Emiliano Viviano

Emiliano Viviano was an Italian former professional footballer known for playing as a goalkeeper. He was born on 1 December 1985. Throughout his career, Viviano played for several well-known football clubs and earned recognition for his skills in goal. His contributions to the teams he joined helped shape important moments in Italian football.

Club career

Emiliano Viviano began his football journey in the youth teams of Fiorentina and Brescia. He first played for Cesena in the 2004–05 season and then spent four years as the main goalkeeper for Brescia.

In January 2009, he joined Inter Milan but was immediately loaned back to Brescia. The next season, he made his debut in Serie A with Bologna. Later, he returned to Inter Milan, but an injury kept him out of most of the 2011–12 season. He then played for Palermo, Fiorentina, and had a loan spell with Arsenal before moving to Sampdoria. He also played for Sporting CP, Spal, Fatih Karagümrük, and finally joined Ascoli in 2023.

International career

Viviano was the main goalkeeper for Italy at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship. He joined the Italian squad for the 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He played for the national U-21 team in a friendly match against the Dutch U21 side on February 5, 2008, to prepare for the Olympics. Viviano also played for Italy at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

He was first called up to the senior team on August 6, 2010, before Italy’s friendly match against the Ivory Coast on August 10. Viviano made his debut for the Italy senior team on September 7 in a UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying match, helping Italy win 5–0 against the Faroe Islands in Florence. At that time, he was Italy’s second-choice goalkeeper, behind Gianluigi Buffon but ahead of Salvatore Sirigu. He played in Italy’s October qualifiers against Northern Ireland and Serbia, though the Serbia match was stopped early because fans threw flares onto the field.

After an injury kept him out for six months, Viviano was called up again on February 26, 2012, for Italy’s friendly against the United States on March 1. On May 13, 2012, he was named to Cesare Prandelli’s provisional 32-man squad for UEFA Euro 2012, but was not included in the final 23-player team announced on May 28.

Style of play

Emiliano Viviano was known as a talented goalkeeper when he was younger. People thought he might one day join the Italy national team. He was especially good at stopping penalty kicks and quick to react to shots. One area he could improve was moving forward from his goal to handle high balls. With 12 saves, he ranks among the top penalty stoppers in Serie A history. He was also good at controlling the ball with his feet, which helped him start plays from the goal area.

Career statistics

Club

International