Following his official transfer to Olbia Calcio, Pantanelli soon became a vital part of the team, as after a quiet first season, the goalkeeper eventually earned a starting position, and went on to make 35 league appearances up until his 1994 summer transfer to fellow Serie C side Carpi F.C.
At the conclusion of the 1995–96 season, he transferred to Serie A giants Inter Milan, following his impressive displays in the lower divisions.
Following his impending transfer to the northern Italian giants, Pantanelli was signed as a reserve goalkeeper, and spent the entire 1996–1997 Serie A campaign on the bench.
He was loaned to A.S. Andria BAT, and in less than a full season, the keeper made 27 appearances, maintaining a starting position.
After spending 3 seasons in Sardinia with Cagliari, the 33-year-old keeper transferred to then-Serie B side, Calcio Catania.
During his spell with the Sicilian giants, Pantanelli was an undisputed starter, ahead of Ciro Polito and Vitangelo Spadavecchia during the time.
It is alleged that he placed bets on two games that ended with a negative result for Catania, supposedly due to mistakes made by Pantanelli.
In summer 2007 he then joined Serie B club Avellino, but he did not manage to return to his highs, and the biancoverdi were ultimately relegated to Lega Pro Prima Divisione that year, but were eventually placed back in Serie B to fill the void left by the bankrupt Messina, who ultimately were relegated to Serie D. He was successively released for free by Avellino, and then signed by Lega Pro Prima Divisione club Paganese.