Leandro Rinaudo

He comes from the Kalsa neighbourhood of Palermo.{{cite news |title=Dalla Kalsa all' Europa la favola di Rinaudo - la Repubblica.it |url=https://ricerca.repubblica.it/repubblica/archivio/repubblica/2005/08/03/dalla-kalsa-all-europa-la-favola-di.html |access-date=22 December 2020 |work=Archivio - la Repubblica.it |date=2005-08-03 |language=it}}

A youth product of Palermo, Rinaudo was loaned to Serie C1 club Varese in the first year of Maurizio Zamparini's era. The loan was pre-matured in January 2003. However, he failed to enter the first team as Zamparini bought a couple of players from his former club Venezia.

On 30 August 2003, Rinaudo was loaned to Serie B club Salernitana, also playing for the Salernitana youth team in the Coppa Italia Primavera as an overage player.{{cite news|url=http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?N=12334&L=en|title= INTER THROUGH TO CUP FINAL |date=28 January 2004|accessdate=1 September 2010|work=FC Internazionale Milano|publisher=inter.it}}

After Palermo won promotion to Serie A in 2004 as Serie B champion, Rinaudo was excluded from the club's Serie A plan and was loaned to another Serie B club Cesena, where he started to play as one of the regular starters.

Rinaudo returned to Palermo on 1 July 2005. That season, he served as a backup for Christian Terlizzi, Giuseppe Biava, Cristian Zaccardo (right back or centre back) and Andrea Barzagli and therefore only made seven starts in the league, in addition to three starts in the 2005–06 UEFA Cup.

In the 2006–07 Serie A season, near the end of summer transfer window, Rinaudo left for fellow Serie A club Siena{{cite news|url=http://www.ilpalermocalcio.it/it/0607/news_scheda.jsp?id=5744|title=Rinaudo in prestito al Siena, preso Amauri, Godeas al Chievo|date=31 August 2006|accessdate=1 September 2010|work=US Città di Palermo|publisher=ilpalermocalcio.it|language=Italian}} along with Paul Codrea. Rinaudo partnered with Daniele Portanova as centre-back, and the team improved in goal conceded, which made Rinaudo earn a third return to Palermo. He made 21 starts in Serie A that season, in which he mainly competed with Biava for the central back position to partner with Barzagli and Zaccardo, usually as right back and Mattia Cassani sometimes as a right winger or left back.

On 4 June 2008, Rinaudo was sold to fellow Serie A club Napoli for €5.5 million,{{cite news|url=http://www.ilpalermocalcio.it/it/0809/news_scheda.jsp?id=9777 |title=DICHIARAZIONE DI ZAMPARINI |date=2 September 2008 |accessdate=1 September 2010 |work=US Città di Palermo |publisher=ilpalermocalcio.it |language=Italian |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429025709/http://www.ilpalermocalcio.it/it/0809/news_scheda.jsp?id=9777 |archivedate=29 April 2009 }} signing a five-year contract.{{cite news|url=http://www.sscnapoli.it/client/render.aspx?root=707&fwd=1690&content=0|work=SSC Napoli |accessdate=4 June 2008|date=4 June 2008|language=Italian|title=Ufficiale: Rinaudo al Napoli}} He was not a regular in his first season at Napoli, however, mainly serving as a backup behind Fabiano Santacroce, Paolo Cannavaro and Matteo Contini

In 2009–10, Rinaudo made just 13 starts in Serie A. As Napoli preferred 3–5–2 formation, Salvatore Aronica, Paolo Cannavaro, Gianluca Grava, Hugo Campagnaro and Matteo Contini were usually starters, relegating Rinaudo to the backup centre back role.

