Telling the story of Fabio Quagliarella’s career through the medium of polyester…
Sampdoria 2006/07
After coming through the ranks with Torino and serving his apprenticeship with Fiorentina, Chieti and Ascoli, Quagliarella rose to prominence in Serie A with Sampdoria. A haul of 13 goals in 35 games helped the Blucerchiati to a top-ten finish, placing Quagliarella on the radar of Nazionale coach, Roberto Donadoni. The forward donned Samp’s Kappa shirt; one of the early generations of tight-fitting jerseys, complete with iconic ERG sponsor. His first spell at Sampdoria was also where Quagliarella adopted the number 27 shirt; a tribute to his former team-mate Niccolo Galli.
Embed from Getty ImagesUdinese 2007/08
After departing Sampdoria the first time, Quagliarella headed to the north-east of the peninsula with Udinese. His partnership with Antonio Di Natale helped fire Le Zebrette into the UEFA Cup qualification spots at the end of his first season, and into the quarter-finals of that competition during his second campaign. The team wore Lotto shirts during his two years at the club; fabulous designs tempered somewhat by an imposing chest sponsor.
Embed from Getty ImagesNapoli 2009/10
Quagliarella grew up in Castellammare di Stabia in the Gulf of Naples and, in 2009, he earned a dream move to his boyhood club. He played a crucial role in Napoli’s re-birth, forming a formidable partnership with Ezequiel Lavezzi and benefitting from the dynamic midfield play of Marek Hamsik. The Italian brand Macron were finding their feet as a manufacturer at this time with some simplistic designs. Quagliarella’s Neapolitan dream was short-lived; he unexpectedly departed after just a single season, and only later did it transpire that this had been precipitated by the actions of a stalker.
Embed from Getty ImagesJuventus 2011/12
Quagliarella returned to Turin in 2010, this time in the black and white stripes of Juventus. His first season was plagued by a serious knee injury, but he went on to play a pivotal role in re-establishing Juventus as a force in Italian football. He collected all of his major honours whilst with the Bianconeri, winning three scudetti during his four-year stay. He donned the famous pink star Nike shirt in 2011/12; a shirt which went down in Juve history owing to its bold design and association with the club’s return to the pinnacle of Serie A.
Embed from Getty ImagesTorino 2015/16
Quagliarella crossed the Turin divide at the age of 31, returning to the club where he made his debut as a a17-year-old. During his second spell, he spent 18 months at the club, spearheading their Europe League campaign in 2014/15. Continuing Toro’s traditions of a rich colour palette, Quagliarella donned this striking navy blue Kappa third shirt during his second season, which featured a bull-shaped word cloud bearing the names of celebrated former players. Quagliarella’s departure from Torino arose following a row with fans, upset that he had failed to celebrate a goal against his former club Napoli.
Embed from Getty ImagesItaly 2018/19
The majority of Quagliarella’s 29 Italy caps came in the three years following his 2007 debut, encompassing tournament football at both Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010. There was a nine-year hiatus between his substitute appearance against Romania in 2010 and his return to the international fray in 2019, at the age of 36. The veteran forward’s sparkling form for Sampdoria forced him back into the international reckoning, and earned him the opportunity to don the Azzurri jersey once again in their Euro 2020 qualifying campaign.
Embed from Getty ImagesSampdoria 2019/20
Quagliarella has enjoyed the most remarkable of Indian Summers since re-joining Sampdoria in 2016. The Blucerchiati captain has scored a bevvy of spectacular goals and his 26-goal haul in 2018/19 saw him crowned as Serie A’s top scorer. The evergreen forward is now closing in on the landmark of scoring 100 goals for the club. Adored by the Gradinata Sud, Quagliarella is now synonymous with the famous Sampdoria jersey, seen below with the MVP symbol marking his achievements in the 2018/19 campaign.
Embed from Getty Images
Calcio England 