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{{Short description|Australian soccer player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Use Australian English|date=September 2014}}
{{BLP sources|date=November 2008}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name      = Paul Trimboli
| fullname = Paolo Vincenzo Trimboli
| image =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1969|2|25|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Melbourne]], [[Australia]]
| height =
| currentclub =
| clubnumber =
| position = [[striker (football)|Striker]]
|  youthyears1 =
| youthyears2 =  1986
|  youthclubs1 =   [[Brighton SC|Brighton]]
| youthclubs2 =  [[Australian Institute of Sport - Football (soccer)|AIS]]
|  years1 =   1987
| years2 =  1988–2004
|  clubs1 =   [[Sunshine Georgies|Sunshine George Cross]]
| clubs2 =  [[South Melbourne FC|South Melbourne]]
| caps1 =     28
| caps2 =  430
| goals1 =  4
| goals2 =  115
|  nationalyears1 =   1985
| nationalyears2 =  1987
| nationalyears3 =  1988–2002
|  nationalteam1 =   [[Australia national under-17 football team|Australia U-17]]
| nationalteam2 =   [[Australia national under-20 football team|Australia U-20]]
| nationalteam3 =   [[Australia men's national soccer team|Australia]]
| nationalcaps1 =
| nationalcaps2 =
| nationalcaps3 =  46
| nationalgoals1 =
| nationalgoals2 =
| nationalgoals3 =   16
| pcupdate = 14 August 2007
| ntupdate = 14 August 2007
| medaltemplates = {{MedalCountry|{{fb|AUS}}}}
{{MedalSport|Men's [[Association football]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[FIFA Confederations Cup]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[1997 FIFA Confederations Cup|1997 Saudi Arabia]]|}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[OFC Nations Cup]]}}
{{Medal|W|[[1996 OFC Nations Cup|1996 Oceania]]|}}
{{Medal|RU|[[1998 OFC Nations Cup|1998 Australia]]|}}
{{Medal|RU|[[2002 OFC Nations Cup|2002 New Zealand]]|}}
}}

'''Paolo "Paul" Vincenzo Trimboli''' (born 25 February 1969) is a former [[Australia men's national soccer team|Australian international]] [[Association football|football (soccer)]] player. Trimboli is of [[Italian people|Italian]] ancestry and attended [[Xavier College]] in Melbourne, where he was a member of the first soccer XI, captained by his brother.<ref>Revealed in a speech at Xavier College in 2009</ref>

==Club career==

=== South Melbourne FC ===
Signed as a 19-year old from Sunshine George Cross, Trimboli rapidly showed why he was considered one of Australia's brightest talents. Primarily playing behind the striker, Trimboli terrorised opposition defences with his skill and vision. In his first two seasons at the club, he captured the Sam Papasavas medal for the best under-21 player in the [[National Soccer League|NSL]], as well as winning the Theo Marmaras medal for South Melbourne's player of the season in 1988, 1989 and 1990. Additionally, he tasted his first silverware with the club, winning the [[Dockerty Cup]] in 1988 and 1989.

In 1990/91, Trimboli helped South win their second NSL Championship – and their first since 1984 – by providing the all important assist for Joe Palatsides' last-minute equaliser in the Grand Final against Melbourne Knights. Hellas would go on to win the title on penalties after a dramatic shootout.

Trimboli continued to dominate in the NSL and was rewarded with the [[Johnny Warren Medal]] in 1992/93 for the best player in the competition. His stronghold over the Theo Marmaras medal also continued as he claimed the award in 1996, 1997 and 1998.

In 1997/1998, Trimboli captained the [[Ange Postecoglou]]-led South Melbourne side to the Championship with a 2–1 win over Carlton in the Grand Final, whilst snaring his second Johnny Warren medal. Trimboli repeated the heroics in 1998/1999 by contributing a goal in South Melbourne's 3–2 win in the Grand Final against Sydney United.

With this victory, South Melbourne qualified for the [[OFC Men's Champions League|1999 Oceania Champions Cup]] to determine the best side in Oceania. After their subsequent 5-1 win against Nadi of Fiji, South Melbourne qualified for the 2000 Club World Cup in Brazil.

Trimboli led his Hellas team-mates against footballing giants Manchester United, Necaxa of Mexico and Brazil's Vasco Da Gama - all three of their matches taking place in the iconic Maracana stadium.<ref>{{Cite web |last=FIFA.com |title=FIFA Club World Cup 2000 - A samba lesson for the world |url=https://www.fifa.com/clubworldcup/archive/brazil2000/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910161054/http://www.fifa.com/clubworldcup/archive/brazil2000/ |archive-date=10 September 2016 |access-date=2020-12-12 |website=www.fifa.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> Trimboli garnered praise for his performances against the likes of David Beckham and Romario in the tournament. 

