Alessandro Potenza (born 8 March 1984) is an Italian football coach and a former player who played as a defender.

Alessandro Potenza
Personal information
Date of birth (1984-03-08) 8 March 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth San Severo, Italy
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Right back
Youth career
Inter Milan
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2006 Inter Milan 0 (0)
2003Ancona (loan) 1 (0)
2004Parma (loan) 29 (0)
2005Chievo (loan) 4 (0)
2005–2006Mallorca (loan) 17 (0)
2006–2008 Fiorentina 34 (1)
2008–2009 Genoa 12 (0)
2009–2013 Catania 61 (1)
2013–2014 Modena 15 (0)
2014–2015 Foggia 26 (1)
2015–2016 Chennaiyin 10 (0)
2016 Casertana 13 (0)
International career
2002–2003 Italy U19 9 (0)
2003 Italy U20 2 (0)
2004–2007 Italy U21 27 (1)
Managerial career
2016–2017 Madre Pietra Daunia
2017 Recanatese
2018–2019 Fidelis Andria
2019 Audace Cerignola
2020 Arezzo
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Italy
UEFA European Under-21 Championship
Winner 2004 Germany
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

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Inter Milan

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Potenza came from the youth system of Inter Milan, and was called up to the first team squad for the 2002–03 Serie A season. He only made one appearance for Inter's first team in a Coppa Italia match against Bari, 4 December 2002.

Loan Spells

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In 2003, he was loaned out to Serie B side Ancona, to gain experience. After finding playing time limited at Ancona, he was loaned out to Serie A outfit Parma. With Parma, he found more success and plenty of first team action. In 2005 Inter loaned him out to another Serie A side. This time it was Chievo. After another decent campaign, Spanish side Mallorca wanted to bring Potenza out to La Liga. Again, Inter opted to loan him out. After yet another fairly impressive season, he caught the eye of Serie A side Fiorentina, who wanted to bring the player back to Italy.

Fiorentina and Genoa

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In 2006, Fiorentina made a bid for the player, and Inter decided to sell the young talent, for €1.25 million.[1] In his early stages with the Tuscan team, he found plenty of playing time, and even some first team action. During the 2007–08 Serie A season, Potenza found playing time very hard to find, and was seldom used in the starting XI. In the summer of 2008, Fiorentina decided to sell the player to Genoa. In the first half of the 2008–09 Serie A season, Potenza also found playing time hard to come by.

Catania

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During the 2009 winter transfer market, Potenza was seeking a transfer away from Liguria, and on 31 January 2009, it was confirmed that Potenza had joined Catania, in a co-ownership deal. He was brought in to strengthen the defensive line of the southern team who were pushing for UEFA Cup football. As a result of his arrival, Gennaro Sardo was sent out on loan from Catania to relegation battlers Chievo. Potenza instantly earned his starting place under then-coach Walter Zenga, and began the new season as a starter under Gianluca Atzori, but after a mid-season injury, the right back failed to obtain regular first team action in the team under coach Siniša Mihajlović, who led Catania from 20th to 12th in the Serie A league table in his first five months in charge. In August 2011, Catania signed the full ownership of the right back, and he would go on to make 20 league appearances for the club that season.

During the 2011–12 Serie A season, under Vincenzo Montella, and the 2012–13 Serie A campaign, under Rolando Maran, Potenza struggled for game time, appearing just eleven times in league competition over the course of those two seasons. Catania broke the club's all-time points record total in the five consecutive seasons that Potenza had been with the team.

International career

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Potenza earned nine caps with the Italy U19 national team, as well as two caps for the Italy U20. His international career took off with the Italy U21, where he made a total of 27 appearances, and scored one goal.

Coaching career

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In August 2018, he was hired as head coach of Fidelis Andria in Serie D.[2]

On 29 July 2019, he moved to Audace Cerignola, also in Serie D.[3]

On 26 August 2020, he was hired by Serie C club Arezzo.[4] On 19 October 2020, he was dismissed by Arezzo after the club only gained 1 point in the first five league games of the season.[5]

Honours

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Chennaiyin

Awards

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References

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  1. ^ FC Internazionale Milano 2006–07 bilancio (Report and Accounts), Require purchase in CCIAA (in Italian)
  2. ^ Fidelis, ecco le prime ufficialità: Fabio Moscelli nuovo DS e Alessandro Potenza allenatore, andriaviva.it, 22 August 2018
  3. ^ "SI PARTE #piùforti #diprima" (in Italian). Audace Cerignola. 29 July 2019.
  4. ^ "Alessandro Potenza è il nuovo allenatore della Prima Squadra" (in Italian). Arezzo. 26 August 2020.
  5. ^ "Comunicato Ufficiale: Alessandro Potenza e Giuseppe Di Bari" (in Italian). Arezzo. 19 October 2020. Archived from the original on 23 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
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