Throughout his playing career as a midfielder, he was also known as "l'avvocato" ("the lawyer," in Italian), as he obtained a law degree through the University of Naples.

Despite heavy interest from Parma, he moved to Napoli in 1993, where he played for four seasons, becoming a key figure for the club, although he later struggled to establish himself in other teams.

He made his Serie A debut with the Neapolitan club on 29 August 1993, at the age of 20, becoming a vital member of Marcello Lippi's midfield; Pecchia's tactical versatility, speed, technique, vision, and passing range allowed him to excel in Lippi's offensive tactical system, which made frequent use of long balls and fast-paced football.

He struggled to break into the first team, however, and was usually used as a reserve, due to the presence of Zinedine Zidane and Edgar Davids in Juventus's midfield.

[5][7] The following season, Pecchia moved back to Napoli on loan, although he was unable to save the club from relegation to Serie B.

[14] In the 2012–13 season, he became the new head coach of Latina, helping the team earn Serie B promotion.

[17] On 7 January 2021, he returned into management after being appointed head coach of Serie B club Cremonese.

[19] On 2 June 2022, just a few days after leaving Cremonese, Pecchia was announced as the new head coach of Serie B club Parma.

These attributes enabled him to be extremely adept at starting attacking plays, in particular during counter-attacks, and made him a serious offensive threat.