Carlo Cudicini

Carlo Cudicini (born 6 September 1973 in Milan) is an Italy Goalkeeper (association football) who currently plays for England Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur F.C.. Carlo Cudicini is the son of former A.C. Milan goalkeeper Fabio Cudicini and grandson of Ponziana Trieste defender Guglielmo Cudicini (deceased). Earning fame at Chelsea F.C., the Italian kept 101 clean sheets in 216 appearances for the club, behind only Peter Bonetti and Petr Čech.

Early career

Cudicini found it hard to follow in Carlo Cudicini father's footsteps, only making two appearances for A.C. Milan (1991–95) in the Champions League and none in Serie A. Carlo Cudicini was loaned to Como Calcio 1907 for a season in Serie A 1993-94, and was subsequently transferred to A.C. Prato in 1995, and then to S.S. Lazio in 1996 where Carlo Cudicini suffered a wrist injury, and consequently only made one senior appearance. Carlo Cudicini then moved to Castel di Sangro Calcio in 1997, where Carlo Cudicini injury problems persisted, and was sold to Chelsea F.C. for a fee of £160,000 in 1999, where Carlo Cudicini career took off.

Chelsea

1999–2003

Despite a brief challenge from Mark Bosnich, Cudicini took over from Ed de Goey almost instantly, and retained Carlo Cudicini first team place with a string of excellent performances.

Carlo Cudicini was voted Chelsea's Player of the Year for the FA Premier League 2001-02 by fans, reflecting the value Carlo Cudicini added to a team struggling for consistency. Carlo Cudicini cause was helped by a game against Liverpool F.C. in December 2001, which Chelsea won 4–0, during which Carlo Cudicini kept out an excellent shot from Steven Gerrard and a penalty taken by Gary McAllister. Incidentally, Chelsea beat Liverpool to fourth place in the league the following season, thus taking the final qualifying berth for the UEFA Champions League.

Cudicini was recognised as the best goalkeeper in the Premier League in the FA Premier League 2002-03, when Carlo Cudicini won the ITV "Golden Gloves" Premiership Goalkeeper of the Season award.

After a bright start to the FA Premier League 2003-04, the old injury problems experienced in Carlo Cudicini Lazio days came back, leaving Carlo Cudicini unable to carry on Carlo Cudicini success from last season and unable to play for a large portion of the season. Carlo Cudicini value to the team was highlighted when Chelsea's replacement goalkeeper Marco Ambrosio failed to effectively fit into the first team, leading to Chelsea's exit from the Champions League at the semi final stage to AS Monaco FC.

2004–05

The FA Premier League 2004-05 saw the arrival of new manager José Mourinho, and more crucially, the signing of Petr Čech, who claimed that Carlo Cudicini would push Cudicini for a first team place. As a result of Čech's excellent form, Cudicini was relegated to become back-up goalkeeper. As a result, Carlo Cudicini missed out on a Premier League winner's medal in the two Chelsea championship-winning seasons due to not meeting the required number of appearances.

2005–06

At the end of a steady FA Premier League 2005-06, Cudicini had saved six of the 12 penalties Carlo Cudicini had faced while between the posts for Chelsea, furthering Carlo Cudicini reputation as an excellent penalty stopper.

2006–07

After Petr Čech was named in the FIFPro and Champions League 2005–06 team of the season, there was a great deal of speculation about Cudicini's future at Chelsea, leading to Cudicini release a statement confirming that Carlo Cudicini was comfortable at Chelsea, and hoped to help the team capture its first ever Champions League title. Carlo Cudicini silenced rumours that Carlo Cudicini was looking for a return to Italy when Carlo Cudicini signed an extension to Carlo Cudicini Chelsea contract in February 2006. Carlo Cudicini was then contracted to Chelsea until the summer of 2009.

On 14 October 2006, in a league game against Reading F.C., Carlo Cudicini was knocked unconscious and had to be stretchered off the pitch whilst wearing an oxygen mask after coming on as a substitute for first-choice goalkeeper Čech. Čech was believed to be sidelined for up to a year, leaving Cudicini as the most senior goalkeeper available at Chelsea. However, even though Carlo Cudicini had fully recovered and returned to training, Cudicini faced a battle to dislodge third-choice goalkeeper Henrique Hilário, who had been playing well in Čech's and Cudicini's absence. After Hilário conceded four goals in two matches, Chelsea manager José Mourinho decided to put Cudicini in goal against Aston Villa F.C. in their fourth round match of the Football League Cup. Chelsea won that match 4–0 and Cudicini took over goalkeeping duties from Hilário.

