A book you couldn't fall asleep over?

– I don’t read books. As for films, I watch a lot of films, and of different genres: Italian cinema, romantic comedies.

Roman holiday? Eight and a half?

– No, no, these are too old films.

(student question) Domenico, in the first match you showed a trick with stuffing, it looked very nice. When will you repeat?

- I hope that in next match. As soon as I have the opportunity, I will happily juggle some more.

(listener question) Aren't you afraid of the Russian cold?

- There is nothing wrong. Let's dress warmly, and everything will be fine. Of course, it is true that I am not yet ready for the Russian cold, but I think I will quickly adapt.

Do you remember your feelings on the eve of your debut for Zenit? How did you get ready for CSKA?

– Yes, I remember my feelings very well. It was a very special feeling, pleasant, because it was a new championship for me and immediately such an important match with a direct competitor for first place. You can say I was very concentrated, and with the help of my partners I was able to carry out good match, therefore, first of all, I must thank them for that success.

How comfortable are you playing in a league where guys like Kombarov always walk with a straight leg and Emenike knees a defender in the back of the head and calls for a penalty? Lazovich, for example, admitted some time after moving to Russia that the level of harshness here shocked him.

- No, everything is fine for me. Here you also need to understand that Lazovic and I have different positions on the field, because he gets on the legs, and I give on the legs.

How would you comment on the principle that Anatoly Davydov regularly voiced: “If you are beaten, catch up and beat you.” To next time the opponent didn’t even have the thought of beating him.

- No, I think that you don’t need to hit your opponent too much, because you risk getting a red card and being sent off. You just need to play good defense and try to make sure you don’t get beaten.

Danni's wife Petra, if she feels that it is possible, gives advice after some football matches. Your wife, dad, mom don’t write text messages: “Well, Domenico, you swam today...”?

– My wife often makes mistakes in giving advice, because after all, she is a woman and doesn’t understand anything about football. But sometimes he guesses right. She and I talk very often about matches and training; Of course, we discuss these things with my parents.

Are you following the Rugby World Cup? It is believed that in Italy this sport is approximately on the same level as football.

- Yes, I follow a little, I know that in last years The Italian national team has improved their rugby a lot, but, to be honest, I don’t even know the rules of the game.

You can't make a forward pass there.

– I think that with my constitution, after the first shoulder-to-shoulder contact I will immediately fly out of the stadium.

It is believed that long distances in the Russian Championship are the main drawback that hinders, from a recovery point of view, preparation for matches. Have you already experienced this?

- No, don’t forget that we have Main coach, who, if we really ask, always gives us a day off after the game, so there is time to recover, and thus flights do not create big problems.

What do you do during the flight?

- I always sleep, always.

The Italian national team has already qualified for the European Championship, but in a rare case, it is not among the favorites of this tournament. Everyone calls Spain and Germany. Italy is in the second five. Is this good or bad for you?

“And in 2006, when Italy won the World Cup, they didn’t start that tournament as the favorite team. Now, after the failure in South Africa, our national team has grown very much, and we will go to Ukraine precisely to prove that we are strong and to achieve serious results there.

(listener question) Domenico, did you share the joy of victory over Porto with someone at home? Were there a lot of congratulations and calls?

- Yes, my friends sent me a lot of messages, because, of course, the Champions League match in Italy is easier to see than the match Russian championship.

I suspect you have already completed the entire standard set of actions for a foreigner who has just arrived in St. Petersburg? Did you go on a boat ride, were you in the Hermitage?

– I was in the Hermitage, but I saw only a small part, because it is huge. I haven't been on a boat yet.

I think it's better to postpone until May.

- Yes, it’s already cool now.

You had a period at Juventus when you, as they say, lost in a fair wrestling place in Chiellini's squad. Did this experience teach you anything?

– Yes, it was a very important experience for me. I think it was an experience that allowed me to grow a lot, because after that I returned to Genoa and there I managed to get a call-up to the national team. That experience allowed me to grow, including from a human point of view.

(listener question) Do you have a hobby and what sport do you prefer besides football? Have you ever gone to ice hockey at Ledovy?

– No, I haven’t been to hockey yet, but in my free time I have either the Internet or PlayStation at home. As for another sport, tennis.

PlayStation – FIFA 2012 or chess?

– I love Pro Evolution Soccer

(listener question) What terms did you, Domenico, learn at Zenit? What language do defenders communicate with each other?

- “One”, “right”, “left”. There are few words yet.

Is the real Zenit in the Champions League the one that lost in Cyprus or the one that trampled Porto at Petrovsky?

