| Gianni Munari | |
| Birth Date: | 1983 6, df=yes |
| Birth Place: | Sassuolo, Italy |
| Height: | 1.90 m |
| Position: | Midfielder |
| Youthclubs1: | Sassuolo |
| Years1: | 2001–2003 |
| Caps1: | 49 |
| Goals1: | 2 |
| Years2: | 2003–2004 |
| Caps2: | 25 |
| Goals2: | 3 |
| Years3: | 2004–2005 |
| Caps3: | 0 |
| Goals3: | 0 |
| Clubs3: | Chievo |
| Years4: | 2004–2005 |
| Caps4: | 35 |
| Goals4: | 5 |
| Clubs4: | → Triestina (loan) |
| Years5: | 2005–2006 |
| Caps5: | 38 |
| Goals5: | 4 |
| Clubs5: | Verona |
| Years6: | 2006–2007 |
| Caps6: | 0 |
| Goals6: | 0 |
| Clubs6: | Palermo |
| Years7: | 2007–2011 |
| Caps7: | 143 |
| Goals7: | 16 |
| Clubs7: | Lecce |
| Years8: | 2011–2012 |
| Caps8: | 11 |
| Goals8: | 0 |
| Clubs8: | Fiorentina |
| Years9: | 2012–2013 |
| Caps9: | 47 |
| Goals9: | 4 |
| Clubs9: | Sampdoria |
| Years10: | 2013–2015 |
| Caps10: | 11 |
| Goals10: | 0 |
| Clubs10: | Parma |
| Years11: | 2014–2015 |
| Caps11: | 28 |
| Goals11: | 3 |
| Clubs11: | → Watford (loan) |
| Years12: | 2015–2017 |
| Caps12: | 31 |
| Goals12: | 2 |
| Clubs12: | Cagliari |
| Years13: | 2017–2019 |
| Caps13: | 46 |
| Goals13: | 4 |
| Clubs13: | Parma |
| Years14: | 2019 |
| Caps14: | 2 |
| Goals14: | 0 |
| Clubs14: | → Verona (loan) |
| Totalcaps: | 466 |
| Totalgoals: | 43 |
Gianni Munari (born 24 June 1983) is an Italian football official and a former player who played as a midfielder. He works as a scout for Parma.
Munari started his career with hometown club Sassuolo, after being promoted to the senior squad from the youth team. He scored 2 goals in 49 appearances during his two-year spell with the club. In 2003, he joined Giulianova (via Chievo in co-ownership deal), where he would spend just one season, scoring three goals in 25 total appearances. He then joined Serie B side Triestina in 2004 in temporary deal with option to co-own the player. He had an impressive season, making 35 appearances and scoring 5 goals in his only season with the Trieste-based club. In June 2005 Triestina excised the option for €175,000.[1] He was snapped up by another Serie B club on 30 August 2005 in the form of Verona, (which Verona bought Munari from Triestina for €350,000[2])[3] where he managed to make 38 appearances and score 4 goals in one season. In June 2006 Verona acquired Munari outright from the cross-town rival for an undisclosed fee.[2]
Following such an impressive spell in Verona, he was purchased by Serie A side U.S. Città di Palermo together with teammate Mattia Cassani.[4] Half of the Munari's registration rights was valued €1 million while full "card" of Cassani was valued €2.5 million.[5] However, Munari never managed to break into the first team at the Sicilian club and did not play at all during the first half of the 2006–07 Serie A season, being subsequently loaned out to Serie B side Lecce in January 2007. In June 2007 Palermo acquired another half of Munari for €800,000.[5] However, in July 2007, Lecce acquired 50% of the player's rights from Palermo for €1 million;[6] Munari then remained at Lecce for four more seasons, making a total of 143 appearances for the club, scoring 16 goals and becoming one of the first team mainstays.
In June 2011, Munari's co-ownership was ultimately solved in favour of Palermo for €391,000,[7] and the player returned to Palermo, but was immediately clarified he was not in the rosanero first team plans after he was not called up to join the Sicilians' pre-season training camp. On 21 July 2011, he moved permanently to Fiorentina for €800,000, signing a three-year contract for the Tuscans.[8] On 31 January 2012, the final day of 2011–12 winter transfer window, he moved to Serie B side Sampdoria.[9]
On 4 August 2014, Munari joined English Championship side Watford on a season-long loan deal from Parma.[10] He scored his first goal for Watford against Rotherham United on 19 August 2014 in a 2–0 away win for the Hornets.
After his loan at Watford expired, and after leaving Parma, Munari penned a one-year deal with Cagliari on 29 July 2015. His contract was extended in summer 2016.
In January 2017, Munari was re-signed by Parma in a -year contract.[11] [12] On 14 November 2019, he announced his retirement from playing and that he joined the club's scouting department.[13]
On 31 January 2019, Munari joined Verona on loan until 30 June 2019.[14]