Rinaudo did not receive a call-up for Napoli's first official match of the 2010–11 season, against Elfsborg in the UEFA Europea League.{{cite news|url=http://www.sscnapoli.it/client/render.aspx?root=707&fwd=3481&content=0|title=Gli azzurri verso il match con l'Elfsborg|date=19 August 2010|accessdate=1 September 2010|work=SSC Napoli|language=Italian}} The coach used Cannavaro, Aronica, Campagnaro and Grava in the first three matches and demoted Rinaudo to sixth-choice centre back behind Santacroce (who typically played as unused substitute).

As a result{{according to whom|date=June 2011}} of not being called up to the opening game for Napoli in Serie A,{{cite news|url=http://www.sscnapoli.it/client/render.aspx?root=707&fwd=3527&content=0|title=Gli azzurri verso il match di Firenze, prima giornata di Serie A|date=28 August 2010|accessdate=1 September 2010|work=SSC Napoli|language=Italian}} Rinaudo opted for and completed a loan move to Juventus on 31 August for a fee of €600,000, with an option to make the transfer permanent for €5 million,{{cite news|url=http://www.juventus.com/site/eng/NEWS_newsseriea_5C3CB798074341108EC42D80973D13D8.asp|title=Rinaudo is a Juventus player|date=31 August 2010|accessdate=1 September 2010|work=Juventus FC}} thus re-joining former Napoli teammate Fabio Quagliarella, Palermo teammate Amauri and former Palermo coach Luigi Delneri. Napoli also signed centre-back Emílson Cribari on the same day.{{cite news|url=http://www.sscnapoli.it/client/render.aspx?root=707&fwd=3543&content=0|title=Dumitru e Cribari al Napoli. Rinaudo alla Juve, Dalla Bona all'Atalanta, Pia' al Portogruaro, Ciano e Diana in prestito alla Cavese. Risoluzione contrattuale per De Zerbi|date=31 August 2010|accessdate=1 September 2010|work=SSC Napoli|language=Italian}} Rinaudo would be the backup centre back along with Nicola Legrottaglie to cover first choice defenders Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci. Rinaudo also set to join Bari but never completed.{{cite news|url=http://www.asbari.it/societa/archivio-news/2857-si-chiude-il-mercato-del-bari.html|title=Si chiude il mercato del Bari|date=31 August 2010|accessdate=14 September 2010|work=AS Bari|language=Italian|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100914145619/http://www.asbari.it/societa/archivio-news/2857-si-chiude-il-mercato-del-bari.html|archivedate=14 September 2010}}

He made his club debut on 26 September 2010, but unusually as a right back; the head coach rested right back Marco Motta and moved Zdeněk Grygera to left back to replace the injured Paolo De Ceglie. That match, Juve defeated Cagliari 4–2. Before the start of the next match, however, a group stage match in the Europa League against Manchester City, Rinaudo was injured and had an operation on the Lumbosacral joint.{{cite news|url=http://www.juventus.com/site/eng/NEWS_newsseriea_28043957B1BE4B0DBECD39807FDB528C.asp|title=Rinaudo undergoes operation|date=6 October 2010|accessdate=6 October 2010|work=Juventus FC}}

On 1 July 2011, Rinaudo returned to Napoli, though he was excluded from 2011–12 UEFA Champions League 25-men senior squad. He still earned a reported €850,000.{{cite web|url=http://www.gazzetta.it/premium/plus/Calcio/08-09-2011/sfondato-miliardo-qualche-risparmio-ma-tutti-soldi-tv-se-ne-vanno-ingaggi-802792086720.shtml|title=Sfondato il miliardo I soldi delle tv in ingaggi|date=8 September 2011|access-date=16 May 2016|work=La Gazzetta dello Sport|language=Italian}} On 11 January 2012, he was loaned to Serie A strugglers Novara, who sat 18th in the league table at the time.

