Amauri
A powerful striker whose late-career switch to the Italian national team capped a nomadic journey through Serie A's most storied clubs.
Born 1980 (age 46)·Brazilian-born Italian footballer·Birthday: June 3·Generation X
Biography
Amauri's football story is one of physical prowess and complex national identity. A classic target man with formidable strength and aerial ability, the Brazilian-born striker carved out a solid, if peripatetic, career in Italy. He bounced from club to club, finding his most prolific form at Palermo, where his goal-scoring partnership with Edinson Cavani caught the eye of giants. A high-profile move to Juventus followed, though it never quite yielded the consistent brilliance many hoped for. His career's most debated chapter came in 2010, when, after acquiring Italian citizenship, he was called up for a single match with the Azzurri—a controversial decision that highlighted the evolving rules of international football. His path reflects the life of a modern footballing mercenary, valued for his specific skills and forever searching for a permanent home.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Amauri was born in 1980, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Amauri Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Amauri's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Earned a coveted transfer to Juventus in 2008 after scoring 23 goals in two seasons for Palermo.
- Represented the Italian national team in a 2010 friendly after gaining citizenship, a rare late-career switch.
- Scored over 100 career goals in Italian football across Serie A and Serie B.
- Played for ten different Italian clubs, experiencing nearly every level of the country's football pyramid.
Did You Know?
He was eligible to play for Italy through marriage, as his wife is Italian.
His only cap for Italy came under coach Cesare Prandelli in a friendly against Ivory Coast.
He played for clubs in three different countries: Brazil, Italy, and the United States.
He shares a birth year (1980) with other famous strikers like Fernando Torres and David Trezeguet.
“My job was to hold the ball and let others play.”
