Massimo Palanca (born 21 August 1953) is an Italian former football striker known for his skill at scoring directly from corner-kicks, with two successful spells at FC Catanzaro in the mid-seventies and the late eighties.
Palanca was born in Loreto (AN), Italy, and began his professional career at Camerino,[when?]
staying for seven years and scoring 70 goals in 206 matches, being the team's top scorer in Serie B in the 1977–78 season.
A memorable game with Roma in the Stadio Olimpico on 4 March 1979 ended 1–3 to Catanzaro; Palanca scored a hat-trick.
[clarification needed] The following two seasons Palanca played at Foligno in Serie C2, scoring 18 goals in 47 matches, after which he returned to Catanzaro.