Manuel Locatelli

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Manuel Locatelli
Personal information
Full name Manuel Locatelli[1]
Date of birth (1998-01-08) 8 January 1998 (age 23)
Place of birth Lecco, Italy
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Sassuolo
Number 73
Youth career
2007–2009 Atalanta
2009–2016 Milan
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2019 Milan 48 (2)
2018–2019 → Sassuolo (loan) 29 (2)
2019– Sassuolo 67 (4)
National team‡
2013 Italy U15 5 (0)
2014 Italy U16 2 (0)
2013–2015 Italy U17 25 (1)
2015–2016 Italy U19 16 (1)
2017–2019 Italy U21 23 (2)
2020– Italy 12 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:13, 24 May 2021 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 21:45, 16 June 2021 (UTC)

Manuel Locatelli (born 8 January 1998) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Sassuolo and the Italy national team.

After coming through the club's youth system, Locatelli made his professional debut with Milan, helping them win the 2016 Supercoppa Italiana. He moved to Sassuolo in 2018.

Locatelli represented Italy at senior level internationally, participating at UEFA Euro 2020.

Club career

Early career

Locatelli began his career with Atalanta, before moving to Milan at the age of 11 years.[2][3] With the Rossoneri he progressed through each youth category, from Esordienti to Primavera. In March 2015, Locatelli signed his first professional contract with Milan, effective from 1 July 2015 until 30 June 2018.[4][5][6][7]

Milan

Locatelli received his first ever call-up to Milan's senior team ahead of the away game against Udinese played on 22 September 2015; he, however, remained an unused substitute. Later that season, he was promoted into the first team by Milan then head coach Siniša Mihajlović.[8] He made his Serie A debut aged 18, on 21 April 2016, replacing Andrea Poli after 87 minutes in a 0−0 home draw against Carpi.[9] On 14 May 2016 he made his debut as a starter, in the last league match of the season against Roma at the San Siro.[10]

2016–17 season

He made his season debut in a 1–0 victory over Sampdoria appearing as a second-half substitute.[11] On 2 October 2016, after coming on as a substitute for captain Riccardo Montolivo, Locatelli scored his first Serie A goal with his first ever shot, in a dramatic 4–3 win over Sassuolo. Beginning the season on the bench, Locatelli received his first start of the season on 16 October at Chievo, taking over the deep-lying playmaker role in midfield vacated by Montolivo, who suffered a long-term injury over the international break.[12] On 22 October, Locatelli scored with his second ever Serie A shot on target, the only goal in a rival match against Juventus, a strike with the outside of his right foot that hit the underside of the crossbar, and rifled past keeper Gianluigi Buffon.[13]

Following a series of excellent performances, Locatelli received and accepted the offer to extend his contract until 30 June 2020, with the rise in pay.[14]

On 25 January 2017, Locatelli was sent off for the first time of his career after receiving two yellow cards in 2016–17 Coppa Italia Quarter Final match against Juventus.[15]

2017–18 season

Locatelli began the season as a starter in the second leg of Milan's Europa League qualification match against CS U Craiova, playing a vital role in Milan's 2–0 win on 3 August 2017.[16] However, Montolivo's eventual recovery combined with the arrival of Lucas Biglia and frequent changes of formation under Vincenzo Montella started to limit his playing time. In November 2017, Montella was dismissed and replaced by Gennaro Gattuso who also viewed Locatelli as more of a backup for either Biglia or Montolivo than a starting lineup player. He finished the season with only 15 starts (of which only 5 were in Serie A) and 18 sub-ins.

Sassuolo

In the summer of 2018, Milan loaned in Tiémoué Bakayoko and suggested that Locatelli joins one of the lower-ranking Serie A teams on loan, preferably without a buy-out option. Locatelli agreed to depart yet submitted a full transfer request, later citing a perceived lack of trust in him from the club as the main reason for his decision.[17][18] On 13 August 2018, Locatelli transferred to Sassuolo on loan with an obligation to buy.[19] In his debut season for the neroverdi he made 31 appearances and scored 3 goals (against Catania in Coppa Italia and Cagliari and Chievo Verona in Serie A).[20][21][22]

International career

Youth

Locatelli was part of the Italy U17 team at the 2015 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. He also took part in the 2016 Under-19 Championship with the under-19 side, as Italy finished runners-up.[23]

