Luciano Zauri

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Luciano Zauri

| image = Zauri.jpg

| image_size =

| caption = Zauri in 2009

| fullname = Luciano Zauri{{cite web |url=http://www.legaseriea.it/uploads/default/attachments/comunicati/comunicati_m/4010/files/allegati/4015/cu150.pdf |title=Comunicato Ufficiale N. 150 |trans-title=Official Press Release No. 150 |publisher=Lega Serie A |page=5 |date=19 February 2013 |accessdate=11 December 2020 |language=Italian}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1978|1|20|df=y}}

| birth_place = Pescina, L'Aquila, Italy

| height = 1.78 m

| position = Full-back, wide midfielder

| currentclub = Foggia (head coach)

| youthyears1 = 1994–1996

| youthclubs1 = Atalanta

| years1 = 1996–2003

| clubs1 = Atalanta

| caps1 = 153

| goals1 = 2

| years2 = 1997–1998

| clubs2 = → Chievo (loan)

| caps2 = 24

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2003–2013

| clubs3 = Lazio

| caps3 = 139

| goals3 = 4

| years4 = 2008–2009

| clubs4 = → Fiorentina (loan)

| caps4 = 18

| goals4 = 1

| years5 = 2009–2011

| clubs5 = → Sampdoria (loan)

| caps5 = 59

| goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2013–2014

| clubs6 = Pescara

| caps6 = 24

| goals6 = 0

| totalcaps = 417

| totalgoals = 7

| nationalyears1 = 1995

| nationalteam1 = Italy U17

| nationalcaps1 = 6

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 1995–1996

| nationalteam2 = Italy U18

| nationalcaps2 = 9

| nationalgoals2 = 0

| nationalyears3 = 2001–2006

| nationalteam3 = Italy

| nationalcaps3 = 5

| nationalgoals3 = 0

| manageryears1 = 2019–2020

| managerclubs1 = Pescara

| manageryears2 = 2022

| managerclubs2 = Pescara

| manageryears3 = 2023–2024

| managerclubs3 = Ħamrun Spartans

| manageryears4 = 2024–

| managerclubs4 = Foggia

}}

Luciano Zauri ({{IPA|it|luˈtʃaːno dˈdzauri}}; born 20 January 1978) is an Italian football coach and a former player who played as a full-back or wide midfielder on either flank. He is the head coach of {{Italian football updater|Foggia}} club Foggia.

Club career

=Atalanta=

Zauri made his debut in Serie A in the 1996–97 season with Atalanta in a 4–0 loss at home to Roma.

He spent the following season with Chievo Verona before returning to Bergamo with Atalanta in the 1998–99 season. Zauri then spent the following five seasons with Atalanta, three of which were in Serie A and two in Serie B.

=Lazio=

In 2003, following Atalanta's relegation, Zauri, along with teammate Ousmane Dabo, was sold to Lazio,{{cite news|url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/news/kind=1/newsid=82816.html|title=Lazio pounce for Atalanta pair|date=18 July 2003|access-date=10 July 2009|publisher=UEFA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090108172233/http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/news/kind=1/newsid=82816.html|archive-date=8 January 2009|url-status=dead}} Lazio paid €5.65 million to acquire Zauri.{{cite web|url= http://www.sslazio.it/cms/view/home/societa_/investor_relator/comunicati/bilancio_s_s_lazio_s_p_a_separato_e_consolidato_al_30_06_07/s145/c885 |title=Lazio annual Report 2005-06 |language=it}} With Lazio, Zauri won the 2003–04 edition of the Coppa Italia.

He became a regular at Lazio and evolved into a leader on the pitch. In January 2007, following the sale of World Cup winner and captain Massimo Oddo to Milan, Zauri was chosen as the new captain.

Zauri played a pivotal role in helping the club reach the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League and scored his first goal in the competition in the 1–1 draw to Olympiacos. His contract with Lazio expired in the summer of 2007, and then he was offered a new five-year contract and eventually re-signed with the club.

In the summer of 2008, he was loaned to Fiorentina with the option to buy out the player.{{cite news|url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/ucl/news/kind=1/newsid=733518.html|title=Zauri leaves Lazio for Fiorentina|date=18 July 2008|access-date=10 July 2009|publisher=UEFA}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} He played all 10 European matches for Viola.

=Sampdoria=

On 10 July 2009, Zauri moved to U.C. Sampdoria on a loan deal with the option to buy out the player.{{cite news|url=http://www.sampdoria.it/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4868&Itemid=38|title=Ufficiale: Luciano Zauri alla Sampdoria a titolo temporaneo|date=10 July 2009|accessdate=10 July 2009|publisher=sampdoria.it|language=Italian|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090713022354/http://www.sampdoria.it/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4868&Itemid=38|archive-date=13 July 2009|url-status=live}} He played in the right-back position ahead of Marius Stankevičius but sometimes moved to left-back, such as in a 2–0 loss to Fiorentina in September, ahead of Reto Ziegler as left-back and Stankevičius as starting right-back.

Zauri returned to Lazio on 1 July 2010 and played a few friendlies for the club as full-back Aleksandar Kolarov was sold. Sampdoria loaned him in again on 19 August.{{cite news|url=http://www.sampdoria.it/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6824&Itemid=38|title=Ora è ufficiale: Luciano Zauri torna alla Sampdoria|date=19 August 2010|accessdate=19 August 2010|work=UC Sampdoria|language=Italian|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100821121038/http://www.sampdoria.it/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6824&Itemid=38|archive-date=21 August 2010|url-status=live}} As a consequence Stankevičius was loaned to Valencia from Genoa.

