Alberto Fontana (footballer, born 1974)

Alberto Maria Fontana (born 2 December 1974) is an Italian retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

For the footballer born in 1967, see Alberto Fontana (footballer, born 1967).
Alberto Fontana
Personal information
Full name Alberto Maria Fontana
Date of birth (1974-12-02) 2 December 1974
Place of birth Turin, Italy
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
1992–1994 Juventus
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1994–1996 Aosta 35 (0)
1996–1998 Voghera 38 (0)
1998–2001 Verona 2 (0)
1999 → Reggiana (loan) 1 (0)
2000 → Sandonà (loan) 9 (0)
2000–2001 → Pistoiese (loan) 1 (0)
2001–2002 Roma 0 (0)
2001–2002 → Palermo (loan) 1 (0)
2002–2009 Torino 16 (0)
2009–2012 Novara 33 (0)
Total 136 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

He spent the vast majority of his 18-year senior career as a backup. In Serie A, he represented Torino and Novara, for a total of 25 games.[1]

Football career

Born in Turin, Fontana started his career at Juventus but played his first seasons as a senior in Serie C1, Serie C2 and Serie D. In mid-1998 he joined Serie B club Hellas Verona F.C. and, the following campaign, he returned to the third division, successively representing A.C. Reggiana 1919 and A.C. Sandonà 1922.

In mid-2000 Fontana returned to the second level, signing with A.C. Pistoiese where he served as David Dei's backup. He met the same fate at his new club U.S. Città di Palermo (A.S. Roma's farm team at that time), to Vincenzo Sicignano.

In June 2002 Fontana joined Torino F.C. of the top division in a co-ownership deal, in exchange with Gabriele Paoletti. During his seven-year stint, the longest of his career, he played second-fiddle to Luca Bucci, Stefano Sorrentino, Massimo Taibi, Christian Abbiati and Matteo Sereni.

In summer 2009, 35-year-old Fontana was released by Toro and joined Novara Calcio in division three, where he again was second-choice, now to Albania's Samir Ujkani. He also played a few games due to injury of the latter,[2] including 15 in 2011–12's top level, which ended in relegation.

Italian football scandal

On 18 June 2012, Fontana was banned along with former Novara teammate Nicola Ventola for three years and six months, as the Italian Football Federation found the match between Novara and A.C. Chievo Verona for the 2010–11 Coppa Italia to be fixed.[3][4] Cristian Bertani was also arrested.[5]

In November 2012, Fontana's appeal to the Italian Olympic Committee's TNAS was accepted.[6] His contract was terminated late in that year,[7] and he retired shortly after.

Personal life

Fontana is not related to another football goalkeeper, also named Alberto Fontana, who had an even longer professional career. As his footballing namesake, he was nicknamed Jimmy after singer Jimmy Fontana.[8]

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References
  1. ""Portiere di riserva", la storia di Alberto Maria Fontana" ["Backup goalkeeper", the story of Alberto Maria Fontana] (in Italian). Sport Story. 23 January 2012. Archived from the original on 23 October 2015. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  2. "Novara, Ujkani out. Gioca Fontana" [Novara, Ujkani out. Fontana plays] (in Italian). Torino Granata. 17 October 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2014.
  3. "L'inchiesta sulle partite truccate sta sconvolgendo anche Novara" [Match-fixing enquiry is upsetting even Novara] (in Italian). Novara Today. 30 December 2011. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  4. "Comunicato ufficiale N°101/CDN (2011–12)" [Official announcement N°101/CDN (2011–12)] (PDF) (in Italian). Italian Football Federation. 18 June 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 August 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  5. "Scommesse: il Pescara parte da -2" [Betting: Pescara starts with -2] (in Italian). Sport Mediaset. 18 June 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  6. "Il Tnas ascolta Fontana – Annullata la squalifica" [Tnas hears Fontana – Disqualification annulled] (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 28 November 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  7. "Novara Calcio: risolto il contratto con Jimmy Fontana" [Novara Calcio: contract termination with Jimmy Fontana] (in Italian). Novara Today. 11 December 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
  8. "Auguri ad Alberto Fontana!" [Happy birthday Alberto Fontana!] (in Italian). Tutto Novara. 2 December 2012. Retrieved 21 January 2016.
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