Who is the real Amauri? | Football Italia

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Wednesday January 25 2012

Who is the real Amauri?

Giancarlo Rinaldi writes on Fiorentina’s gamble to replace Alberto Gilardino with Juventus reject Amauri.

The wiggly route of the A11 through Tuscany links the coastal resort of Viareggio with the regional capital Florence. By car, the journey will take you a little over an hour, skirting the likes of Lucca, Pistoia and Prato on the way. It has taken Amauri Carvalho de Oliveira about 12 years – and nine different clubs – to complete the trip.

His route to Fiorentina has been a circuitous one to say the least. He landed in Italy as a teenager with the lowly Brazilian outfit Santa Catarina to take part in the prestigious Viareggio youth tournament. He told his parents he wouldn't be back – or if he did return, it would be to give up football and become a lorry driver like his dad.

His performances on the Tuscan seaside were enough to pique the interest of Swiss side Bellinzona. From there he trailed from Parma to Naples, Piacenza, Empoli and Messina before finally making some kind of mark with Chievo. After that, there was a genuine explosion in form at Palermo which earned him a big move to Juventus and convinced Italy to make him an international. It would be fair to say it has all been downhill from there. Apart from a brief spark of life on loan to Parma last season.

Most fans of the Bianconeri were celebrating this week when it was announced that he had completed a move to Fiorentina. Their Viola counterparts gave the switch a cautious welcome. Which Amauri will they be getting?

In top form, he was one of the most impressive strikers in Serie A – including a couple of memorable goals for Palermo on a visit to the Artemio Franchi. Hard for defenders to handle, he seemed capable of turning a game by his sheer determination and force of will.

However, there is a flip-side to his play. At his lowest ebb, he has looked a shadow of that devastating goalscorer and spurned chances galore. Could his brief, best days be behind him?

He comes to a club which desperately needs him to be at the top of his game. Without Stevan Jovetic at the weekend, Fiorentina looked more toothless than a sweetie-addicted septuagenarian. Their pugilistic powers would not have troubled the most easily-perforated paper bag. Abysmal would have been a generous description.

And that has been the case for much of the season with only one of the best defensive records in Serie A keeping the Viola out of the relegation zone. Alberto Gilardino has now been sent to Genoa, the rest home for all former Fiorentini. And all parties were so desperate to get a deal for Santiago Silva that they agreed a transfer to a club where he can only play a handful of matches this campaign.

Expectation and the need for better results are enormous but, at the same time, Amauri has some factors on his side. Between them Gila and El Tanque had managed three Serie A goals so far this season. So they haven't set the bar very high for the new arrival.

And he should get the kind of service a striker of his kind can thrive on. Jovetic is an excellent assist-man as well as scorer, few can cross a ball like Juan Manuel Vargas and Riccardo Montolivo has been known to provide a defence-splitting pass or two. It could all pan out in the Brazilian-born forward's favour.

The adventure starts, appropriately enough, with a Tuscan derby with Siena in Florence. There could surely be no better way to announce his arrival than with a goal or two to boost his own confidence and that of his new club. And all just a short trip from where his whole Italian adventure began.

Have your say...

Adam

I get your point..... some players shine more with less pressure on them think players like him and Gila ect need the team built to suit them like Milan is built for Ibra the same way Inter was....Barca wasnt and thats why he flopped there.

on the 1st February, 2012 at 4:52pm

Amauri is a Bum

Parma, and Palermo are NOT the same as playing for a huge club like Juve. Like I said before any decent striker can score when they are the focal point of a small club's Offence. Di Natale, Di Vaio, Doni(pre Scandal), Matri prior to joining Juve, Amauri, Miccoli, Floccari, Zarate, Pazzini, Gilardino..the list goes on, but you get my point.

on the 1st February, 2012 at 1:05am

Amauri is a Bum

Oh please listen to you on here. Amauri played well from Sept to January until his injury . But since then he has had EVERY opportunity to be the man up front for Juve in 2009, and 2010. He was a waste of a spot. He is lazy, and unless he gets a perfect pass on his head he has no concept where the goal is. When he went to Parma he went with a chip on his shoulder, scoring 7 in 11 games. Well wow did you see who he scored against?. It is not uncommon for strikers to do well at a small clubs

on the 1st February, 2012 at 1:00am

Marco

He's Brazilian! For every 500 brazilians playing all over Europe maybe 1 would be worth watching, for every 1 'new pele' their is 500 over rated brazilians. Sadly Amauri is just that, over rated, a massive waste of money and to make matters worse he can actually play for italy! How shocking is that. The real Amauri is brazilian and rubbish. Please please don't put him in the national team! Please!