=Pescara=

During the 2013 winter transfer window, Zauri joined Pescara.{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/sep/04/the-knowledge-late-deals-transfer-window |title=The longest time it has taken for a deal to be done after deadline day |work=The Guardian |last1=Steinberg |first1=Jacob |date=4 September 2013 |accessdate=3 March 2020 }} At the end of the 2013–14 season, he retired from professional football. In total he 432 appearances throughout his career, including 301 in Serie A, scoring seven goals.{{cite web |url=http://www.pescarasport24.it/news/322241465862/zauri-story |title=Zauri Story |work=PescaraSport24 |publisher=Pescara Sport 24 |language=Italian |date=4 June 2019 |accessdate=3 March 2020 }}

International career

Zauri made five appearances with the Italy national team. He made his Azzurri debut on 5 September 2001 against Morocco. He then played the first match after the 2002 FIFA World Cup, a friendly match against Slovenia. He also played twice at UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying matches as a starter in October 2002. However, after he played the friendly match against Turkey on 20 November 2002, he never played for Azzurri again, although he was called up to the first match after the 2006 FIFA World Cup, a friendly match against Croatia, by new coach Roberto Donadoni.{{cite news|url=http://www.euro2008.com/news/kind=1/newsid=444365.html|title=Donadoni names new-look Italy|date=12 August 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120723013423/http://www.euro2008.com/frame.aspx?u=http%3a%2f%2fsearchportal.information.com%3fa_id%3d1637%26domainname%3deuro2008.com%26adultfilter%3doff%26popunder%3doff&r=2&adi=100|archive-date=23 July 2012|publisher=UEFA}} [http://www.noticias.info/archivo/2006/200608/20060813/20060813_209698.shtm Alt URL]{{cite web|url=http://www.figc.it/nazionali/DettaglioConvocato?codiceConvocato=1378&squadra=1|title=Zauri, Luciano|publisher=FIGC|language=Italian|accessdate=6 January 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303175155/http://www.figc.it/nazionali/DettaglioConvocato?codiceConvocato=1378&squadra=1|archive-date=3 March 2016|url-status=live}}

Coaching career

After retirement, Zauri entered into coaching as assistant to Massimo Oddo at Pescara. After Oddo's dismissal from the club in February 2017, he served as caretaker manager for three days as the club searched for a replacement, without taking charge of any games during this period. He left Pescara on 17 February 2017, following the appointment of Zdeněk Zeman as new head coach.{{cite news |url=https://www.pescaracalcio.com/sollevato-dallincarico-luciano-zauri/ |language=Italian |accessdate=20 February 2017 |date=17 February 2017 |publisher=Delfino Pescara 1936 |title=Sollevato dall'incarico Luciano Zauri |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170220095930/https://www.pescaracalcio.com/sollevato-dallincarico-luciano-zauri/ |archive-date=20 February 2017 |url-status=live}}

He successively returned to Pescara, serving as Under-19 coach in the 2018–19 season. On 5 June 2019, Zauri was announced to have been promoted as the new head coach of Pescara, taking over from Giuseppe Pillon.{{cite news |url=https://www.ilpescara.it/sport/calcio/luciano-zauri-allenatore-pescara-presentazione.html |publisher=Il Pescara |language=Italian |accessdate=7 July 2019 |date=5 June 2019 |title=Ufficiale, Luciano Zauri è il nuovo allenatore del Pescara}} He resigned as head coach on 20 January 2020, following a loss to Salernitana.{{cite press release|publisher=Pescara|url=https://www.pescaracalcio.com/mister-luciano-zauri-rassegna-le-proprie-dimissioni/|title=Mister Luciano Zauri rassegna le proprie dimissioni|date=20 January 2020|language=Italian}}

On 6 April 2022, Zauri returned to Pescara, this time in Serie C, replacing outgoing manager Gaetano Auteri.{{cite press release|publisher=Pescara|url=https://www.pescaracalcio.com/luciano-zauri-e-il-nuovo-allenatore-biancazzurro-2/|title=Luciano Zauri è il nuovo allenatore #BiancAzzurroi|date=6 April 2022|language=Italian}}

On 25 April 2023, he was announced as Head Coach of Ħamrun Spartans, replacing outgoing manager Branko Nišević.{{Cite web|url=https://radio105.mt/2023/04/25/luciano-zauri-linked-to-hamrun-spartans-managerial-job/|title=Luciano Zauri Linked to Hamrun Spartans Managerial Job | Radio 105}}{{Cite web|url=https://timesofmalta.com/article/hamrun-spartans-name-luciano-zauri-new-coach.1028477|title=Ħamrun Spartans name Luciano Zauri as their new coach|date=29 April 2023|website=Times of Malta}} With the club, he won a Maltese national title in 2024, after which he opted to depart in order to move back to Italy.{{Cite web|url=https://sport.timesofmalta.com/2024/05/13/luciano-zauri-declines-offer-to-extend-his-stay-as-hamrun-spartans-coach/ |title=Luciano Zauri declines the offer to extend his stay as Ħamrun Spartans coach|date=13 May 2024|accessdate=8 November 2024|website=Times of Malta}}

On 7 November 2024, Zauri accepted the coaching post at Serie C club Foggia.{{cite web |url=https://www.calciofoggia1920.net/benvenuto-mister-zauri/ |publisher=Calcio Foggia 1920 |title=Benvenuto Mister Zauri |date=7 November 2024 |accessdate=8 November 2024 |language=it}}