Italian goalkeeper Marco Ambrosio had hardly set his homeland alight
when, at the age of 30, he joined Claudio Ranieri's Chelsea side from
Chievo in June 2003. Having never been more than an understudy
previously, it is fair to assume that he would not have been signed had
Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich bought the London club a month
earlier than he did, but starting the season as third choice, Marco
eventually proved to be a very useful acquisition indeed. With Carlo
Cudicini rested and fellow new boy Jurgen Macho injured prior to the
start of the season, Marco made a dreadful debut in a League Cup clash
with Notts County where his performance in an eventual 4-2 victory had
the Blues supporters watching through their fingers, but when he
returned to the side for a clash at Bolton Wanderers in March he looked a
new man.
Only selected because of injury and illness to Cudicini and
Neil Sullivan respectively, Marco was the hero of the day with a string
of unorthodox saves which kept the home side at bay throughout a
first-half which they dominated, Chelsea eventually triumphing 2-0. As
Cudicini's injury-hit campaign continued, Ambrosio made the goalkeeper's
jersey his own and featured in both legs of the memorable Champions
League victory over Arsenal before playing in the semi-final first-leg
defeat by Monaco. He also kept a clean-sheet as the Blues won 1-0 at
Tottenham. However, Cudicini returned for the final weeks of the season
and with Czech Republic goalkeeper Peter Cech already signed, Marco
Ambrosio moved on to Swiss side Grasshoppers in August 2004 on a
free-transfer. (Kelvin Barker)
|
CLUB CAREER.
1991–1992 Lumezzane 2 (0)
1992–1993 Atalanta 0 (0)
1993–1994 Pisa (loan) 9 (0)
1994–1995 Prato (co-ownership) 15 (0)
1995–1996 Ravenna (loan) 10 (0)
1996–1997 Prato 34 (0)
1997–1999 Sampdoria 10 (0)
1999–2001 Lucchese 46 (0)
2001–2003 Chievo 10 (0)
2003–2004 Chelsea 8 (0)
2004 Grasshopper 14 (0)
2005–2006 Salernitana 55 (0)
2006–2007 Brescia 2 (0)
2007–2009 Reggiana 56 (0)
2009 FeralpiSalò 17 (0)