on the 31st January, 2012 at 1:24am

Marianna Cuzzilla

Amauri can be an outstanding player if given the chance-allowed to play to begin with - support instead of critisicm and negativity. Shame on all who insult great champions such as Toni etc. No-one remains at the top forever. We all have a expiry date, it's called age!

on the 30th January, 2012 at 5:30am

Mittas

When Amauri is in form he is one of the best strikers in Europe. Ha has been compared to Ibra and Drogba, that's big!
I'm a Juventino and I wanted to see him play under Contes new Juventus. He was so good in Parma so he deserved one last chanse.
Good luck in Fiorentina, Amauri!
I will watch you games!

on the 27th January, 2012 at 11:28pm

Marco

@ GURNAM, Vito Doria, Paolo & Moh:
I never said i hated Amauri, that's a strong word to use on someone whom i don't know on a personal level!! Firstly, We are all entitled to an opinion and unfortunately, Amauri has both sets of fans in favour and against. Secondly, I don't doubt that the managerial changes didn't help his cause, but someone politely pointed out, he is a professional footballer, he needed to adapt to the changes where everyone did, cannot blame Ciro, Claudio or Luigi for that.

on the 27th January, 2012 at 2:48pm

Vito Doria

Amauri is best suited to being a big fish in a little pond. His stints at Chievo and Parma proved it. He began with a bang at Juve but he seemed to have "beginner's luck".

Fiorentina is the ideal team for him, especially if Vargas and Cassani give him good enough crosses from the wings. Gila lacked mobility and looked one-dimensional. Amauri should do better than what he did at Parma. Hopefully Iaquinta does the same and leaves Juve. If you aren't a part of their plans, why stay?

on the 27th January, 2012 at 8:10am

Paolo

Good lord, why all the hate? When Trez got hurt Amari stepped up and played great. He was a huge asset to Juve at the beginning. Let me remind everyone that once Ranieri got the sack, not 1 Juventino played well for 2 years! The entire team looked like garbage, because there was absolutely no direction until Conte got hired this year... On a sidenote, yes, the way Blanc, Secco, Marotta and Andrea Agnelli have dealt with certain departures have been a disgrace. ADP and Trez in particular.

on the 27th January, 2012 at 5:57am

Juve

Guys..I do not hate amauri because he was a flop or garbage..I hate him because he refused to go when juve wanted to sell.had he agreed to just move on..it would have been a win win for both parties..but he refused..so he deserves this treatment

on the 26th January, 2012 at 8:00pm

Ajay

Would Fiorentina like to sign some of our other waste of spaces.....err I mean stars? Toni, Grosso and Iaquinta I'm sure would make Fio into a top 4 side. Pretty sure

on the 26th January, 2012 at 6:55pm

Onofrio Sanfilippo

People forget the impact he had at Parma on loan? Watch this space before we condemn him! He was awesome at Palermo & he replicated that form to some extent during his 1st season at Juve. He has been unlucky with injuries & Juve over the last two season's have been shambolic! He should have been given a chance in Conte's team; it's been a episode poorly dealt with by the club & I hope terms were made so he does not play in the next game vs Juve incase it backfires on us like it has with Giovinco

on the 26th January, 2012 at 1:11pm

Anonymous

Most Juve fans all have short memories anyway the way they treat players is a disgrace, for example Trezeguet and Camoranesi both protested against to leave even tho they stayed loyal to the cheating club when they got booted into serie b, boo Krasic after he has lost form boo Giovinco when he was there boo Grosso hero of a world cup boo Zebina another one who stayed loyal thought the poor times, They will fall away this year anyway once they loose one a few more will follow.

on the 26th January, 2012 at 11:48am

Moh

Amauri was and still is a good player. He was brilliant during his 1st season with Juve under Ranieri, after that with different coaches and playing styles he couldn't adapt to changes. He however did shoot himself in the foot by refusing a move earlier this season.