In 2001, Trimboli again captained South Melbourne to a grand final, which they lost 2–1 to Wollongong. He played for South until the demise of the NSL in 2004 and retired prior to the start of the A-League in 2005.

Trimboli is widely considered to be South Melbourne's greatest-ever player by fans and critics alike. He was voted captain of the South Melbourne team of the century in 2002. He is still South Melbourne's all-time record goalscorer (115), record games holder (430) and most decorated player in terms of individual accolades and silverware won.

==International career==
He earned 48 caps (39 'A' games) with the Socceroos, marking his debut in 1988 against [[Fiji national football team|Fiji]] with a goal. His last international came in 2002 against [[Tahiti national football team|Tahiti]]. Trimboli scored 16 goals for the green and gold.


:''Scores and results list Australia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Trimboli goal.''

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Paul Trimboli 
|-
!scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Venue
!scope="col"|Opponent
!scope="col"|Score
!scope="col"|Result
!scope="col"|Competition
!scope="col" class="unsortable"|{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
|style="text-align:center"|1
|{{dts|3 December 1988}}
|[[City of Lake Macquarie|Lake Macquarie]], Australia
|{{fb|Fiji}}
|style="text-align:center"|5–0
|style="text-align:center"|5–1
|[[1990 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)|1990 FIFA World Cup qualification]]
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Australia vs. Fiji|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/33348/Australia_Fiji.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=12 December 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|2
|{{dts|16 April 1989}}
|[[Sydney Football Stadium (1988)|Sydney Football Stadium]], [[Sydney]], Australia
|{{fb|Israel}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–1
|style="text-align:center"|1–1
|1990 FIFA World Cup qualification	
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Australia vs. Israel|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/32269/Australia_Israel.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=12 December 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|3
|{{dts|15 April 1993}}
|[[Woodlands Stadium]], [[Woodlands, Singapore|Woodlands]], Singapore
|{{fb|Kuwait}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|[[Friendly (association football)|Friendly]]
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kuwait vs. Australia|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/28723/Kuwait_Australia.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=12 December 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|4
|{{dts|14 September 1996}}
|[[Kings Park Stadium]], [[Durban]], South Africa
|{{fb|Ghana}}
|style="text-align:center"|2–0
|style="text-align:center"|2–0
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Australia vs. Ghana|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/26536/Australia_Ghana.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=12 December 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|5
|{{dts|26 October 1996}}
|[[Stade Pater Te Hono Nui|Stade Pater]], [[Papeete]], Tahiti
|{{fb|Tahiti}}
|style="text-align:center"|2–0
|style="text-align:center"|[[1996 OFC Nations Cup final|6–0]]
|[[1996 OFC Nations Cup]]
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tahiti vs. Australia|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/26538/Tahiti_Australia.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=12 December 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|6
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|13 June 1997}}
|rowspan="2"|[[Western Sydney Stadium]], Sydney, Australia
|rowspan="2"|{{fb|Tahiti}}
|style="text-align:center"|2–0
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|5–0
|rowspan="2"|[[1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (OFC)|1998 FIFA World Cup qualification]]
|rowspan="2"|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Australia vs. Tahiti|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/25660/Australia_Tahiti.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=12 December 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|7
|style="text-align:center"|3–0
|-
|style="text-align:center"|8
|{{dts|19 June 1997}}
|Western Sydney Stadium, Sydney, Australia	
|{{fb|Tahiti}}
|style="text-align:center"|2–0
|style="text-align:center"|2–0
|1998 FIFA World Cup qualification	
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Australia vs. Tahiti|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/25662/Australia_Tahiti.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=12 December 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|9
|rowspan="3"|{{dts|28 September 1998}}
|rowspan="3"|[[Lang Park]], [[Brisbane]], Australia
|rowspan="3"|{{fb|Cook Islands}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|rowspan="3" style="text-align:center"|16–0
|rowspan="3"|[[1998 OFC Nations Cup]]
|rowspan="3"|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Australia vs. Cook Islands|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/24989/Australia_Cook_Islands.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=12 December 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|10
|style="text-align:center"|3–0
|-
|style="text-align:center"|11
|style="text-align:center"|10–0
|-
|style="text-align:center"|12
|{{dts|8 July 2002}}
|[[Mount Smart Stadium]], [[Auckland]], New Zealand
|{{fb|New Caledonia}}
|style="text-align:center"|11–0
|style="text-align:center"|11–0
|[[2002 OFC Nations Cup]]
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Australia vs. New Caledonia|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/19795/Australia_New_Caledonia.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=12 December 2024}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|13
|{{dts|10 July 2002}}
|Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand	
|{{fb|Fiji}}
|style="text-align:center"|6–0
|style="text-align:center"|8–0
|2002 OFC Nations Cup	
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Australia vs. Fiji|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/19796/Australia_Fiji.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=12 December 2024}}</ref>
|}

