![]() Munari with Sampdoria | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 24 June 1983 | ||
Place of birth | Sassuolo, Italy | ||
Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Youth career | |||
Sassuolo | |||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2001–2003 | Sassuolo | 49 | (2) |
2003–2004 | Giulianova | 25 | (3) |
2004–2005 | Chievo | 0 | (0) |
2004–2005 | → Triestina (loan) | 35 | (5) |
2005–2006 | Verona | 38 | (4) |
2006–2007 | Palermo | 0 | (0) |
2007–2011 | Lecce | 143 | (16) |
2011–2012 | Fiorentina | 11 | (0) |
2012–2013 | Sampdoria | 47 | (4) |
2013–2015 | Parma | 11 | (0) |
2014–2015 | → Watford (loan) | 28 | (3) |
2015–2017 | Cagliari | 31 | (2) |
2017–2019 | Parma | 46 | (4) |
2019 | → Verona (loan) | 2 | (0) |
Total | 466 | (43) | |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Gianni Munari (born 24 June 1983) is an Italian football official and a former player who played as a midfielder. He works as a scout for Parma.
Munari started his career with hometown club Sassuolo, after being promoted to the senior squad from the youth team. He scored 2 goals in 49 appearances during his two-year spell with the club. In 2003, he joined Giulianova (via Chievo in co-ownership deal), where he would spend just one season, scoring three goals in 25 total appearances. He then joined Serie B side Triestina in 2004 in temporary deal with option to co-own the player. He had an impressive season, making 35 appearances and scoring 5 goals in his only season with the Trieste-based club. In June 2005 Triestina excised the option for €175,000. [1] He was snapped up by another Serie B club on 30 August 2005 in the form of Verona, (which Verona bought Munari from Triestina for €350,000 [2] ) [3] where he managed to make 38 appearances and score 4 goals in one season. In June 2006 Verona acquired Munari outright from the cross-town rival for an undisclosed fee. [2]
Following such an impressive spell in Verona, he was purchased by Serie A side U.S. Città di Palermo together with teammate Mattia Cassani. [4] Half of the Munari's registration rights was valued €1 million while full "card" of Cassani was valued €2.5 million. [5] However, Munari never managed to break into the first team at the Sicilian club and did not play at all during the first half of the 2006–07 Serie A season, being subsequently loaned out to Serie B side Lecce in January 2007. In June 2007 Palermo acquired another half of Munari for €800,000. [5] However, in July 2007, Lecce acquired 50% of the player's rights from Palermo for €1 million; [6] Munari then remained at Lecce for four more seasons, making a total of 143 appearances for the club, scoring 16 goals and becoming one of the first team mainstays.
In June 2011, Munari's co-ownership was ultimately solved in favour of Palermo for €391,000, [7] and the player returned to Palermo, but was immediately clarified he was not in the rosanero first team plans after he was not called up to join the Sicilians' pre-season training camp. On 21 July 2011, he moved permanently to Fiorentina for €800,000, signing a three-year contract for the Tuscans. [8] On 31 January 2012, the final day of 2011–12 winter transfer window, he moved to Serie B side Sampdoria. [9]
On 4 August 2014, Munari joined English Championship side Watford on a season-long loan deal from Parma. [10] He scored his first goal for Watford against Rotherham United on 19 August 2014 in a 2–0 away win for the Hornets.
After his loan at Watford expired, and after leaving Parma, Munari penned a one-year deal with Cagliari on 29 July 2015. His contract was extended in summer 2016.
In January 2017, Munari was re-signed by Parma in a 2+1⁄2-year contract. [11] [12] On 14 November 2019, he announced his retirement from playing and that he joined the club's scouting department. [13]
On 31 January 2019, Munari joined Verona on loan until 30 June 2019. [14]