Giuseppe Biava

Giuseppe Biava (born May 8, 1977 in Seriate, Province of Bergamo) is an Italy football (soccer) player in the role of defender (football) who currently plays in Serie A with Genoa C.F.C .

Career

A centre back, Biava started his career with Atalanta B.C. youth team, before moving to newly-promoted Serie D team Albinese in 1995. During his time with Albinese before the 1998 merger with the Leffe to found U.C. AlbinoLeffe, Biava achieved a promotion to Serie C2 in 1997. In 1998-99, Biava helped AlbinoLeffe to ensure promotion to Serie C1. After a one-year loan at Serie C2 side A.S. Biellese 1902, Biava returned to AlbinoLeffe in 2001, and was part of the team that won the promotion playoffs in 2003, thus ensuring them a Serie B place.

In 2003-04, Biava marked his Serie B debut, and scored the goal which ensured the first AlbinoLeffe victory in the league, a 1-0 win to ACF Fiorentina. His impressive performances in the league provoked interest from ambitious Serie B club U.S. Città di Palermo, which signed him during the January 2004 transfer window. Biava immediately gained a stable place in the regular lineup, forming a tough defensive line together with Pietro Accardi and leading the rosanero back to Serie A after over 30 years.

Biava was confirmed by head coach Francesco Guidolin as a key player during the Serie A 2004-05, coincidentally his first season in the top flight, which ended with a historical first qualification for Palermo in the UEFA Cup. However he did not confirm his impressive performances in the following season, where he was mostly featured as backup player. With Guidolin back at the helm of Palermo in Serie A 2006-07, Biava regained a more important role in the Palermo squad, returning to play at his usual levels.

During the 2007 summer Biava refused an offer from his childhood team Atalanta, preferring instead to stay at Palermo despite the club management could not ensure him a place as a regular. He successively agreed a contract extension, meaning he will play with the rosanero until June 2009. Nonetheless, in June 2008 he was sold to Genoa C.F.C, where he will play until June 2010.