- I think that the real Zenit was in the home match against Porto, because if we can play such a quality game against such strong team like Porto means the team has class.

After the match with CSKA, it seemed that the formation with three central defenders was more or less optimal for matches of, as they say, increased complexity. However, the voyage to Cyprus showed that even in such an arrangement problems can occur. In your opinion, for the game with Shakhtar, where three real beasts from the second Brazilian national team play in front, and some even from the first, what formation would be optimal?

– I think that with the players we have in our squad, we can play in any tactical scheme, it doesn’t matter at all. As for the game against Shakhtar, I think that we need to approach this match very concentrated, because the opponent has players who can beat one on one very well, who can create danger almost out of the blue, and we need be very collected. And what scheme we play according to is not so important, what matters is how we interpret a particular game. If we are as concentrated and approach the match as we were in the game with CSKA, then everything will be fine.

Which Shakhtar player would you single out?

– I don’t remember their names now, but I know very well that they have very strong Brazilians, especially on the flanks.

(listener question) Could you record the Zenit anthem together with Luciano Spalletti and Alessandro Rosina?

- With great pleasure.

So you sing in your spare time?

- No, there’s a bear in my ear...

It is curious that Rosina answered the question about singing in exactly the same way.

– He is a much bigger music lover than me

(listener question) What was the most difficult thing for you to understand or do in Russia? Both in football and in everyday life?

– I think that the most difficult thing that can be from any point of view is language. If you speak the language, all problems should immediately disappear, I will try to correct this defect over time.

Who would you single out among the players, whom you directly had to act against, who gave you the most difficulties?

– I really like Doumbia from CSKA, a very strong one-on-one player, a very scoring striker.

Kerzhakov?

– No, I’m only talking about rival players, I didn’t talk about ours.

Domenico Criscito is an Italian footballer who plays as a left back. He can also play in the center of defense, and also rise higher and take on the role of a defensive midfielder. Domenico Criscito spent the last five years in Russia, playing for Zenit St. Petersburg.

Carier start

Domenico Criscito was born on December 30, 1986 in the south of Italy, but at the age of thirteen he moved north to become a footballer. There he joined football academy club Genoa, with whom he signed a professional contract in 2004, when he turned eighteen. But Criscito made his debut in the adult squad back in the 02/03 season, when he was only 16 years old. As soon as a professional contract was concluded, the strongest club in Italy, Juventus, which had been eyeing the player for some time, bought fifty percent of the rights to the defender for 950 thousand euros.

At Juventus, the young Italian did not aspire to get into the first team - he was content with playing for the reserve team for two years until he was returned to Genoa, where he began to receive playing practice. In the 06/07 season, Domenico Criscito played in 39 matches, scoring four goals, which impressed the management of the Old Lady. Therefore, in 2007, the Turin club bought the remaining fifty percent of the defender’s contract from Genoa for seven and a half million euros.

Transfer to Juventus

At Juventus, Domenico Criscito, whose biography could have changed dramatically at that moment, hoped to become the main player. However, the Italian champion had incredible football players with whom the young athlete could not compete. As a result, in six months he played only eight matches on the field, so he wanted to return to Genoa, where everything worked out great for him.

Return to Genoa

Genoa paid one million euros for Criscito's six-month lease, while receiving the right to buy the player at the end of the lease for 11 and a half million euros. Over the course of six months, Criscito showed that he had not lost his form and fit into the team perfectly, playing 16 matches.

Over the next three seasons, Domenico was a key player for the team, appearing on the pitch a further 109 times and scoring five goals. It was then that larger clubs began to pay attention to him, including Juventus, but Criscito fundamentally did not want to return to Turin. The offer from Russia turned out to be the most tempting, and in the summer of 2011, for fifteen million euros, Domenico went to play outside Italy for the first time.

Game for Zenit

Domenico Criscito's new club is Zenit, for which he continues to play to this day. Already in his first season, the Italian showed that he had serious intentions, playing 32 matches and scoring one goal. Over the course of five years, the defender firmly established himself in the core of the St. Petersburg club, playing a total of 152 matches and scoring 9 goals. The 29-year-old Italian has appeared in 12 matches this season, scoring four goals (the last time he scored that many in a full season was in 2006-2007 for Genoa) and providing two assists.

Performances for the national team

Criscito made his Italy debut in August 2009 in a friendly against Switzerland and has since played 22 matches, providing three assists. He went to the 2010 World Cup as a first-team player and played all three matches at the tournament. It was also planned that he would go for a year, but just then a match-fixing scandal occurred in Russia, and although Criscito’s guilt was not proven, the head coach of the national team did not take him to the tournament. As a result, the 2012 European Championship remained the only major tournament in which Domenico played. The defender played his last match for the national team in March 2014 against the Spanish national team. However, he received a call-up to the national team again in October 2016 for a match against Macedonia, but remained on the bench.

