Andrew Orsatti
Encyclopedia
Andrew Orsatti in Sydney
, Australia
is a sports presenter and football (soccer)
commentator, based in the United States
. After nearly 12 years on free-to-air television
in Australia
, Orsatti left the Special Broadcasting Service
(SBS), to take up a position at the global headquarters of US sports giant ESPN
in Bristol, Connecticut
.
He presently sits on the newly formed Australian Professional Footballers' Association
(PFA) Awards Committee alongside former Australian internationals Paul Okon
, Stan Lazaridis
, Tony Vidmar
, Robbie Slater
, Craig Foster, Paul Trimboli
and Francis Awaritefe
, as well as Andy Harper
and Michael Lynch.
, Australia, Orsatti's football career started to show promise while playing for the youth teams of former National Soccer League
club APIA Leichhardt. After completing his high-school studies, he ventured overseas and attracted interest from various Italian clubs including A.S. Roma
, Torino, Pescara
, Ancona
and Lucchese
.
After two years in Italy, Orsatti suffered a serious knee injury while playing for Italian lower division club Penne. During the European summer of 1994, he was offered a contract by then Serie A club Pescara
. However, after five knee operations, including two to repair a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament
, he never returned to full-time professional football.
In 2002, he appeared in the 'If Only' series on SBS, in which Australia's 1974 World Cup
defender, Manfred Schäfer
, described Orsatti as a "big time" player whom he had expected to excel in one of the world's top competitions.
After joining SBS as a cadet journalist in 1996, Orsatti quickly rose through the ranks to become the weekend host of the network's daily, prime-time 30 minute sports news show, Toyota World Sports. At 21, he was one of the youngest free-to-air presenters in the history of Australian broadcasting.
He was later assigned to major sporting events that included the Tour de France
, Basketball World Championship, World Swimming Championships, and the summer Olympic Games
of 2000 and 2004.
Orsatti specialised in football, on SBS, covering marquee events such as the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup
and English FA Cup Final
s. He travelled to the 1998 World Cup
, in France, 2002 World Cup
, in Korea/Japan, Euro 2000 in the Netherlands/Belgium, and Euro 2004 in Portugal.
Orsatti was the face of SBS' World Cup coverage in 2006, hosting the majority of matches from the public broadcaster's Sydney studios.
Before his departure from SBS, Orsatti also wrote opinion pieces and presented 'The Shootout', alongside former Australian international midfielder, Craig Foster, for The World Game
website.
Orsatti anchored SBS' award-winning telecast of Australia's Round of 16 World Cup match against Italy. SBS received a Logie Award
for the event, the highest distinction in Australian television, for the Most Outstanding Sports Coverage of 2006.
. According to police and eye-witness reports, Farina grabbed Orsatti by the throat after a heated verbal exchange, and tried to throw some punches, immediately after a friendly international against Iraq
in Sydney
, which Australia won in an unconvincing fashion 2–1.
Orsatti dropped the charges after Farina, who often accused SBS of unfairly targeting him for criticism, issued a public apology and promised to co-operate in the future. Farina was ordered to undergo anger management and was sacked four months later by Football Federation Australia
(FFA). Farina's demise, while not a direct result of the alleged altecation with Orsatti but three consecutive losses at the 2005 Confederations Trophy, came during an administrative overhaul of Australian football, which ultimately led to the appointment of Dutch coach Guus Hiddink
.
In his recent book, It's Only a Game - A Life in Sport, John O'Neill, who was the Football Federation Australia CEO at the time, while not condoning Farina's actions, said he often found Orsatti's journalistic nature to be "excessively aggressive" and suggested that perhaps he had "got what was coming to him".
, in both the Pacific-Rim and Atlantic markets, which include Africa, the Caribbean, Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.
He also appears regularly on ESPN's football telecasts, providing English commentary for Spanish
La Liga
, Italian
Serie A
, UEFA Champions League
and UEFA Cup
matches.
Orsatti also appears on ESPNsoccernet.com, ESPN Soccernet Press Pass
, and provides brief news updates for cricinfo.com, a major cricket website owned by ESPN.
