Ettore Gandini

Who is Ettore Gandini?

Ettore Gandini is a retired Italian footballer. He played as a goalkeeper. He played for Varese youth teams and begins to play with them in Serie C2, that they won in 1989-1990. In 1993 he is bought by Reggiana and loaned Barletta and Crevalcore. In 1995 he is the reserve of Reggiana goalkeeper Marco Ballotta and the team obtained the promotion to Serie A. The subsequent year he continues to be a reserve but manages to play one Serie A match, against Fiorentina. He ended his career in Serie C and Eccellenza.

His career was well documented in Chapter 8 - Seven Minutes in Serie A, in the 2006 book 'Forza Italia - The Fall and Rise of Italian Football' by Irish Journalist Paddy Agnew. The chapter particularly concentrates on his struggles to gain a first team place throughout his career from Serie C all the way up to Serie A and how he was unable to make it in the first team, despite the fact that the first team goal keeper Marco Ballotta performed poorly throughout the season and at one point was even linked with a move to Lazio, which confirmed Gandini's place as the first team keeper. Unfortunately the move fell through and Ballotta kept his place as the first team Goal Keeper. In addition to this when they were mathematically relegated, the club actually began giving youth team players from Conigliano Veneto, where the son of Reggiana's managing director worked, a chance to play. The club would receive money for this in exchange. During the famous game with Fiorentina, were Batistuta and Robbiatti had put the latter ahead 3-0 and sealed the game, the then Reggianna manager Francesco Oddo decided to bring on some substitutes. His final substitute was a young reserve at which point Italian Veteran and Former Napoli player Francesco De Napoli shouted at the manager and demanded that Gandini be brought on. He eventually got to play 7 minutes in the Serie A, when Oddo changed his mind. The following week during the final game however he was once again relegated to the bench, with Ballotta taking the first team place. He eventually quit football and concentrated on his career in golf.