Massimo Oddo

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Massimo Oddo, Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI, (born June 14, 1976 in Città Sant'Angelo, Pescara) is an Italian World Cup-,Champions League- and FIFA Club World Cup-winning- footballer, who plays for A.C. Milan and Italy in the role of right-back.

Football career

He started his career at Renato Curi Angolana of CND, and moved to A.C. Milan youth team in 1993. After spending two years on the bench, in hope of more playing opportunities he moved to Serie C team Fiorenzuola on loan. It was followed by other three Serie C groups (Monza, Prato, Lecco). He returned to promoted, Serie B team Monza in 1998, and left a year later for Napoli. He made his debut in Serie A when Milan finally sold him to Hellas Verona in 2000. After two successful seasons with Verona, S.S. Lazio got hold of Oddo, due to Alessandro Nesta’s move to A.C. Milan.

At Lazio he had the opportunity to play in the UEFA Champions League in the season 2003-04 and the UEFA Cup competition in the seasons 2002-/03 and 2004-05. The team made it to the semi finals in 2003. Moreover, his third season with Lazio earned him the Italian Cup winner title. He became the captain of Lazio for the first half of the 2006-2007 season following the departure of Fabio Liverani to Fiorentina.

On 23 January 2007, it was announced that Milan and Lazio had reached an accord for Oddo's transfer to the Rossoneri, after a long period of negotiation. Lazio received €7.75 million and the permanent transfer of Pasquale Foggia, who had been on loan at the club since the start of the season. Months later, Oddo was the starting right-back in the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final and helped Milan gain their seventh European Cup in a 2-1 win over Liverpool FC, as well as the club's fifth UEFA Super Cup in August when they had to face 2007 UEFA Cup winner, Sevilla FC.

International career

Oddo made his national debut in 2002, as part of a reformed squad after the unsuccessful 2002 FIFA World Cup performance of the Azzurri.

He was a starter at seven Euro 2004 qualifying matches. During the main competition in Portugal, he played as a substitute in one game against Bulgaria (2004-06-22), and supplied an assist, which helped Italy win the match. Subsequently, Oddo was a member of Italy's winning squad during the 2006 FIFA World Cup championship. He was challenged only for 23 minutes during the World Cup, in the quarter finals against Ukraine (2006-06-30).

Oddo scored his first international goal for Italy from the penalty spot in a Euro 2008 qualifying match on October 7, 2006 against Ukraine.

Honors and awards

Club

2003-04: Coppa Italia (S.S. Lazio)

2006-07: UEFA Champions League (A.C. Milan)

2007: UEFA Super Cup (A.C. Milan)

2007: FIFA Club World Cup (A.C. Milan)

International

2006: FIFA World Cup (Italy)

Personal life

His father, Francesco Oddo, is a football manager and former footballer.

Has an association with his brother, Giovanni, that helps villages and poor children.

His wife is Claudia Crivelli. She was born in Cagliari. They were introduced by a common friend in Milan, about eight years ago, when Oddo played for Monza. Have been married for four years, their son, Davide was born 2003-11-30.

Trivia

Oddo is a trained barber and styled many of his Italy colleague's hair at the World Cup 2006, earning him the nickname the Barber of Berlino.

Oddo has been tricked twice on the Italian Candid Camera type show "Scherzi a Parte".

After high school, he attended university where he studied law, but gave up and didn’t graduate. In 2007 he went back to university and is taking courses to become a sport manager.

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AC Milan 2:1 Palermo - match report

Scorers: Bresciano 9 (P), Ambrosini 24 (M), Inzaghi 91 (M)

Pippo Inzaghi's first Serie A goal in over a year defeated Palermo in stoppages and put them on a par with Fiorentina in fourth place, but both sides complained about the referee.

The Rossoneri needed a victory to keep up with fourth-placed Fiorentina, while Sicilian boss Francesco Guidolin was on thin ice despite a hard-fought 2-1 win over Cagliari. Clarence Seedorf and Paolo Maldini were rested after the 0-0 with Arsenal midweek, but Palermo welcomed back Amauri, Fabrizio Miccoli and Roberto Guana from suspension, though the former Juventus star was only fit for the bench.

The Rosanero had a good record here with a 3-3 draw in 2005 that lost Milan the Scudetto and a shock 2-0 victory last term. They had also beaten Carlo Ancelotti's men at the Barbera earlier this season.

Palermo took the lead thanks to some confused defending just nine minutes in. Mark Bresciano volleyed a Guana cross from the left and it took a deflection off Massimo Oddo's chest to leave Zeljko Kalac stranded.

Amauri went on a slalom including some fancy footwork with his heel, like a rabona mid-sprint, but was eventually closed down by Daniele Bonera.