Domenico Criscito is an Italian footballer, full-back for Zenit and the Italian national team. He started playing football as part of the amateur team Virtus Volla, then moved to Genoa. My professional career also started at the club from Genoa. Since 2011 he has been playing for Zenit, is the main left-back of the St. Petersburg team, and since 2013 he has also been the club’s vice-captain. He has been a member of the Italian national team since 2009 and took part in the 2014 World Cup.

Full name: Domenico Criscito
Date and place of birth: December 30, 1986, Cercola (Italy)
Role: left back (full back)

Club career of Domenico Criscito

Criscito was born in one of the many suburbs of Naples. He began his career as a member of the local club Virtus Volla, then moved to the ranks of Genoa. In 2003, the 16-year-old defender made his debut with the Old Lady's first team, coming on as a substitute in a Serie B match against Cosenza. The following year, Domenico moved to Juventus, which bought half of the rights to the player. Together with the “striped” youth team, he won the Italian Championship in 2006. Several times Criscito was included in the main team's lineup for the Champions League and Italian Cup matches, but never took to the field.

In 2006, the management of Genoa believed in the footballer, returning him to the team. Criscito was included in the starting lineup for the 2006/07 season and became one of the leaders of the Genoa club. In January of the following year, Domenico was completely bought out by Juventus, signing a 4.5-year contract with the Turin club. According to the agreement, the defender finished the season in Genoa. As a result, he was involved in 36 matches and scored 4 goals.

At the start of the 2007/08 season, Criscito joined Juve, replacing the injured Giorgio Chiellini in the center of defense. However, already in September, Giorgio returned to duty, and Criscito sat on the bench. Already in January 2008, the Italian returned to his native Genoa, which rented Dominic until the end of the season with the right to buy. At the end of the season, the Old Lady did not want to buy out the defender, but extended the rental agreement for the next season.

Gradually, Domenic established himself on the left flank of defense and became a key player for the Old Lady. In the 2009/10 season, the Italian made his debut in the Eurocups, and by the end of the season, representatives of the Genoese bought half of the rights to the player. In June 2010, Domenico became a regular player for Genoa for the third time in his career, joining from Juve for €6 million. During the 2010/11 season, he was one of the leaders of Genoa and attracted the attention of a number of European clubs.

"Zenith"

It was reported that Criscito would most likely join the ranks of Inter Milan or Napoli. However, the player’s agent went to St. Petersburg, where he reached an agreement with the local Zenit. On June 27, 2011, official confirmation of Criscito’s transfer to the “blue-white-blue” camp appeared. According to Italian media reports, the defender signed a 5-year contract with Zenit, and the transfer amount was 12 million euros. The footballer himself earned himself a handsome salary of 3 million euros.

On August 6, 2011, the defender made his debut for the St. Petersburg team in a match against Zenit (2-0). The Italian quickly adapted to his new conditions and even began to be called up to the national team more often. On March 16, 2012, he scored the first goal in official matches, hitting the Dynamo goal. In the 2013/14 season, he played his 1000th match in Zenit football, and also scored a double in the confrontation with Arsenal Tula.

In almost every transfer window, the defender was wooed to various European clubs. Bayern Munich and Liverpool were interested in him. However, Zenit did not receive any official ones. And even if I did receive them, they weren’t worth it. In the 2014/15 season, the Italian won his second Russian championship title. In one of last matches championship, he entered the field with the captain's armband, becoming the first Italian to receive this honor.

International career of Domenico Criscito

Criscito has been called up to the Italian national team since he was 17 years old. Played more than 50 matches as part of youth and youth teams. He stayed for a long time in the youth team, for which he played 26 matches, going to European and world tournaments. On August 12, 2009 he made his debut in the main Italian national team in friendly match against Switzerland (0-0). In 2010, he went with the Italian national team to South Africa to defend the world title. However, here the blue team failed, failing to get out of the simplest group with New Zealand, Paraguay and Slovakia. Domenico played all three matches. He missed the 2012 European Championship due to suspicion of involvement in organizing match-fixing.

Achievements of Domenico Criscito

"Zenith"

Champion of Russia 2012, 2015
Vice-champion of Russia 2014
Winner of the Russian Cup 2016
Winner of the Russian Super Cup 2015, 2016

Individual

Member of the list of 33 best football players of the Russian Championship 2012, 2015