Born on this day is former fullback and now manager of Italian side Crema, Andrea Dossena. The Italian is well-known for making his debut for the lads in a 2-1 victory over Newcastle United!
Dossena impressed for a number of years in Italy, before catching the eye of Rafa Benitez at Liverpool in 2008. He signed a four-year deal on Merseyside for a rumoured transfer fee of £7 million, making him just the second Italian to play for Liverpool. His Liverpool debut actually came at the Stadium of Light, playing the full 90 minutes as a late Torres goal gave Liverpool the win.
He had a poor start to life in England, struggling to keep up with the pace of the British game compared to the slow, defensive style of Italy. He was given time to adjust, but never cemented a place in the side. His first goal came against European giants Real Madrid, coming on as a winger and netting a late goal in a 4-0 drubbing. Four days later, he scored his first Premier League goal against another huge club, Manchester United. In a 4-1 win, Dossena found himself through on goal after yet again being used as a late sub. He tried an audacious chip with his first touch, which found its way over Edwin Van der Sar’s reach.
Despite his attacking exploits, he only made 18 appearances over two seasons before being sent back to Italy. He signed for Napoli, where he played regularly for two and a half years. In January 2013, the attacking fullback joined Palermo on loan, and upon his return Napoli had a new manager. It was none other than Rafa Benitez, who’d managed Dossena at Liverpool. He was quickly told that he would be allowed to leave, with Benitez clearly not fancying Dossena after his experience in England.
At the start of September 2013, he arrived on Wearside on a free transfer but had to wait until October 27th to make his debut. It was against none other than Alan Pardew’s Newcastle, who were defeated by a long-range Fabio Borini strike. He didn’t put a foot wrong, and performed commendably considering the lack of football he’d played. However, he let himself down in the following match, where he was sent off for a stamp on former Black Cat David Meyler.
The red card allowed Marcos Alonso back into the side, who kept his place for the remainder of the season. The Spanish wingback is of course now plying his trade at Chelsea. He was released at the end of the 2013/14 season, joining Leyton Orient in League One. He flattered to deceive in just one season with the O’s as they were relegated to League Two. During the season, Dossena was bizarrely arrested in Harrods in suspicion of shoplifting! However, the left back cleared the situation up, claiming it was an oversight and he’d forgotten to pay for a jar of honey and some sliced meat.
In 2019, he became head coach of Serie D side Crema where he continues to be in charge.