In May 2008, Orsatti made his US television debut on ESPN 2 while anchoring the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League.
Orsatti was based in Switzerland
and Austria
for ESPN's coverage of the 2008 European Championships. He offered daily reports and analysis for the US and international markets.
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
is a sports presenter and football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
commentator, based in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. After nearly 12 years on free-to-air television
Free-to-air
Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...
in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Orsatti left the Special Broadcasting Service
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
(SBS), to take up a position at the global headquarters of US sports giant ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
in Bristol, Connecticut
Bristol, Connecticut
Bristol is a suburban city located in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States southwest of Hartford. According to 2006 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city is 61,353. Bristol is primarily known as the home of ESPN, whose central studios are in the city. Bristol is also home to...
.
He presently sits on the newly formed Australian Professional Footballers' Association
Australian Professional Footballers' Association
The Professional Footballers Australia is an Australian trade union affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions that represents professional male, female and elite junior football players.-History:...
(PFA) Awards Committee alongside former Australian internationals Paul Okon
Paul Okon
Paul Okon is a former Australian football player who retired after playing with Australian side Newcastle United Jets....
, Stan Lazaridis
Stan Lazaridis
Stanley "Stan" Lazaridis is a former football player. He was predominantly a left winger though he had been known to perform at left-back...
, Tony Vidmar
Tony Vidmar
Anthony "Tony" Vidmar is an Australian former professional football player of Slovenian origin. He was a member of the Australian national team, competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona for his native country, and is currently Australia's third highest capped player...
, Robbie Slater
Robbie Slater
Robert "Robbie" Slater is a former Australian footballer and football pundit.-Early years:Slater, a red-haired midfielder, moved to Australia as a youngster and started his playing career in Australia, with various clubs in his youth before joining St George Saints in the National Soccer League in...
, Craig Foster, Paul Trimboli
Paul Trimboli
Paolo "Paul" Vincenzo Trimboli is a former Australian international football player of Italian ancestry. He attended Xavier College and was a member of the First XI, and was captained by his brother.-Club career:...
and Francis Awaritefe
Francis Awaritefe
Francis Edgar Awaritefe is an Australian former football player, and is currently Director of Football at Melbourne Victory...
, as well as Andy Harper
Andy Harper
Andy Harper is a former Australian football player who played in Australia's National Soccer League for St George, Marconi, Brisbane Strikers, Newcastle Breakers and Newcastle United.-Writing:...
and Michael Lynch.
Football career
Growing up in SydneySydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia, Orsatti's football career started to show promise while playing for the youth teams of former National Soccer League
National Soccer League
The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004...
club APIA Leichhardt. After completing his high-school studies, he ventured overseas and attracted interest from various Italian clubs including A.S. Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
, Torino, Pescara
Pescara
Pescara is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. As of January 1, 2007 it was the most populated city within Abruzzo at 123,059 residents, 400,000 with the surrounding metropolitan area...
, Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
and Lucchese
Lucchese
Lucchese is an Italian surname meaning from Lucca, pronounced Lou-kay-zee. Lucca itself means "light", and it primarily refers to people or items originally from Lucca.-People:...
.
After two years in Italy, Orsatti suffered a serious knee injury while playing for Italian lower division club Penne. During the European summer of 1994, he was offered a contract by then Serie A club Pescara
Pescara Calcio
Delfino Pescara 1936 is an Italian football club based in Pescara, Abruzzo.The club was formed in 1936 and currently plays in Italian Serie B. Pescara has competed in 5 seasons in Serie A...
. However, after five knee operations, including two to repair a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
, he never returned to full-time professional football.
In 2002, he appeared in the 'If Only' series on SBS, in which Australia's 1974 World Cup
1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
defender, Manfred Schäfer
Manfred Schäfer
Manfred Schäfer or Schaefer is a former football defender. He was born in Königsberg and emigrated to Australia aged 14.Schaefer Street in the Sydney suburb of Glenwood is named for him...