Milan wanted a penalty moments later when Alberto Gilardino's flicked ball struck Andrea Barzagli's arm, but the linesman insisted it was involuntary, as it came off his chest first and ricocheted.

Alberto Fontana smothered a cracking Kaka piledriver and was very fortunate as it bounced off the ground and got trapped under his body.

The Rossoneri drew level on 24 minutes with captain Massimo Ambrosini. Oddo's sweeping cross to the back post found Ambrosini totally unmarked for a sliding finish, as he had lost marker Cassani.

Pirlo curled one of his trademark free kicks from 25 metres under the bar, bringing a fantastic one-handed save out of 41-year-old Fontana. Moments later the veteran tipped another Pirlo set-piece out for a corner.

Kaka rolled across for the onrushing Ambrosini, halted by a crucial tackle on the edge of the area. Towards half-time it was turning into a siege on the Sicilian goal and a corner fell kindly for Marek Jankulovski to balloon over.

Ambrosini nodded a Pirlo free kick just over the bar, as the midfielder remained Milan's most dangerous attacking figure. Kaka got a knock to the knee, so made way for Yoann Gourcuff at half-time.

Kakha Kaladze did well to stand by substitute Fabio Simplicio and protect the ball for Kalac as the Brazilian ran into the box.

Pato skipped past Giuseppe Biava with a splendid nutmeg and his deflected snapshot was palmed round the post by the ever-attentive Fontana. From the resulting corner Kaladze complained of a Guana handling offence that took the ball off his foot as he was lining up the volley. It looked like an evident penalty, but the referee and linesman ignored his protests.

Yet Palermo risked restoring their lead when Simplicio's free kick went past everyone, Kalac getting a hand to it before the ball could settle into the far bottom corner.

Edison Cavani found himself in acres of space on Guana's through ball, but blasted over the bar with only Kalac to beat. Pippo Inzaghi replaced the disappointing Gilardino, but Cavani found another gap in the Rossoneri defence and hesitated, wasting the opportunity.

Inzaghi was angry when he was lining up a header, but teammate Gourcuff clattered into him. SuperPippo was also halted for an incorrect offside decision and Barzagli did just enough to keep Inzaghi from turning in a Biava error.

This time it was Palermo who had furious penalty appeals in the final minute, as Amauri ran into the area and nutmegged Gennaro Gattuso to fall over the outstretched leg, but once again the referee and linesman waved play on.

It's a decision that is bound to cause controversy, as moments later Inzaghi gave Milan the victory. He was left completely unmarked for a free header from six yards on Gourcuff's cross from the left, springing the offside trap. It was his first Serie A goal in over a year.

Milan: Kalac; Oddo, Bonera, Kaladze, Jankulovski (Favalli 85); Gattuso, Pirlo, Ambrosini; Kaka (Gourcuff 46); Gilardino (Inzaghi 73), Pato

Palermo: Fontana; Zaccardo, Barzagli, Biava; Cassani, Guana, Migliaccio, Bresciano (Simplicio 54), Balzaretti; Cavani (Tedesco 88), Amauri

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[sandy]

Thanks LuNo

[double blush]

Massi is yummy, thanks

[JS[SHRIMP]]

Thanks! I love Massimo ^.~

[LuNo]

You're welcome

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Catania - Milan

GOALKEEPERS: Fiori, Kalac, Offredi

DEFENDERS: Bonera, Cafu, Digao, Favalli, Maldini, Oddo, Simic

MIDFIELDERS: Ambrosini, Brocchi, Emerson, Gattuso, Gourcuff, Seedorf

ATTACKERS: Gilardino, Inzaghi, Pato, Paloschi

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Catania 1:1 AC Milan - match report

Scorers: Pato 55 (M), Spinesi 63 ©

Alexandre Pato's opener was cancelled out in Catania, but the home side can complain at two disallowed goals.

The Sicilians had lost four on the trot, but had already defeated Milan over two legs on their way to the Coppa Italia semi-final earlier this season. Having said that, their last Serie A victory over the Rossoneri was in May 1963. Kaka was out with a knee injury and Andrea Pirlo rested.

Alexandre Pato was immediately dangerous, halted for a very tight offside position and a left-foot strike charged down. Silvestre just failed to get on the end of a set-piece at the back post.

Pato got down the right channel and sparked a promising move, but Clarence Seedorf's finish was deflected out for a corner by the desperate Mark Edusei with the goalkeeper sliding in.

Zeljko Kalac bravely plucked a Gennaro Sardo cross off Giuseppe Mascara's foot, causing pain to the little finger he dislocated just over a week ago.

Pato continued to test Ciro Polito from distance and Pippo Inzaghi nodded a Marcos Cafu cross just past the post.

