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Cristiano Lucarelli (born October 4, 1975 in Livorno) is an Italian football player. He plays as a forward on his hometown team, A.S. Livorno Calcio. He is an effective, charismatic player and a natural leader.

He made an outstanding contribution in Livorno's return to Serie A in 2004, scoring 29 goals in 38 matches and turning down a half-million-euro contract with Torino Calcio to stay with his beloved team. In 2005, he was the Serie A top scorer with 24 goals in 35 matches and led Livorno to a respectable 8th place in Serie A.

A rarity in the football world in terms of his club loyalty, Cristiano turned down several better-paying offers from bigger Italian and European clubs to remain in Livorno. He is considered a high-profile representative of his native city, Livorno, which is widely regarded as the most left-wing in Italy. Lucarelli has been quoted as saying, "Some football players pay a billion for a Ferrari or a Yacht, with that money I bought myself Livorno’s shirt. That’s all."

Lucarelli is also a great admirer of Che Guevara, so much so recently he even met Che's daughter Aleida.

Lucarelli finally earned his first cap for his country during a friendly tournament in the USA and Canada, the highlight of which was his goal in the 1-1 draw against Serbia and Montenegro played at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

On July 2006, Lucarelli announced he had refused an offer of Russian team FC Zenit Saint Petersburg with a yearly wage of 3mln € in order to stay in Livorno.

His young brother Alessandro is also a professional footballer who plays in the Italian Serie A. Alessandro played for Livorno during the 2004/05 season, along with his older brother, and, during the 2005/06 season played for Reggina.

He was recalled by new coach Roberto Donadoni, friendly against Croatia, 16 August 2006 as starter.

A mild controversy broke out when Lucarelli was passed over for the Italian National Team in the 2006 World Cup. Lucarelli had seemingly been more consistent and productive in recent seasons than more than a few of the players that got chosen ahead of him, with rumors of politics playing a role in the decision.

On April 1, 2007, Lucarelli scored his 100th Serie A goal in a home match won 4-1 by his side against Catania, in which he was protagonist with a hat-trick.^[1]

1. ^ Eurosport. Orsi debut delights Spinelli. Retrieved on April 2, 2007.

• Official Site
• 99 Amaranto: a documentary about Lucarelli