Albano Benjamin Bizzarri was born in Etruria, near Cordoba in Argentina, on November 9, 1977. He started his career with Racing Club de Avellaneda for which he played from 1995 to 1999.
In January 1999 he signed for Real Madrid. He was supposed to be the first team goalkeeper for the 1999-00 season but Real then decided to put Ikar Casillas in goal and he ended up on the bench. He did play 5 games in the Champions League group stage and Real went on to win the trophy. The next season he signed with Real Valladolid where he stayed for six years totalling 194 appearances. In 2006-07 he moved to Gimnastic and played the entire season. When the club got relegated he became a free agent and in June 2007 signed for Catania. He was supposed to be the second goalkeeper but in the 2008-09 season manager Walter Zenga promoted him. Catania managed to avoid relegation but he then left the Sicilian team.
In 2009 he signed for Lazio. He was intended to be back up for Fernando Muslera but due to injury he was relegated to third choice behind Tommaso Berni. When Berni left he was back on the bench and was there when Lazio beat Roma on May 26 2013 in the final of the Coppa Italia. In four years, he appeared in 26 games for Lazio, 12 in Serie A, 2 in Coppa Italia and 12 in Europa League. He won a Super Coppa in 2009 (on the bench) and the 2013 Coppa Italia where he played the quarterfinal.
In 2013 he signed with Genoa again as a backup goalkeeper. He played a single game that season, ironically against Lazio. The year after he was with Chievo Verona. He had a good two years in Serie A appearing in 64 games. He became the goalkeeper with the lowest ratio of goals conceded per appearance in the history of the club (0.86).
In 2016 he signed with Pescara as a free agent but the Biancazzurri were relegated at the end of the season. In 2017 he moved to Udine and from the sixth game onwards became the first choice goalkeeper. Udinese managed to stay in Serie A. In 2018 he signed for Foggia in Serie B but after six months he moved to Perugia. He never played for the Grifoni and at the end of the year decided to quit.
Bizzarri now lives in Miami. In a recent interview he stated that “in time I realised that Lazio did not really need me. Reja had made me third goalkeeper because he was afraid that Muslera could suffer the competition. A decision that goes against the nature of football since competition makes you play better. But in Rome I also had some good moments winning trophies and a strong team. I wanted to play more and that is why I left. The year after however Marchetti got injured and Berisha played 30 games!!!” He was not a bad goalkeeper and perhaps he was right. Having Bizzarri as second goalie was a luxury.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Europa League |
2009-10 | 4 | - | - | 4 |
2011-12 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 3 |
2012-13 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 |
Total | 26 | 12 | 2 | 12 |
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