Riccardo Montolivo

Riccardo Montolivo (Italian pronunciation: [rikˈkardo montoˈliːvo]; born 18 January 1985) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He most notably played for Fiorentina, AC Milan, and the Italy national team.

A versatile and creative player, Montolivo began his career with Atalanta in 2003 before joining Fiorentina in 2005. He went on to make more than 250 appearances for the club in seven years. In 2012, he signed for Milan on a free transfer and, following the departure of Massimo Ambrosini, served as the team's captain from 2013 until 2017, winning the 2016 Supercoppa Italiana. He left the club in the summer of 2019, before retiring later that year.

Montolivo made his debut for the Italy national team in 2007 against South Africa, Since then, he represented the country in two FIFA Confederations Cups (2009 and 2013, winning a bronze medal in the latter edition of the tournament), as well as in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and UEFA Euro 2012, the latter where he played as a starter in the final. He also participated in the 2008 Summer Olympics. In total, he obtained 66 senior caps for Italy between 2007 and 2017, scoring 2 goals.

Club career

Atalanta

Montolivo is a graduate of the Atalanta youth academy. He made his debut for the club in a Serie B match against Piacenza, coming onto the pitch as an 81st-minute substitute for Michele Marcoliniego. His first starting match came in a 2–1 win against Hellas Verona. From that match onwards, he was frequently in the starting line-up, scoring his first goal against Bari in a 2–0 win. Atalanta finished the 2003–04 season in fifth position and were promoted to Serie A.