Pasquale Foggia was born in Naples, on June 3, 1983.
He started playing football locally with Banco di Napoli. At 14 he was spotted by Padova and then in 1999 joined Milan's youth sector. A curious fact is that in the transaction Roberto De Zerbi (Brighton's current manager) went the other way and joined Padova.
In 2000 he moved to Treviso in Serie B. He played 16 games with one goal but the Biancocelesti from Veneto were relegated. The following two years he played in C1, making 54 league appearances with 12 goals plus 2 games in Coppa Italia. In his last season Treviso won the league and were promoted back to Serie B.
Foggia however was off to Serie A. In 2003 he joined Empoli, coached by Daniele Baldini and then after seven games by Attilio Perotti. Foggia played 19 league games with 1 goal (Parma) and 2 games in Coppa Italia. The Tuscans were relegated to Serie B despite having Tommaso Rocchi and Antonio Di Natale up front and Emilson Cribari in defence.
The following season after 9 league matches and 2 in Coppa Italia with Empoli he moved to Crotone in Serie B. In Calabria he played 15 league games with 1 goal under former Lazio Andrea Agostinelli. The Sharks finished 16th.
In 2005 he was back in Serie A with Ascoli. He had an excellent season under Massimo Silva. He played 34 league games with 4 goals and 2 games in Coppa Italia. The Woodpeckers finished 10th. The Ascoli president was curiously called Roberto Benigni (no relation to Tuscan actor/comedian).
In 2006 he arrived in the capital on loan (he was still owned by Milan). Lazio had Delio Rossi as manager and Foggia played 11 league games with 1 goal (Ascoli) and 1 game in Coppa Italia. In January however he was loaned to Reggina in Serie A. Here he was coached by Walter Mazzarri and played 15 league games with 4 goals (Fiorentina, Lazio, Catania, Ascoli again). The Amaranto finished 14th. Meanwhile, for the record, Lazio came 3rd (CL preliminary) and beat Reggina 3-2 in the game Foggia scored.
In 2007-08 he played a year on loan with Cagliari (he was now owned by Lazio). He had a good season in Sardinia despite playing under three different managers; Marco Gianpaolo (1-11), Nedo Sonetti (12-17) and Davide Ballardini (18-38). Foggia played 33 league games with 5 goals (Napoli, Juve x2, Siena, Sampdoria) plus a game in Coppa Italia. "Casteddu" finished 14th.
In 2008-09 he was back at Lazio and had his best season. Under Delio Rossi he played 33 league games with 3 goals (Cagliari, Catania, Lecce) plus 7 games in Coppa Italia. He put on a great performance in the derby with two assists in a 4-2 triumph. Lazio also won the Coppa Italia (Sampdoria on penalties after 1-1 draw) and Foggia played 80 minutes of the final.
In 2009-10 he played less, first under Davide Ballardini (1-24) and then Edy Reja (24-38). He made 16 league appearances, 1 in Coppa Italia, 5 in the Europa League with 2 goals (Salzburg home and away) and was on the bench in the Italian Supercoppa final (2-1 surprise win over Inter in Beijing). The Biancocelesti finished 12th.
In 2010-11, still under Reja, he only played 9 league games and 2 in Coppa Italia. Lazio finished 5th (EL qualification).
In 2011-12 he went to Sampdoria on loan in Serie B. He played first under Gianluca Atzori (1-15) and then Giuseppe Iachini (16-42 + playoffs). Sampdoria finished 6th but were then promoted through the playoffs (Sassuolo 3-2 on aggregate and Varese 4-2 on aggregate). Foggia played 31 league games with 3 goals (Albinoleffe, Ascoli again..., Grosseto) plus 3 games in the playoffs.
In 2012 he came back to Lazio but was excluded from the squad by manager Vladimir Petkovic. He therefore made no appearances at all in any competition.
In 2013 he went for the Arab Emirates experience and joined Dubai Club but the contract was cancelled on August 14 and a day later he signed for Salernitana in Lega Pro 1 (third tier). He played 22 league games with 1 goal and 5 in the Lega Pro Coppa Italia (won by Salernitana beating Monza 2-1 on aggregate). The "Ippocampi" were his last team as he then retired at 31.
Foggia had an international career too. He played 11 games for Italy U-16's (with one goal), 1 game for the U-17's, 7 games for the U-20's, 4 for the U-21's. He also earned 3 full Italian caps with one goal against Northern Ireland in a friendly. His other 2 caps came against Georgia (Euro 2008 qualifiers) and South Africa (friendly).
Since retiring he has stayed in the football world. In January 2017 he was sporting director of Racing Roma (amateurs from Ardea near Rome). In June 2017 he took charge of Benevento's youth sector, a year later he was made sporting director and the "Stregoni" (The Witch Doctors) were promoted to Serie A. In February 2023 he was dismissed along with coach, Fabio Cannavaro, following the club's poor results in Serie B.
He has an amateur football team, ASD Pasquale Foggia, which he founded in 2009 in his hometown of Naples.
Foggia also featured in a film while still playing. In 2011 in a film directed by Nicola Barnaba called "Una cella in due" (Two in a cell).
Foggia was a midfielder. At 1.67 metres tall and 67 kilos he based his game on his agility and speed. He could play both behind the forwards and as a classic winger. He was left footed and extremely talented with exceptional dribbling abilities which he sometimes abused. His nickname for these characteristics was " Il Folletto" (The Leprechaun).
At Lazio he is remembered fondly. He won two trophies, the 2009 Coppa Italia and the 2009 Supercoppa. He will probably be best remembered for his winning goal versus Catania in the dying minutes, but especially for his role in the 4-2 winning derby of 2009. He set up two goals in a game in which all his dribbling repertoire worked to perfection and humiliated the Roma defence. His jovial character and role of dj also helped in celebration time and to keep the team morale up in times of difficulty.
Lazio Career
Season | Total appearances (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Europa League | Super Coppa |
2006-Jan 2007 | 12 (1) | 11 (1) | 1 | - | - |
2008-09 | 40 (3) | 33 (3) | 7 | - | - |
2009-10 | 23 (2) | 16 | 1 | 5 (2) | 1 |
2010-11 | 11 | 9 | 2 | - | - |
Total | 86 (6) | 69 (4) | 11 | 5 (2) | 1 |
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