, described Orsatti as a "big time" player whom he had expected to excel in one of the world's top competitions.
Media career
Orsatti completed an Associate Diploma in Journalism at Macleay College in Sydney, in 1995.After joining SBS as a cadet journalist in 1996, Orsatti quickly rose through the ranks to become the weekend host of the network's daily, prime-time 30 minute sports news show, Toyota World Sports. At 21, he was one of the youngest free-to-air presenters in the history of Australian broadcasting.
He was later assigned to major sporting events that included the Tour de France
Tour de France
The Tour de France is an annual bicycle race held in France and nearby countries. First staged in 1903, the race covers more than and lasts three weeks. As the best known and most prestigious of cycling's three "Grand Tours", the Tour de France attracts riders and teams from around the world. The...
, Basketball World Championship, World Swimming Championships, and the summer Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
of 2000 and 2004.
Orsatti specialised in football, on SBS, covering marquee events such as the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
and English FA Cup Final
FA Cup Final
The FA Cup Final, commonly referred to in England as just the Cup Final, is the last match in the Football Association Challenge Cup. With an official attendance of 89,826 at the 2007 FA Cup Final, it is the fourth best attended domestic club championship event in the world and the second most...
s. He travelled to the 1998 World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
, in France, 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, in Korea/Japan, Euro 2000 in the Netherlands/Belgium, and Euro 2004 in Portugal.
Orsatti was the face of SBS' World Cup coverage in 2006, hosting the majority of matches from the public broadcaster's Sydney studios.
Before his departure from SBS, Orsatti also wrote opinion pieces and presented 'The Shootout', alongside former Australian international midfielder, Craig Foster, for The World Game
The World Game
The World Game is a Monday night television show on SBS in Australia dedicated to association football. It is currently hosted by David Basheer, former Socceroo Craig Foster, and Les Murray, the show analytically reviews and previews soccer and soccer issues from around the globe, albeit with an...
website.
Orsatti anchored SBS' award-winning telecast of Australia's Round of 16 World Cup match against Italy. SBS received a Logie Award
Logie Award
The TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
for the event, the highest distinction in Australian television, for the Most Outstanding Sports Coverage of 2006.
The Farina incident
In March 2005, Orsatti was allegedly assaulted by Australia's national football coach Frank FarinaFrank Farina
Frank Farina OAM is a retired Australian football player. He most currently coaches the Papua New Guinea national football team....
. According to police and eye-witness reports, Farina grabbed Orsatti by the throat after a heated verbal exchange, and tried to throw some punches, immediately after a friendly international against Iraq
Iraq national football team
The Iraqi national football team represents Iraq in international football and is controlled by the Iraq Football Association. They won the 2007 Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup tournament.-The Golden Generation:...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, which Australia won in an unconvincing fashion 2–1.
Orsatti dropped the charges after Farina, who often accused SBS of unfairly targeting him for criticism, issued a public apology and promised to co-operate in the future. Farina was ordered to undergo anger management and was sacked four months later by Football Federation Australia
Football Federation Australia
Football Federation Australia is the governing body for the sport of football in Australia. Before 1 January 2005, it was known as the Australian Soccer Association , which succeeded Soccer Australia in this role in 2003...
(FFA). Farina's demise, while not a direct result of the alleged altecation with Orsatti but three consecutive losses at the 2005 Confederations Trophy, came during an administrative overhaul of Australian football, which ultimately led to the appointment of Dutch coach Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink
Guus Hiddink is a Dutch football manager and former player. He was the most recently manager of the Turkish national football team. He is considered to be one of the best managers of his generation and was the best-paid coach in international football in 2009...
.
In his recent book, It's Only a Game - A Life in Sport, John O'Neill, who was the Football Federation Australia CEO at the time, while not condoning Farina's actions, said he often found Orsatti's journalistic nature to be "excessively aggressive" and suggested that perhaps he had "got what was coming to him".
