20 Facts About Stefano Fiore

Stefano Fiore is an Italian football manager and former player, who played as an attacking midfielder or on the right wing.

Stefano Fiore spent two seasons at Padova and Chievo, before returning to Parma again for two more seasons in 1997, where he broke into the starting line-up and won a double which consisted of his second UEFA Cup and the Coppa Italia in 1999.

Stefano Fiore subsequently moved to Udinese, where he spent two successful seasons, winning the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 2000 and thus helping his team qualify for Europe.

Stefano Fiore's performances led to a transfer to Spanish side Valencia later that year, where he struggled to replicate his previous form despite initially winning the UEFA Supercup, and he was sent back to Italy on loan to Fiorentina, Torino, and Livorno during his three seasons with the club.

At international level, Stefano Fiore won 38 caps for the Italy national football team between 2000 and 2004, and scored twice.

Stefano Fiore was born in Cosenza, and he began his professional footballing career with his domestic club in 1992.

Stefano Fiore played just 11 games before moving to Parma in 1994.

Stefano Fiore's limited playing time with them persuaded him to move to Padova for the following season, where he scored one goal in 24 games.

Stefano Fiore was one of the protagonists of Parma's triumphant European campaign that season, notching two goals in ten UEFA Cup appearances.

In June 1999 Stefano Fiore moved to Udinese under Luigi De Canio, originally a cash-plus-player deal in which Parma would receive Stephen Appiah and Marcio Amoroso, for a combined 90 billion lire transfer fees to Udinese, Stefano Fiore priced as 15 billion and the rest as cash.

Zaccheroni was dismissed in 2002, and Stefano Fiore began to improve with a new coach, Roberto Mancini.

Stefano Fiore seemed more at ease playing in the centre of the squad's midfield, and he guided Lazio to fourth in Serie A, thus earning them a place in next season's UEFA Champions League, scoring six goals, and notably reaching the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup that season, only to lose to the eventual champions Porto.

Stefano Fiore was in good form for Lazio the following season, despite the loss of several key players in the summer.

Stefano Fiore made eight appearances for the Italy U21 national team, and three appearances for the U23 side, with which he won the Mediterranean Games in 1997.

Under Zoff's replacement Giovanni Trapattoni, Stefano Fiore continued to be a member of the national side, scoring his second international goal on 28 February 2001, in a friendly defeat to Argentina, at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

Stefano Fiore missed out on the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan, where Italy were disappointingly and controversially eliminated in the second round by co-hosts South Korea.

Stefano Fiore was used sparingly by coach Giovanni Trapattoni, who preferred to play the Argentine born winger, Mauro Camoranesi, only using Stefano Fiore as a substitute in the opening two group matches.

When he did start, the Azzurri looked a lot more creative, with Stefano Fiore nearly scoring from a spectacular volley against Bulgaria in the final group game.

In total, Stefano Fiore won 38 caps for the Italy national team between 2000 and 2004, scoring two goals.

Stefano Fiore played in several deeper midfield roles, as a central midfielder or deep-lying playmaker, due to his tactical versatility, physique, and defensive work-rate off the ball, as well as his ability to link-up with other players and both create or finish off chances.