Salvatore Bocchetti is on course to break a whole raft of records. A central defender who started out as a full-back, the Naples native and former Ascoli youth player was called up by Marcello Lippi after contesting a mere 25 Serie A matches, including 23 with Genoa at the start of the 2008\/09 season.<\/P>
The defender first began enjoying competitive action on loan at Lanciano in Serie C, but after returning to Ascoli in 2006\/07 he made just two top-flight appearances before being rapidly loaned out again, this time to Serie B outfit Frosinone.<\/P>
His displays nonetheless caught the eye of club officials at Genoa, and the young left-footed player seemed the perfect match for the Rossoblu’s system of play, built upon a trio of central defenders at the back.<\/P>
After joining Genoa in summer 2008, Bocchetti was quick to tie down a starting berth and began to progress at an astonishing rate. “It makes all those sacrifices worthwhile,” he said. “It’s difficult to express my emotion, but I still have everything to prove.” Impressive at the Toulon Tournament for Under-21 sides, he was awarded his senior Italy debut in the Azzurri's penultimate 2010 FIFA World Cup™ qualifier against Republic of Ireland, when he replaced Fabio Grosso in the second half. Four days later, he was a starter against Cyprus and he has been a fixture in Lippi’s squads ever since.<\/P>","44815DEA11FB577D3ADEC3055D57C9DB":"1000000.00","5BAE2FF41BC6AD03489546EF11EAFCB7":"1986-11-30","5BB437CAF240E475":"81kg","44815DEA11FB577D5BF802155ED45F52BF89EAE80D401A5B":"1","EDBF020A791C65EC6DC356F5C22437AB":"999","B6B40535701B4CD0DB864915DEF06E2A":"","7FB3F46040506B81":"Salvatore Bocchetti","EBC62A89E472008E22ACFCF9251EA2ED":"","2278C81F60D7F1ECF170F6DDE4B76865":"Hellas Verona FC","FD159EB5937AD12F4B2E9E75B80D3D16":"Italy","BE541FF326E82F6A":"AC Monza","1A49EE26E6AAD5C64FC6A19EFDD00C1A":"Hellas Verona FC","D39E7C23A464F86D":"1","7379EA3CEBE73A3F":"186cm","572BB26E7A76C211":"3175","e_index":5};