Massimo Oddo

Massimo Oddo, Cavaliere Ufficiale OMRI[1][2], (born June 14, 1976 in Città Sant'Angelo, Pescara) is an Italian 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.

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, 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.