Marco Branca

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Branca's time at Fiorentina came after spells with Sampdoria and Udinese. He signed for Fiorentina after another season with Sampdoria, then moved to Parma. In 1995, he transferred to Roma, who sold him in the 1996 winter transfer window to Inter Milan in exchange for Marco Delvecchio. At Inter, he scored 17 goals in 24 matches in his first season. He was then sold to English second-tier side Middlesbrough, where he scored nine goals in 12 league games, including two on his league debut in a 3–1 victory against Sunderland, a hat-trick versus Bury, and another two in the 6–0 win over Swindon Town. He also played two League Cup games, scoring the second goal against Liverpool in the semi-final second leg on his debut. His nine goals aided in Boro's promotion to the Premiership. He was then injured, Middlesbrough claimed insurance on his value, and he was released from his contract. He chased Middlesbrough through the courts before signing for Swiss club FC Luzern. He made just one further appearance for Middlesbrough after the end of the 1997-98 season in a Premier League match against Tottenham Hotspur. He saw out his playing days with FC Luzern and Italian lower-league club Monza before retiring in 2001.

In Their Own Story

Branca took part in the 1996 Summer Olympics as an overage player. After retiring, from 2002 until February 2014, he was part of Inter Milan's management, working in their transfer network. He helped organise the transfers of Lúcio, Diego Milito, Thiago Motta, Wesley Sneijder and Samuel Eto'o. His honours as a player include winning Serie A with Sampdoria in 1990–91, the UEFA Cup with Parma in 1994–95, and being a runner-up in the Football League Cup with Middlesbrough in 1997–98.

Reader's Guide

Marco Branca's career as a striker took him through several Italian clubs and one English side. He began at Grosseto, then moved to Cagliari for his professional debut. He played for Udinese, then Sampdoria, then again Udinese. After another season with Sampdoria, he signed for Fiorentina, then Parma. In 1995, he joined Roma, who sold him to Inter Milan in the 1996 winter transfer window in exchange for Marco Delvecchio. At Inter, he scored 17 goals in 24 matches in his first season. He was then sold to Middlesbrough in the English second tier. There, he scored nine goals in 12 league games, including a hat-trick versus Bury and two goals in a 6–0 win over Swindon Town. He also scored on his League Cup debut against Liverpool in the semi-final second leg. His goals helped Middlesbrough win promotion to the Premiership. After an injury, Middlesbrough claimed insurance on his value and released him. Branca took the club to court before signing for FC Luzern. He made one more appearance for Middlesbrough in the Premier League against Tottenham Hotspur after the 1997-98 season. He finished his playing career with FC Luzern and Monza, retiring in 2001.

Did You Know?

• Branca scored 17 goals in 24 matches in his first season with Inter Milan.
• He scored a hat-trick for Middlesbrough against Bury in the English second tier.
• Branca scored on his League Cup debut for Middlesbrough, netting the second goal against Liverpool in the semi-final second leg.
• He was part of the Sampdoria team that won Serie A in 1990–91.
• Branca took part in the 1996 Summer Olympics as an overage player.