Panucci calls time on career
Monday, August 23, 2010
Article summary
Former Italy defender Christian Panucci has brought down the curtain on a career in which he won 57 caps and won the UEFA Champions League with AC Milan and Real Madrid CF.
Article top media content
Article body
Christian Panucci has called time on his playing career after twice winning the UEFA Champions League and UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
Panucci cut short his contract with Parma FC last term having played 17 times for the Ducali. He had previously spent eight seasons with AS Roma during which time he won the Coppa Italia twice. It was with AC Milan, though, where the versatile defender first made his name, winning Serie A titles in 1993/94 – when he also triumphed in the UEFA Champions League – and 1995/96.
He joined Real Madrid CF the following season after playing 88 league games for the Rossoneri and won the Liga title in his first year in Spain before again claiming Europe's premier club competition in the 1997/98 campaign. "The biggest achievement in my career was winning the Champions League with Real Madrid as no other Italian player had ever done it," said the 37-year-old. Panucci, who started his career at Genoa CFC, also played for FC Internazionale Milano, Chelsea FC and AS Monaco FC.
On the international stage he was in the Italy squads that won the European U21 title in 1994 and 1996. Panucci went on to win 57 senior caps, appearing at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2004 and 2008 UEFA European Championship final tournaments.