He will do well in Florence given he is now reunited with Delio Rossi who was under his guidence during his prolific years at Palermo.

on the 26th January, 2012 at 9:53am

GURNAM BIGMAN

AS AN AVID JUVENTUS FAN FOR 24 YEARS I MUST SAY I AM DISGUSTED, ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED OF THE WAY OUR FANS TREAT HIM. HE HAS BEEN A LOYAL SERVANT, A TRUE PATRIOT AND SEX SYMBOL OF ITALIAN FOOTBALL. HIS FIRST 6 MONTHS WERE AS BIG AS IMPACT AS YOU WILL EVER SEE FROM A NEW SIGNING AND WHAT HAPPENED AFTER WAS THE MANAGERS FAULT!!! NOT AMAURI!!! THEY PLAYED THE WRONG TACTICS AND FORMATIONS WHICH DID NOT HELP HIS GAME!!!! JUVENTUS WILL REGRET THE DAY THEY SOLD AMAURI - HE GRACED NEDVEDS 11 SHIRT. AND AS FOR THE JUVENTUS FANS WHO HAVE TREATED HIM SO BADLY, I PITY YOU.

on the 25th January, 2012 at 11:43pm

Marco

Vattene Amauri! Juve don't need a disruptive influence, average player & a mercenary in their ranks - Mind you, Signor Conte knew almost straight away who'd be going and who'd be staying. Along with Felipe Melo, Marco Motta & Reto Ziegler, they were never going to get a game where they simply did not fit into the plans and future of La Nuovo Juve!
Very pleased we have Caceres from Sevilla joining an already strong team - who else will join is anyone's guess! Forza JUVE

on the 25th January, 2012 at 11:07pm

Anonymous

Good riddons. This guy is garbage. I can speak from experience that when you are a good player playing on a average team u stand out as Amauri did for Palermo. But when your a good player playing on an exceptional team like Juve suddnely you are no longer the standout player and before you know it you lose your confidence. This is what has happened to Amauri. Me personally i think he is garbage irrespective of what he does for Fioretina because he will never be able to do it at Juve.

on the 25th January, 2012 at 8:12pm

Paolo

A Juventus Supporter could not have put it better. Well said my friend.

on the 25th January, 2012 at 7:04pm

Vinni M.

Good riddance, Amauri.... Juve doesn't need your sporadic performances any longer.

Now, we need to find rest homes for Toni and Iaquinta

on the 25th January, 2012 at 6:28pm

Onofrio Sanfilippo

I feel this is gonna bite Juve on the bum! He could have still offered the team something with his physical presence! I wish him well and hope he hits the kind of form that will put him in contention for national team selection again. Italy could do with his kind of option to fall back on.

on the 25th January, 2012 at 5:27pm

Pedro

Will look like Batistuta in the purple jersey so hopefully for la Viola fans he will bang a few in and then bust out a machine gun celebration!! Also I think he is better than Gila so good move Fiorentina

on the 25th January, 2012 at 3:52pm

A Juventus Supporter

It was disappointing to see him made a scapegoat of the problems of the team at the time. In the same way it was disappointing to see Ranieri blamed-he gets sacked after a 2nd placed finish-did they expect him to BEAT inter who were(not that they deserve to be)in another world?
Amauri has proved that he has ability last season and scored crucial goals against serie A's strongest sides.
It is Juve's loss in a way(but at the present they dont need him)and Fiorentina's gain as well as Italy's

on the 25th January, 2012 at 3:06pm

Adam

The real Amauri is a MONSTER!!! Forza Amauri all they need now is Toni and bang goals galore!!

on the 25th January, 2012 at 2:48pm

Seattleite

I actually believe in Amauri, even though he failed to shine starting from his second season with Juve...

He is passionate and he wanted to be a bianconero. That said, he was not well liked by the majority of Juve's fans, and it is not easy for any player to be hated by the club's fans....

krasic is actually in the same circle now, only the difference is the fans still adore him....

i do hope krasic will get his mojo back though(and he needs to really learn to go for the opponent and rob the ball as expected by the coach)

on the 25th January, 2012 at 2:44pm

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