Daniele BALLI 1986-97 & 2003-
Not a great goalkeeper by any stretch of the imagination, but he has performed admirably during his two stints at the club. Failed to even get a game after initially breaking through, but returned to help the Azzurri during their stint in the third tier of Italian football. However, his best form has probably come since returning to Tuscany at the grand old age of 35 and he played a big part in helping the club qualify for their maiden European campaign.
Alessandro BIRINDELLI 1992-97
Although he has seemingly been at Juventus forever, it was with Empoli that the Italian full-back began his career. Although the Stadio Castellani outfit weren’t in Serie A during his spell with the club, Birindelli showed enough glimpses of his ability during the promotion campaign of 1996-97 to earn a switch to Turin. Has won four Scudetti with the Bianconeri and was also capped six times by La Nazionale.
Daniele BALDINI 1991-92 & 1995-2001
This no-nonsense defender was skipper at Empoli for a period in the late 1990s, having only made his Serie A debut in 1997 at the age of 34! Spent most of his career playing in Serie C, where his massive frame saw him dominate opposition strike forces. A Tuscan native, he sullied his reputation at the club when he briefly returned as Coach during the disastrous 2003-04 campaign.
Emilson CRIBARI 1998-2004
Arrived in Tuscany as a fresh-faced 18-year-old and left for Udinese six years later with big things expected of him. The Brazilian’s impressive form for Empoli meant that he was regularly watched by the likes of Inter, Juventus and Milan, but ultimately he just didn’t do enough to earn a lucrative move. A switch to Lazio has handed him the opportunity of Champions League football, yet it seems unlikely he’ll ever live up to the promise he showed with his first Italian club.
Sergio ALMIRON 2004-07
A midfielder very much in the same mould as fellow countryman Juan Sebastian Veron, Almiron’s career really took off after joining Empoli following unsuccessful spells with Udinese and Verona. Seemed to improve in each of his three seasons in Tuscany, just as the club did. His father was a member of Argentina’s victorious 1986 World Cup squad and Almiron Jr will be hoping for international recognition after joining Juventus.
Vince GRELLA 1998-2004
One of Australia’s standout stars at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Grella’s journey started with a stint at Empoli. A solid wall in front of the back four, short passes and tough tackling are the order of the day when it comes to the Melbourne native. Mark Bresciano often got the plaudits when this pair played together – at Empoli, Parma and for the Socceroos – but without Grella doing the dirty work his close friend might not have had the opportunity to shine.
Fabrizio FICINI 1989-95, 1996-98 & 2001-07
Beginning his career with Empoli in 1981 in Serie C, this workmanlike midfielder remained with the club through some tough times before getting his top-flight break with Bari. Returning to help his hometown team win promotion to Serie A, he again left for pastures new before once again finding the lure of Empoli too much. As the years passed he found his first-team opportunities limited, but he was always a crucial element in the dressing room and is seen as one of the symbols of the club.
Ighli VANNUCCHI 2002-04 & 2004-
Easily the most talented member of the 2006-07 squad which qualified for the UEFA Cup, Vannucchi has always excelled in the pressure-free environment at the Stadio Castellani. Although he briefly moved to Palermo, there’s no doubt that the dead-ball specialist was meant to be the star of the show at Empoli. A former Italy Under-21 star, the No 80 was once coveted by Inter yet is now content to be a big fish in a small pond – a rather apt analogy given that he is a keen fisherman.
Antonio DI NATALE 1996-2004
It took a couple of loan stints away from Empoli to kick-start his career, but Di Natale showed what a fine player he was with some excellent displays in Serie B. His first top-flight campaign with the Azzurri was immense as he fired 13 goals, but he suffered from a case of second season syndrome as the club were relegated. This didn’t deter Udinese and he has gone from strength to strength in Friuli, resulting in Italy boss Roberto Donadoni granting him plenty of playing time for the national side.
Francesco TAVANO 2001-06
A paltry tally of just five League goals in three seasons left Empoli fans scratching their heads and wondering exactly what Ciccio Tavano brought to their team. He answered back emphatically with 19 goals to send the club into Serie A before sensationally matching that total in the top flight. Talk of a World Cup spot was a tad optimistic, but he did enough to secure a lucrative, yet resoundingly unsuccessful, move to Valencia. Now back in the peninsula with Livorno after a brief loan stint with Roma.
Tommaso ROCCHI 2001-04
His last few years at Lazio have been The Rocchi Bomber Show, but before his capital move he established a decent reputation for himself with Empoli. Much travelled in the early part of his career, he soon settled down at the Stadio Castellani with some solid, if a little unspectacular, displays. Now a regular in the Italy squad, not to mention a Champions League player, Rocchi has shown that a little hard work goes a long way.
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Although Luciano Spalletti deserves a mention for leading Empoli to successive promotions in the mid-1990s, it’s impossible to overlook the Coach who has taken the Azzurri to their first ever European campaign. It was a tough start for Cagni, as he had to win over the Empoli faithful after arriving with a less than impressive record of 28 wins in 117 Serie A matches. But with an unspectacular group at his disposal, Cagni ensures his side are tough to break down and he gets the best out of the few stars he has.