Simone Inzaghi

Simone Inzaghi (born April 5, 1976, in Piacenza, Emilia-Romagna) is an Italy professional Association footballer who plays as a striker for the Serie A club S.S. Lazio.

He is the brother of Filippo Inzaghi, who is also a professional footballer. He has a son, Tommaso, born April 29, 2001, with ex-girlfriend model/actress Alessia Marcuzzi.

Playing career

Inzaghi started playing professional football in the 1993–94 season with his hometown team Piacenza Calcio, although he did not get to play a first team game in that season. The next season he was loaned out to Lega Pro Prima Divisione side Carpi F.C. 1909, where he played nine games. His first goal came in the 1995–96 season, playing for Novara Calcio in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione. After two more loan stints, at A.C. Lumezzane in 1996–97 and U.S. Brescello the following season, Inzaghi came back to Piacenza, and played his first game for the team (also his first Serie A game) during the 1998–99 season. He scored a total of 15 goals in 30 games for Piacenza that season.

The next season he was signed by Lazio. He had a productive first season at his new club, scoring 7 goals in 22 league games, and 9 in just 11 UEFA Champions League matches (including four in a single game against Olympique de Marseille, on 14 March, 2000, with which he equaled the competition record held by Marco van Basten since 1992). He also made his debut for the Italian national football team on 29 March, 2000 against Spain national football team. Lazio went on to win both the Italian football champions and Coppa Italia that season. Inzaghi again won the domestic cup with Lazio in 2004.

In the 2004–05, season Inzaghi was involved in a one-year player exchange with Fabio Bazzani, going to U.C. Sampdoria for the season. He returned to Lazio in 2005–06 and stayed for 2006–07, with twelve appearances overall in two seasons.

The following season, Inzaghi joined Atalanta B.C. on loan. Although he struggled to find his form early in the season, he managed to play in 19 league contests, mostly as a second half substitute, but did not find the net.

Inzaghi returned to Lazio for the Serie A 2008-09 despite not being in the plans of manager Delio Rossi. A move away did not materialize and despite not training through pre-season with the rest of the team, he was apart of the squad, making his comeback in a 2-0 Coppa Italia 2008-09 win over Atalanta. Just three days later, Inzaghi made his first league appearance of the season, coming on as a subsitute and scoring an equaliser two minutes from time to rescue a point against U.S. Lecce. It was his first Serie A goal since September 2004.