Former Blackbird Juan Diego Chiavarini Starring Professionally in Italy

1/5/07 -- Former LIU men's soccer standout Juan Diego Chiavarini (Santa Fe, Argentina) has turned a stellar career in the collegiate ranks into a soccer career at one of the highest levels in Italy.

A two-time All-Northeast Conference selection, including a first-team nod in 2000, Chiavarini has played in Italy's Serie D for the past two seasons. After a season with AS Morolo Calcio, his rights were bought by Terracina FC.

Serie D is the top level of the Italian non-professional football association called Lega Nazionale Dilettanti. The association itself represents over a million soccer players and thousands of soccer teams. Ranking below Serie C2 (the fourth and last professional league), Serie D is considered the fifth-ranked league in Italy.

Terracina FC is currently competing in the Coppa Italia Serie D, a straight knock-out based competition involving teams from Serie D in Italian football, and has advanced to the semifinal round. All games, including the final, are on a home/away basis.

Chiavarini played previously with AS Cassino 1927, a Serie C2 team, in 2004-05 and was with AS Ferentino of Girone G in Serie D in 2003-04.