In the second half Seedorf's free kick was too high to trouble Polito, while at the other end Martinez failed to make the most of a promising opportunity.

The disappointing match sprung to life thanks to 18-year-old Pato. He shook off three Catania players 25 metres out, then unleashed a right-foot snapshot that bounced just in front of Polito to slip into the far bottom corner of the net.

Inzaghi also scored on 62 minutes, but it was correctly disallowed for an offside position.

It proved decisive, as moments later substitute Gionatha Spinesi equalised for Cataia, springing the offside trap to nod in a Vargas cross from the left. Spinesi had only been on the field for four minutes and was surprisingly out of the starting XI after coming under pressure from fans for missing a penalty last week.

Catania hit the back of the net again soon after, but it was disallowed for Silvestri's soft push on Daniele Bonera. Kalac blocked a Martinez header, as the Sicilians were now pouring forward.

The Elefanti had a second goal disallowed for a tight Colucci offside position, but Milan seemed to lose all momentum after Inzaghi's attempt was ruled out.

Polito got a scare from Pato late on, but neither side was able to get past the 1-1 scoreline.

Catania: Polito; Sardo (Spinesi 59), Silvestri, Stovini, Silvestre, Varagas; Colucci, Edusei, Baiocco; Martinez (Alvarez 84), Mascara

Milan: Kalac; Cafu (Oddo 67), Bonera, Maldini, Favalli; Brocchi (Gattuso 79), Emerson, Ambrosini; Seedorf; Pato, Inzaghi (Gilardino 77)

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TOO BAD!

"Too bad about the draw because we managed to go in front, then they equalised with a nice goal. Now we must think about beating Lazio." - THE DECLARATIONS OF THE ROSSONERI -

CATANIA - Here are the declarations made by the rossoneri after Catania-Milan 1-1:

DANIELE BONERA:

"Too bad because tonight it would have been fundamental to bring home the three points, we could and should have defended the lead better. We knew they would put us in difficulty near the end of the game, then they also had the crowd on their side and at a certain point we also risked losing. Then Catania made a tactical change, using Spinesi as a reference point with Mascara who played close to him. Too bad because after we went in front we could have closed the game."

ALEXANDRE PATO:

"I scored a nice goal, too bad we didn't win the game. During training the coach often asks me to shoot on goal and tonight's goal came because of this advice. Now we have to do better against Lazio, we're playing at home in front of our fans."

MASSIMO ODDO:

"The draw is the right result. Pato scored a wonderful goal, then Catania scored on their first dangerous chance and it was a nice goal as well. We are very tired, we have to recover our strengths and tonight certain players came on who don't always play. It's not easy to play so little and then do well as soon as you are called upon. The important thing is to remain close to the fourth place and take advantage of the next chances. Near the end of the match it became more difficult because of the tiredness."

FILIPPO INZAGHI:

"Too bad about the draw because we managed to go in front, then they equalised with a nice goal. On Sunday we won at the last minute, today we drew, but now we must only think about beating Lazio on Saturday night.

I didn't think the goal I scored was offside when they called it off, because I had tried to decelerate on Clarence's cross, I'm disappointed because we could have closed the game. Catania were very sealed off at the back, they had five defenders. In the first half we created some chances and gave little away, then after the equaliser we risked more. Now we have to think about Lazio because if we win on Saturday we would be on our way."

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Oddo: We're so tired

Defender Massimo Oddo has blamed fatigue for Milan’s costly draw at Catania last night.

The Rossoneri have lost their grip on fourth place after losing a 1-0 lead at the Stadio Massimino and their ageing squad seems to be flagging.

Over the last two months, Milan have been forced to catch up the Serie A games they missed due to December’s Club World Cup and Oddo believes the fixture pile-up is taking its toll.

“We are all very tired,” the 31-year-old moaned. “We need to recover and we have had to play certain players who don’t always get a game.

“It’s not easy to play so little and then step up to the mark when you are called upon.

“The draw was the right result in Catania. Alexandre Pato scored a wonderful goal then they scored a really good goal on their first real chance.”

Oddo must now hope that Milan can pick up maximum points against his former side Lazio this weekend.

“The important thing now is to keep the pressure on fourth place and to do that we must win our next games,” he concluded.

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MILAN-LAZIO

GOALKEEPERS: Fiori, Kalac, Offredi;

DEFENDERS: Bonera, Darmian, Digao, Jankulovski, Kaladze, Maldini, Oddo;

MIDFIELDERS: Ambrosini, Caraglia, Emerson, Gattuso, Gianola, Gourcuff, Seedorf;

STRIKERS: Aubameyang, Gilardino, Inzaghi, Pato, Paloschi.

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