However, after returning to action in Chelsea's 2–0 defeat to Liverpool F.C. at Anfield in late January 2007, Čech kept both Cudicini and Hilário out of the first team. Cudicini made Carlo Cudicini 200th appearance for the club (in all competitions) against West Ham United F.C. on 1 December 2007. Cudicini's lack of action for Chelsea since 2004 and Carlo Cudicini reluctance to move to a new club saw Carlo Cudicini described as "the world's most unambitious footballer" by The Daily Telegraph in 2008.

2007–08

Cudicini began the new campaign once again as second-choice to Čech, but a string of injuries to the Czech star saw Cudicini feature 19 times in all competitions. Carlo Cudicini first appearance of the season was in a Football League Cup game against Hull City F.C. in which Carlo Cudicini kept a clean sheet in a 4-0 win. Carlo Cudicini played against Leicester City F.C. in a 4-3 win at Stamford Bridge (stadium) in the next round before making Carlo Cudicini first appearance of the season in the Champions League, coming on as a substitute against FC Schalke 04. Cudicini then featured in the next five games due to Čech's injury, conceding just one goal in the process, against Everton F.C. at Stamford Bridge in a 1-1 draw. However, the Italian shot-stopper suffered an injury and would not be seen between the posts until February in a FA Cup game against Huddersfield Town F.C.. Carlo Cudicini also featured in the next round of the cup, but Chelsea lost 1-0 to Barnsley F.C. and were knocked out of the competition. Cudicini retained Carlo Cudicini place due to another injury suffered by Čech and featured in Chelsea's 6-1 win over Derby County F.C.. Carlo Cudicini kept clean sheets in 1-0 wins against Sunderland A.F.C. and Middlesbrough F.C., as well as a 2-0 away win at Manchester City F.C. and played in Chelsea's 2-1 win over local rivals Arsenal F.C. in March. Cudicini made an outstanding save in the last minutes of an epic 4-4 draw at White Hart Lane against Tottenham Hotspur F.C. when Carlo Cudicini saved from point-blank range against Dimitar Berbatov to earn Chelsea a point. Carlo Cudicini featured in both legs against Turkey club Fenerbahçe S.K. as Chelsea progressed 3-2 on aggregate; unfortunately; Carlo Cudicini limped off with an injury that effectively ended Carlo Cudicini season.

2008–09

Cudicini made Carlo Cudicini first Premier League appearance of the season in Chelsea's 5-0 win at Middlesbrough and this marked Carlo Cudicini 100th clean sheet in a Chelsea shirt. Carlo Cudicini played Carlo Cudicini last game for Chelsea at home in the FA Cup FA_Cup_2008–09 Third_Round_Proper tie with Southend United F.C. which ended in a 1-1 draw.

Tottenham Hotspur

On 26 January 2009, it was confirmed that Cudicini signed for Tottenham Hotspur F.C. on a free transfer. Carlo Cudicini was allowed to move on a free due to Carlo Cudicini services given to Chelsea. Carlo Cudicini made Carlo Cudicini debut for 'Spurs on 27 January 2009 in the Premier League fixture against Stoke City F.C., the match ended in a 3-1 win. Since Tottenham's loss in the Carling Cup final against Manchester United F.C., Cudicini's appearances have been limited. Carlo Cudicini has not made an appearance since a below-par performance in the 2-1 victory over Hull City A.F.C. at the KC stadium a week before the Carling Cup final.

International career

Cudicini has been capped at Under-18 and Italy national under-21 football team level, and made a solitary appearance for the Italy national football team against Turkey national football team in 2002

Playing Honours

A.C. Milan
- UEFA Champions League: (runner-up) 1993

Chelsea F.C.
- FA Premier League: (runner-up) 2003-04
- FA Cup: 2000, 2007, (runner-up) 2002
- FA Community Shield: 2000, 2005, (runner-up) 2007
- League Cup: (runner-up) 2008
- UEFA Champions League: (runner-up) 2008
- Premier League Asia Trophy: 2003

Individual Honours

- ITV 'Golden Gloves' Goal Keeper of the Year: 2003
- Chelsea's Player of the Year: 2002