Max Guidetti, one of the most prolific strikers in Spezia’s history, arrived among the Aquilotti in the summer of 2004. He was the final big move by president Angelo Zanoli, who had followed this quick, intelligent, opportunistic forward for years, a striker equally effective with his feet and in the air. Guidetti had scored freely for Varallo, Biellese, Lumezzane, and Padova, yet—one of football’s great mysteries—never made it past Serie C1.
He was the kind of striker who put coaches, teammates, and fans at ease, because at any moment he could decide a match on his own. The Ultras understood it immediately. Their chant, “Massimiliano, lend us a hand,” made it clear that fun times were about to begin.
He made his debut, and scored, in the Coppa Italia on August 14, 2004, as Spezia beat Carrarese 2–0: his very first gem in the white shirt. Then came his league debut, and another goal, as Spezia won 1–0 away to Torres in Sassari. From that point on, Max never stopped. He scored at Como (a brace), against Frosinone, Pisa (in a stunning and unforgettable 3–2 night match), Pistoiese, Grosseto, Lumezzane (another brace), Lucchese (a 1–0 win at the Picco), Sangiovannese (yet another brace), Fidelis Andria, and Prato, all before the end of the first half of the season.
In the return leg, Pisa fell again (two more goals, this time in Tuscany), along with Pistoiese and Mantova. But above all, it was his equalizer against Frosinone that delivered Spezia’s first-ever Serie C Coppa Italia. That day, Tuttosport journalist Armando Napoletano wrote:
“Guidetti, a small-town striker, as fearless as he is undersized, more efficient than flashy all season, receives the ball from Matteassi after Anaclerio battles for it in midfield with his teeth. The bomber slips between Molinari and the defense, then bursts forward and fires a low left-footed shot past De Juliis at the near post. It’s 1–1 in the 80th minute, and the Aquilotti cash in on the first-leg win.”
It was only the beginning of Guidetti’s beautiful story in white. The following season, he carried Spezia into Serie B. He scored on his debut against Pro Patria (1–1, converting a penalty he had earned himself), then struck against Cittadella, Salernitana (two goals), Pavia, Lumezzane, Teramo (another brace), and Fermana in the first half of the campaign. In the return leg, he scored against San Marino and Lumezzane, before the historic brace against Genoa on April 7, 2006, in a match played after a postponement for public-order reasons. Guidetti scored in the 2nd and 84th minutes. By then, he was already part of club history.
“Massimiliano, lend us a hand” appeared on walls all over the city, echoed in every stadium, became a lullaby sung by fan-parents to sleepless babies, and was hummed everywhere. Spezia soared toward Serie B, helped by Guidetti’s goals at Pizzighettone and Pro Sesto.
Life in Serie B began under an unlucky star. Against Cesena, Guidetti tried everything, but goalkeeper Turci stopped it all. Dionigi came on and scored after three minutes. Max entered a rotation with the veteran striker and ended up on the bench. “That’s why he never made it to Serie B,” some muttered in the stands. But he was an exemplary professional and waited his turn.
He broke the drought on matchday nine against Pescara, then truly made his mark on November 18, when he scored the decisive goal at the Ferraris against Genoa. Spezia won 2–1, and for an hour even the home fans—locked into the infamous “cage”—applauded the Aquilotti. Any remaining doubts disappeared. He scored at Brescia and Piacenza, and delivered a flawless performance against Juventus, sacrificing himself as a winger to shut down the Birindelli–Camoranesi flank. In the second half of the season, his goals against Bologna, Frosinone, Albinoleffe, Arezzo, and Triestina proved decisive. He converted a penalty against Rimini, then produced the masterpiece in Turin: a delicate chip over Mirante in a stunning 3–2 win against Juventus that sealed survival.
His number 11 stayed on the bench for the decisive trip to Verona. He didn’t complain—mature as both a player and a man, and celebrated safety with the rest of the team. As captain during the relegation season, he didn’t abandon a sinking ship. Instead, he scored 14 goals: against Albinoleffe, Modena, Frosinone, braces against Treviso and Ravenna, and goals versus Messina, Mantova, Pisa, Bologna, Cesena, and Grosseto. His final goal came in the farewell match against the Maremmani.
Spezia were relegated, and Guidetti was substituted late in the match to a standing ovation from an emotional Picco. Only then did the tears come, as fans said goodbye to the greatest Spezia striker of the postwar era.
He later moved on to Cremonese, then Reggiana, and finally Pergocrema. Ironically, in his return to the Picco as an opponent, he was sent off—despite hopes of seeing him in white again. At the end of the season, on the night Spezia celebrated the Supercoppa and the Treble, he was there in the stands and at the post-match party, celebrating alongside the fans and the heroes of that historic achievement.
“One day, I hope to coach Spezia’s youth academy,” he said.