View source for Francesco Colonnese

{{short description|Italian footballer (born 1971)|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Francesco Colonnese
| fullname = Francesco Colonnese
| image = Chelsea Legends 1 Inter Forever 4 (28453497528) - Francesco Colonnese (cropped).jpg
| caption = Colonnese with Inter Legends team at [[Stamford Bridge (stadium)|Stamford Bridge]] in 2018
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1971|8|10|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Potenza]], Italy
| height = 1.81m
| position = [[Defender (association football)#Full-back|Full-back]]
| youthyears1 = 
| youthclubs1 = 
| years1 = 1989–1991
| years2 = 1991–1992
| years3 = 1992–1994
| years4 = 1994–1997
| years5 = 1995–1997
| years6 = 1997–2000
| years7 = 2000–2004
| years8 = 2004–2006
| clubs1 = [[Potenza Calcio|Potenza]]
| clubs2 = [[ASD Giarre Calcio 1946|Giarre]]
| clubs3 = [[US Cremonese|Cremonese]]
| clubs4 = [[AS Roma|Roma]]
| clubs5 = → [[SSC Napoli|Napoli]] (loan)
| clubs6 = [[FC Internazionale Milano|Internazionale]]
| clubs7 = [[SS Lazio|Lazio]]
| clubs8 = [[AC Siena|Siena]]
| caps1 = 34
| caps2 = 22
| caps3 = 66
| caps4 = 5
| caps5 = 47
| caps6 = 56
| caps7 = 12
| caps8 = 34
| goals1 = 0
| goals2 = 0
| goals3 = 0
| goals4 = 0
| goals5 = 0
| goals6 = 2
| goals7 = 0
| goals8 = 1
| totalcaps = 276
| totalgoals = 3
}}
'''Francesco Colonnese''' (born 10 August 1971) is an Italian former professional [[Association football|footballer]] who played as a [[Defender (association football)#Full-back|full-back]].

==Club career==
Born in [[Potenza]], Colonnese began his career in [[Potenza Calcio|Potenza]] - where he played from 1989 to 1991 – before moving first to [[ASD Giarre Calcio 1946|Giarre]] Football and then to [[US Cremonese|Cremonese]], where he made 66 appearances.

In the 1994–95 season, Colonnese was bought by [[AS Roma]] to strengthen the defensive department, but disappointed the expectations of manager [[Carlo Mazzone]] and played only 5 games.

In 1995, he signed for [[SSC Napoli|Napoli]] on loan – spending two years there – and played for [[FC Internazionale Milano]] during the 1997–98 season, with whom he won the [[UEFA Cup]] over [[SS Lazio]] in Paris in [[1998 UEFA Cup final|1998]].

From 2000 to 2004 he signed for Roman club Lazio – then the reigning [[Serie A]] champions. After four years at the Olimpico he left to finish his career with [[AC Siena|Siena]] (2004–2006).

==International career==
Francesco Colonnese was capped for [[Italy national under-21 football team]] between 1993 and 1994. He finished in fourth place with the Italy U-23 Olympic side at the [[1993 Mediterranean Games]] men's football tournament.