==After retirement==

On 21 June 2011, he was appointed General Manager of Football at [[A-League]] club [[Brisbane Roar]].<ref>http://www.brisbaneroar.com.au/default.aspx?s=newsdisplay&id=40085{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Paul Trimboli appointed General Manager of Football</ref>

On 25 June 2012, Trimboli reunited with [[Ange Postecoglou]] to join [[Melbourne Victory]] as Football Operations Manager.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/melbournevictory/news-display/Trimboli-joins-Victory-family/47855 |title = Trimboli joins Victory family - Melbourne Victory FC 2011 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121230083931/http://www.footballaustralia.com.au/melbournevictory/news-display/Trimboli-joins-Victory-family/47855 |archive-date=30 December 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Honours ==
'''[[South Melbourne FC]]:'''
* [[List of NSL champions|NSL Championship]]: 1990–1991, 1997–1998, 1998–1999
* NSL Premiers: 1992/1993, 1997/1998, 2000/2001
*[[OFC Men's Champions League|OFC Champions League]] : 1999
*Dockerty Cup: 1988,1989,1991,1993,1995
*[[NSL Cup]]: 1990, 1996

'''Australia'''
*[[FIFA Confederations Cup]]: runner-up, [[1997 FIFA Confederations Cup|1997]]<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/matches/round=1984/match=17489/index.html |title=Archived copy |access-date=October 14, 2024 |archive-date=June 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618001151/https://www.fifa.com/confederationscup/matches/round%3D1984/match%3D17489/index.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
*[[OFC Nations Cup]]: [[1996 OFC Nations Cup|1996]];<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tables/96oc.html|title=Oceania Nations Cup 1996|access-date=October 14, 2024}}</ref> runner-up, [[1998 OFC Nations Cup|1998]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tables/98oc.html|title=Oceania Nations Cup 1998|access-date=October 14, 2024}}</ref> [[2002 OFC Nations Cup|2002]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tables/02oc.html|title=Oceania Nations Cup 2002|access-date=October 14, 2024}}</ref>

'''Personal honours:'''
* [[Johnny Warren Medal]]: 1992–1993, 1997–1998
* [[National Soccer League|NSL]] Papasavas Medal (U-21): 1988, 1989
*South Melbourne FC All-time Top Goalscorer
*South Melbourne FC All-time Club Appearances
*South Melbourne Team of the Century
*South Melbourne Hall of Fame

==Notes==

{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/T/TR.html Oz Football profile]

{{navboxes
|title=Awards
|bg=gold
|fg=navy
|list1=
{{NSL awards}}
{{Johnny Warren Medal}}
}}
{{Navboxes
| title = Australia squads
| bg = #FCD116
| fg = #008751
| bordercolor = silver
| list1 = 
{{Australia Squad 1996 OFC Nations Cup}}
{{Australia Squad 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup}}
{{Australia Squad 1998 OFC Nations Cup}}
{{Australia Squad 2002 OFC Nations Cup}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trimboli, Paul}}
[[Category:1969 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Soccer players from Melbourne]]
[[Category:Australian people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:Sportspeople of Italian descent]]
[[Category:Australia men's international soccer players]]
[[Category:National Soccer League (Australia) players]]
[[Category:South Melbourne FC players]]
[[Category:Australian soccer commentators]]
[[Category:Caroline Springs George Cross FC players]]
[[Category:People educated at Xavier College]]
[[Category:Australian Institute of Sport soccer players]]
[[Category:1996 OFC Nations Cup players]]
[[Category:1997 FIFA Confederations Cup players]]
[[Category:1998 OFC Nations Cup players]]
[[Category:OFC Nations Cup–winning players]]
[[Category:2002 OFC Nations Cup players]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Melbourne Victory FC directors of football]]
[[Category:Australian men's soccer players]]
[[Category:20th-century Australian sportsmen]]