Rinaudo made several appearances for Livorno. Infamously, he made a nasty, from-behind tackle on Giuseppe Rossi that damaged Rossi's knee and kept him out of football for months. Rinaudo's tackle was so poor that he drew international condemnation.{{cite news|url=http://www.goal.com/en/news/1717/editorial/2014/01/06/4524001/rinaudo-deserves-to-be-banned-until-rossi-returns-from|title=Rinaudo deserves to be banned until Rossi returns|date=6 January 2014|accessdate=26 August 2015|work=Goal.com}}

In the summer of 2014, Rinaudo was signed by Virtus Entella. In January 2015, he was signed by Bari. On 20 September 2015, he was signed by Vicenza.{{cite web|url=http://www.vicenzacalcio.com/leandro-rinaudo-in-biancorosso/|title=Leandro Rinaudo in biancorosso|date=20 September 2015|access-date=16 May 2016|publisher=Vicenza Calcio|language=Italian|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305101947/http://www.vicenzacalcio.com/leandro-rinaudo-in-biancorosso/|archivedate=5 March 2016}} On 20 January 2016, however, he was released.{{cite web|url=http://www.vicenzacalcio.com/leandro-rinaudo-risoluzione-consensuale/|title=Leandro Rinaudo: risoluzione consensuale|date=20 January 2016|access-date=16 May 2016|publisher=Vicenza Calcio|language=Italian|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160130151248/http://www.vicenzacalcio.com/leandro-rinaudo-risoluzione-consensuale/|archivedate=30 January 2016}}

Rinaudo never received any call-up from Italy at youth level, although during the 2004–05 season, he received several call-ups from Italy under-21 Serie B representative team.{{cite news|url=http://www.lega-calcio.it/media/cu99%202004%202005.pdf|title=Comunicato Ufficiale n. 99 (2004–05 season)|date=14 October 2004|accessdate=1 September 2010|work=Lega Calcio|language=Italian|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090628214117/http://www.lega-calcio.it/media/cu99%202004%202005.pdf|archivedate=28 June 2009}}{{cite news|url=http://www.lega-calcio.it/media/cu152%202004%202005.pdf|title=Comunicato Ufficiale n. 152 (2004–05 season)|date=19 November 2004|accessdate=1 September 2010|work=Lega Calcio|language=Italian|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218065405/http://www.lega-calcio.it/media/cu152%202004%202005.pdf|archivedate=18 February 2011}}{{cite news|url=http://www.lega-calcio.it/media/cu174%202004%202005.pdf|title=Comunicato Ufficiale n. 174 (2004–05 season)|date=13 December 2004|accessdate=1 September 2010|work=Lega Calcio|language=Italian|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090628212043/http://www.lega-calcio.it/media/cu174%202004%202005.pdf|archivedate=28 June 2009}}{{cite news|url=http://www.lega-calcio.it/media/cu234%202004%202005.pdf|title=Comunicato Ufficiale n. 234 (2004–05 season)|date=11 February 2005|accessdate=1 September 2010|work=Lega Calcio|language=Italian|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110218064530/http://www.lega-calcio.it/media/cu234%202004%202005.pdf|archivedate=18 February 2011}} He was capped once at international level, in the team's only game of the team that season against Bosnia and Herzegovina; he replaced Marco Pomante in the second half. The Italy under-21 Serie B side won the match 3–2.{{cite news|url=http://archiviostorico.gazzetta.it/2005/marzo/18/Italia_diverte_Brilla_Vantaggiato_ga_10_0503186255.shtml|title=L' Italia si diverte Brilla Vantaggiato|date=18 March 2005|accessdate=1 September 2010|work=La Gazzetta dello Sport|language=Italian|last=Di Ragogna|first=Dante}}

After he retired in 2016, Rinaudo was hired as a scout and the right hand of the sporting director at Vicenza.[https://www.padovagoal.it/2016/06/06/live-24-padova-e-tempo-di-decidere-prima-lallenatore-poi-i-rinnovi/54268/ Live 24! Padova, è tempo di decidere: prima l’allenatore, poi i rinnovi], padovagoal.it, 6 June 2016 In October 2017, he changed position and was hired by the club as the new technical director.[https://www.corrieredellosport.it/news/calcio/serie-b/2017/10/07-31922961/serie_b_venezia_leandro_rinaudo_nuovo_responsabile_dell_area_tecnica/ Serie B Venezia, Leandro Rinaudo nuovo responsabile dell'area tecnica], corrieredellosport.it, 7 October 2017

