Entertainment

World Cup winner for hire: Cristian Zaccardo is advertising himself on LinkedIn

Skills: World Cup winner. Endorsed by: Fifa.
Skills: World Cup winner. Endorsed by: Fifa. Skills: World Cup winner. Endorsed by: Fifa.

July is always full of out-of-contract footballers looking for a new club. Cristian Zaccardo is no different in that respect, but the fact he’s using LinkedIn to find his next team is a little unusual.

The 35-year-old centre back won the World Cup with Italy in 2006, making appearances against Ghana and the US in the group stage, and Ukraine in the quarter-finals.

But now, having found himself without a club after leaving Vicenza Calcio this month, Zaccardo needs a new team – so here are his career stats for potential employers to view on LinkedIn, obviously.

Cristian Zaccardo's career statistics on LinkedIn
Cristian Zaccardo's career statistics on LinkedIn
(www.linkedin.com)

Plenty of likes there, Cristian – impressive numbers on the pitch and on the page.

More than 5,000 people are following the defender’s activity on the employment-focused social media website. What odds that a few scouts and managers are among the group?

Where users of the service would list companies they’ve worked for, Zaccardo has included the teams he’s played for, which, although logical, does make you wonder why he doesn’t just use his Wikipedia page.

Italy's Cristian Zaccardo and Daniele De Rossi
Italy's Cristian Zaccardo and Daniele De Rossi (Tony Marshall/EMPICS Sport)
(Tony Marshall/EMPICS Sport)

Perhaps the sweetest part of the Italian’s page however is the Featured Skills & Endorsements section, in which Zaccardo has simply put: “Calcio (football).”

A section of Cristian Zaccardo's LinkedIn account
A section of Cristian Zaccardo's LinkedIn account
(www.linkedin.com)

A World Cup winner’s medal endorses that better than any LinkedIn connection can, Cristian.