Riccardo Montolivo

He is an Italian football player. He plays as a midfielder.

Riccardo Montolivo (born 18 January 1985 in Caravaggio, Bergamo) is an Italian footballer. He currently plays in the role of attacking midfielder for ACF Fiorentina of Serie A league. He is also nationally known as a good deep-lying forward. He is currently the Azzurrini's (Italy U21) creative fulcrum, Riccardo is blessed with great skill and vision, terrific touch with both feet and an unerring eye for goal.
He started his career with Atalanta, for which he debuted in the 2003/2004 season, helping his team to gain a promotion to Series A, and scoring 4 goals in 41 matches. The next season, again for Atalanta, he played 32 times and scored 3 goals, being unable to avoid the immediate relegation for the team. He moved to Fiorentina in the summer of 2005, in a joint ownership bid. In 2006 Fiorentina got full ownership.
He is one of the main players of the Under-21 national team of Italy coached by Pierluigi Casiraghi, and widely considered as one of the most promising youngsters in the country. He has been tipped to be the next Totti. However, in his first season with Fiorentina he was rarely first choice for coach Claudio Cesare Prandelli and spent most of the games on the bench.
In recent publications in the press he has been linked with a move to Arsenal FC as they continue their search for a winger.
In October 10th 2006 Montolivo scored the winning goal when Italy beat Spain 2-1 and qualified for 2007 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.

Fiorentina
18 January 1985
Source: Wikipedia