In June 2018, he was hired by U.S. Cremonese as their sporting director.[https://www.cremonaoggi.it/2018/06/14/leandro-rinaudo-direttore-sportivo-della-cremonese/ E' Leandro Rinaudo il nuovo direttore sportivo della Cremonese], cremonaoggi.it, 14 June 2018 He was fired on 28 February 2019.[http://www.uscremonese.it/leandro-rinaudo-sollevato-dallincarico-di-direttore-sportivo/ LEANDRO RINAUDO SOLLEVATO DALL’INCARICO DI DIRETTORE SPORTIVO], uscremonese.it, 28 February 2019

On 3 August 2019, he returned to his native Palermo, joining the newly refounded club (now in Serie D) as the head of the youth system area.{{cite news |url=https://palermo.gds.it/articoli/calcio/2019/08/03/il-nuovo-palermo-si-presenta-pergolizzi-firma-castagnini-responsabile-area-tecnica-c8be608f-d1d7-451a-867d-5abcdc2d94ea/ |publisher=Giornale di Sicilia |language=Italian |title=Nuovo Palermo: Pergolizzi firma, in società anche Rinaudo e Paparesta |accessdate=3 August 2019 |date=3 August 2019 }}

On 28 July 2022, following the resignations of head coach Silvio Baldini and director of football Renzo Castagnini a few weeks after City Football Group's takeover of Palermo was completed, Rinaudo was promoted to sporting director on an interim basis.{{cite web |url=https://www.palermofc.com/it/news/guida-tecnica-affidata-temporaneamente-a-di-benedetto-e-rinaudo_38072/ |publisher=Palermo F.C. |language=it-IT |accessdate=1 August 2022 |date=28 July 2022 |title=GUIDA TECNICA AFFIDATA TEMPORANEAMENTE A DI BENEDETTO E RINAUDO}} On 20 October 2022, Rinaudo was permanently appointed sporting director.{{cite web |url=https://www.palermofc.com/en/news/rinaudo-appointed-sporting-director_38206/ |publisher=Palermo FC |accessdate=20 October 2022 |date=20 October 2022 |title=RINAUDO APPOINTED SPORTING DIRECTOR}} On 5 June 2024, after nearly two seasons in charge as sporting director, Palermo confirmed Rinaudo's departure from the club.{{cite web |url=https://www.palermofc.com/it/news/il-palermo-ringrazia-leandro-rinaudo/ |publisher=Palermo FC |accessdate=5 May 2024 |date=5 May 2024 |title=IL PALERMO RINGRAZIA LEANDRO RINAUDO|language=it}}

{{reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090208085224/http://www.ilpalermocalcio.it/it/0708/scheda.jsp?id=5036 Palermo Profile] {{in lang|it}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110218223715/http://www.lega-calcio.it/it/Serie-A-TIM/Giocatore.page?idplayer=18E4F5B1-B152-E440-CE40-FB19636114A2 Lega Calcio official site Profile] {{in lang|it}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rinaudo, Leandro}}

Category:1983 births

Category:Living people

Category:Italian men's footballers

Category:Palermo FC players

Category:SSD Varese Calcio players

Category:US Salernitana 1919 players

Category:AC Cesena players

Category:Siena FC SSD players

Category:SSC Napoli players

Category:Juventus FC players

Category:Novara FC players

Category:US Livorno 1915 players

Category:Virtus Entella players

Category:SSC Bari players

Category:LR Vicenza players

Category:Serie A players

Category:Serie B players

Category:Men's association football central defenders

Category:Footballers from Palermo

Category:21st-century Italian sportsmen