Rolando Bianchi

Atalanta

A product of the Atalanta youth system, Bianchi made his Serie A debut at the age of 18 during the 2000–01 season. He played the final 10 minutes in a 2–1 loss to Juventus on 17 June 2001. His only appearance during the season. The following season he made an additional three appearances for the bergamaschi, while during the 2002–03 season he made 16 appearances. Despite being a prolific scorer in the youth ranks, he played 21 games for the first team without scoring any goals.

Cagliari

He was sold in co-ownership to Serie B team Cagliari in January 2004, where he played 14 matches and scored two goals helping them gain promotion to Serie A. The 2004–05 season, for which he remained at Cagliari, saw him score 2 goals in 25 matches.

Reggina

Bianchi was promptly sold to Reggina in 2005, where his first season was hampered by a serious knee injury suffered early on in the season. He recovered to play nine games late in the season, scoring one goal. The 2006–07 season saw him score 18 goals in 37 games. Due to their indictment for sporting fraud, the club had started the season with an 11-point deduction and seemed destined for relegation. They managed to save themselves, however, with Bianchi's performances considered a key part of Reggina's Serie A survival. He finished the season 4th in the league's goal scoring table.

Manchester City

His form for Reggina attracted the attention of clubs throughout Europe, and in July 2007…

In the summer of 2006, Bianchi was called up to the Italy U-21 squad for the 2006 U-21 Championships in Portugal, where he appeared three times and scored one goal.