==Style of play==
A physically strong and tenacious defender, Colonnese was known for his man-marking ability, and was capable of playing both as a [[Defender (association football)#Full-back|right-sided full-back]] and as a [[Defender (association football)#Centre-back|central defender]], or even as a [[Defender (association football)#Sweeper (libero)|sweeper]]. Throughout his career, he was given the nickname ''Ciccio Colonna'', a reference to the Italian diminutive of his name, as well as his physical, hard-tackling playing style and tough marking of his opponents.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://ricerca.gelocal.it/iltirreno/archivio/iltirreno/2004/07/05/LXSLB_LXS99.html |title=Colonnese, voglia di rimettersi in gioco |publisher=Il Tirreno |language=Italian |date=5 July 2004 |accessdate=26 August 2018 |archive-date=27 August 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827075514/http://ricerca.gelocal.it/iltirreno/archivio/iltirreno/2004/07/05/LXSLB_LXS99.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://archiviostorico.gazzetta.it/1998/aprile/27/Juve_fuga_tra_veleni_ga_0_9804271127.shtml |title=Juve, fuga tra i veleni |publisher=La Gazzetta dello Sport |language=Italian |author1=Lodovico Maradei |author2=Germano Bovolenta |date=27 April 1998 |accessdate=26 August 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lalaziosiamonoi.it/esclusive/francesco-colonnese-il-calcio-la-parte-piu-bella-della-mia-vita-3965 |title=Francesco Colonnese: "Il calcio: la parte più bella della mia vita" |publisher=www.lalaziosiamonoi.it |language=Italian |author1=Giulia Costantini |date=1 April 2009 |accessdate=26 August 2018 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.planetfootball.com/nostalgia/milan-93-94-juve-01-02-defences-defined-golden-age-serie/ |title=Five of the best defences of Serie A's golden era, ft. Milan, Juve, Inter, Parma |publisher=www.planetfootball.com |author1=Will Magee |date=7 August 2017 |accessdate=26 August 2018 }}</ref> He was also known for his ability to mark fast players.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archiviostorico.gazzetta.it/1998/agosto/04/Inter_esame_gioiellino_Owen_ga_0_9808041948.shtml |title=l' Inter fa l' esame al gioiellino Owen |work=La Gazzetta dello Sport |language=Italian |last1=Curino |first1=Luca |last2=Cecere |first2=Nicola |last3=Laudisa |first3=Carlo |date=4 August 1998 |accessdate=29 October 2019 }}</ref>

==Honours==
'''Inter'''<ref name="Eurosport-profile"/><ref name="inter-profile">{{cite web |url=https://www.inter.it/it/archivio_giocatore/G0169 |title=Francesco Colonnese |publisher=Inter F.C. |language=Italian |accessdate=29 October 2019 }}</ref>
*[[UEFA Europa League|UEFA Cup]]: [[1997–98 UEFA Cup|1997–98]]

'''Lazio'''<ref name="Eurosport-profile">{{cite web |url=https://www.eurosport.com/football/francesco-colonnese_prs5087/person.shtml |title=Francesco Colonnese |publisher=Eurosport |accessdate=29 October 2019 }}</ref>
*[[Supercoppa Italiana]]: [[2000 Supercoppa Italiana|2000]]
*[[Coppa Italia]]: [[2003–04 Coppa Italia|2003–04]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{in lang|it}} [https://archive.today/20060510015417/http://www.acsiena.it/schede/COLONNESE_Francesco.php?id_rosa=9 Stats. at Siena site]
* [https://www.inter.it/en/archivio_giocatore/G0169 Stats. at Inter site]
*{{in lang|it}} [https://www.tuttocalciatori.net/Colonnese_Francesco Club Stats.]
*{{in lang|it}} [https://archive.today/20130219043503/http://www.figc.it/nazionali/DettaglioConvocato?codiceConvocato=1146 National Team stats.]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Colonnese, Francesco}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Potenza]]
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]
[[Category:Italy men's under-21 international footballers]]
[[Category:Italian men's footballers]]
[[Category:Potenza SC players]]
[[Category:ASD Giarre Calcio 1946 players]]
[[Category:US Cremonese players]]
[[Category:AS Roma players]]
[[Category:Inter Milan players]]
[[Category:SS Lazio players]]
[[Category:Siena FC SSD players]]
[[Category:SSC Napoli players]]
[[Category:Serie A players]]
[[Category:Serie B players]]
[[Category:Serie C players]]
[[Category:UEFA Europa League–winning players]]
[[Category:Competitors at the 1993 Mediterranean Games]]
[[Category:Mediterranean Games competitors for Italy]]
[[Category:Footballers from Basilicata]]
[[Category:20th-century Italian sportsmen]]


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