Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Marco Branca | ||
Date of birth | 6 January 1965 | ||
Place of birth | Grosseto, Italy | ||
Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
Playing position | Striker | ||
Youth career | |||
1981–1982 | Grosseto | ||
1982–1984 | Cagliari | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1984–1986 | Cagliari | 52 | (4) |
1986–1987 | Udinese | 18 | (2) |
1987–1988 | Sampdoria | 9 | (1) |
1988–1990 | Udinese | 55 | (13) |
1990–1991 | Sampdoria | 20 | (5) |
1991–1992 | Fiorentina | 23 | (5) |
1992–1994 | Udinese | 58 | (22) |
1994–1995 | Parma | 25 | (7) |
1995-1996 | Roma | 7 | (2) |
1996–1998 | Internazionale | 52 | (23) |
1998–1999 | Middlesbrough | 12 | (9) |
1999–2000 | FC Luzern | 10 | (2) |
2000–2001 | Monza | 17 | (7) |
Total | 348 | (102) | |
National team | |||
1996 | Italy Olympic | 3 | (4) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
Marco Branca (born 6 January 1965 in Grosseto) is an Italian former football striker who was, until February 2014, sporting director of Serie A club Internazionale.
Branca started his playing career with the then-amateur local team of his native city Grosseto, but was soon signed by Cagliari, where he made his professional debut. He then moved to Udinese, Sampdoria and then again to Udinese. Following another season with Sampdoria, he signed first for Fiorentina and then for Parma. In 1995 he transferred to A.S. Roma, who sold him in the 1996 winter transfer window to Internazionale in exchange for Marco Delvecchio.
In his first season with the Nerazzuri, Branca scored an impressive 17 goals in 24 matches, but did not repeat in his next campaign and was sold to English second-tier side Middlesbrough. Branca scored nine goals in 12 league games for Middlesbrough, including two on his league debut in a 3–1 victory against Sunderland, a hat-trick versus Bury and another two in the 6–0 win over Swindon Town. In addition, he played two League Cup games, scoring the second goal against Liverpool in the semi-final second leg. His nine goals aided in Boro's promotion to the Premiership, but he was then sold to Swiss club FC Luzern.