ESPN
Orsatti joined ESPN in December 2007. He fronts a variety of shows, including the cable network's international version of its flagship daily program, SportscenterSportsCenter
SportsCenter is a daily sports news television show, and the flagship program of American cable network ESPN since the network launched on September 7, 1979. Originally broadcast only daily, SportsCenter is now shown up to twelve times a day, replaying the day's scores and highlights from major...
, in both the Pacific-Rim and Atlantic markets, which include Africa, the Caribbean, Middle East, Australia and New Zealand.
He also appears regularly on ESPN's football telecasts, providing English commentary for Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
, Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
and UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
matches.
Orsatti also appears on ESPNsoccernet.com, ESPN Soccernet Press Pass
PressPass
ESPNsoccernet PressPass is a 30 minute show which airs Monday to Friday and is a soccer discussion show between presenters Adrian Healey, Dan Thomas, Andrew Orsatti and analysts including Robbie Mustoe, Gabriele Marcotti, Tommy Smyth, Janusz Michallik, Shaka Hislop, Robbie Earle, Steve Nicol,...
, and provides brief news updates for cricinfo.com, a major cricket website owned by ESPN.
In May 2008, Orsatti made his US television debut on ESPN 2 while anchoring the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League.
Orsatti was based in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
for ESPN's coverage of the 2008 European Championships. He offered daily reports and analysis for the US and international markets.
Major events
- 2009 UEFA Cup Final2009 UEFA Cup FinalThe 2009 UEFA Cup Final was the final match of the 2008–09 UEFA Cup, the 38th season of the UEFA Cup, UEFA's second-tier club football tournament. It was also the last final to be held under the UEFA Cup name, as the competition was rebranded as the UEFA Europa League from the 2009–10 season...
, Istanbul, Shakhtar Donetsk-Werder Bremen, ESPN Commentator - UEFA Euro 2008, Switzerland/Austria - ESPN reporter/analyst
- 2006 World Cup2006 FIFA World CupThe 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, Germany - SBS studio host - 2005 FIFA World Cup qualifier, Australia v Uruguay, Sydney - SBS sideline interviews/commentary
- 2004 Summer Olympics2004 Summer OlympicsThe 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
, Athens, Greece - SBS studio host - 2004 Tour de France2004 Tour de FranceThe 2004 Tour de France was the 91st, taking place from July 3 to July 25, 2004. It consisted of 20 stages over 3391 km.Lance Armstrong became the first to win six Tours de France. Armstrong had been favored to win, his competitors seen as being German Jan Ullrich, Spaniards Roberto Heras and...
(cycling) - SBS studio host/commentator - UEFA Euro 2004, Portugal - SBS reporter
- 2003 UEFA Champions League Final2003 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2003 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place at Old Trafford in Manchester, England on 28 May 2003 to decide the winner of the 2002–03 UEFA Champions League. The match was contested by two Italian teams in the shape of Juventus and Milan. The match made history as the...
, Manchester, England - SBS reporter - 2001 UEFA Champions League Final2001 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2001 UEFA Champions League Final was a football match that took place at San Siro in Milan, Italy, on 23 May 2001, to decide the winner of the 2000–01 UEFA Champions League. The match pitted Bayern Munich against Valencia. The match finished in a 1–1 draw, but Bayern clinched their fourth...
, Milan, Italy - SBS reporter - 2000 Summer Olympics2000 Summer OlympicsThe Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
, Sydney, Australia - SBS reporter - UEFA Euro 2000, Belgium/Netherlands - SBS reporter
- 2000 UEFA Champions League Final2000 UEFA Champions League FinalThe 2000 UEFA Champions League Final took place at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, France on 24 May 2000. The match pitted Spanish rivals Real Madrid and Valencia...
, Paris, France - SBS reporter - 1998 FIBA World Championship1998 FIBA World ChampionshipThe 1998 FIBA World Championship was the 13th FIBA World Championship, an international basketball tournament held by the International Basketball Federation and hosted in Athens, Greece from July 29 to August 9, 1998...
(basketball), Athens, Greece - SBS reporter - 1998 World Cup1998 FIFA World CupThe 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
, France - SBS reporter - 1998 FINA World Swimming Championships, Perth, Australia - SBS reporter