Locatelli made his debut with the Italy U21 team on 23 March 2017, in a friendly 2–1 win against Poland. In June 2017, he was included in the Italy under-21 squad for the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship by manager Luigi Di Biagio.[24] Italy were eliminated by Spain in the semi-finals on 27 June, following a 3–1 defeat.[25]

Locatelli additionally took part in the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.[26]

Senior

Locatelli made his debut with the senior Italy squad on 7 September 2020, playing as a starter in a 1–0 UEFA Nations League victory against the Netherlands in Amsterdam.[27][28] On 28 March 2021, Locatelli scored his first goal for Italy, the second of a 2–0 away win over Bulgaria in a 2022 World Cup qualification match.[29]

In June 2021, Locatelli was included in Italy's squad for UEFA Euro 2020 by manager Roberto Mancini.[30] On 16 June, he scored two goals in Italy's second group stage match, a 3–0 win against Switzerland.[31]

Style of play

Locatelli is primarily deployed as a deep-lying playmaker, primarily operating in a holding role in front of the team's defence, in a position similar to that of his idol Andrea Pirlo, due to his ability to create chances or dictate the tempo of his team's play in midfield with his passing range. A versatile midfielder, he can also play in a box-to-box role, or as a wing-leaning offensive–minded central midfielder in a 4–3–3 formation, alternatively known as the mezzala role in Italian football jargon, although this is not his preferred position; he has occasionally even been used as an attacking midfielder, a position in which he was initially fielded in his youth, before being moved into a deeper midfield role.

While he is not particularly fast, he is an elegant and quick-thinking player, who possesses excellent vision, passing, ball control, technique, and dribbling skills, as well as a powerful and accurate shot from long range. His reading of the game, defensive work-rate, tactical intelligence, and ball-winning abilities are also optimal for a defensive midfielder. His playing style has been compared to that of Argentine midfielder Fernando Redondo, but with more of an offensive mindset, due to his ability to make late attacking runs off the ball from behind; he has also been likened to other playmakers such as Xavi, Zinedine Zidane, and Demetrio Albertini.[a] Considered to be a promising young player, in 2015 The Guardian named him one of the 50 best young players in the world who were born in 1998.[41]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 23 May 2021[42][43]
Club Season League National Cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Milan 2015–16 Serie A 2 0 0 0 — — 2 0
2016–17 Serie A 25 2 2 0 — 1[b] 0 28 2
2017–18 Serie A 21 0 3 0 9 0 — 33 0
Total 48 2 5 0 9 0 1 0 63 2
Sassuolo (loan) 2018–19 Serie A 29 2 2 1 — — 31 3
Sassuolo 2019–20 Serie A 33 0 1 0 — — 34 0
2020–21 Serie A 34 4 0 0 — — 34 4
Total 96 6 3 1 0 0 0 0 99 7
Career total 144 8 8 1 9 0 1 0 162 9
  1. ^ See[2][3][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39][40]
  2. ^ Appearance in Supercoppa Italiana

International

As of match played 16 June 2021[43][44]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Italy 2020 6 0
2021 6 3
Total 12 3
Italy score listed first, score column indicates score after each Locatelli goal.[45]
List of international goals scored by Manuel Locatelli
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 28 March 2021 Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria  Bulgaria 2–0 2–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification
2 16 June 2021 Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy   Switzerland 1–0 3–0 UEFA Euro 2020
3 2–0

Honours

Milan

References

  1. ^ "Comunicato Ufficiale N. 60" [Official Statement No. 60] (PDF) (in Italian). Lega Serie A. 9 October 2018. p. 3. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  2. ^ a b "Giovani talenti: Locatelli, la grande speranza Milan che studia da Xavi" (in Italian). calciomercato.com. 22 March 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  3. ^ a b Simone Gambino (2 October 2016). "Manuel Locatelli: il regista del Milan del futuro, sulle orme di Donnarumma" (in Italian). Goal.com. Retrieved 6 April 2016.
  4. ^ "AC Milan News - Ultime notizie e aggiornamenti live Milan". AC Milan.
  5. ^ "UFFICIALE: rinnovati i contratti dei giovani Llamas, Locatelli e Cutrone". Milan News.
  6. ^ "A.C MILAN COMUNICATO UFFICIALE: Donnarumma, Cutrone e Locatelli rinnovano fino al 2018". Milan News.
  7. ^ "Gigio, Loca e Terminator: il Milan blinda la colonna vertebrale del futuro. E a luglio..." Milan News.
  8. ^ "Milan, Mihajlovic promuove il 17enne Locatelli: esordio in vista?". Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  9. ^ "Milan vs. Carpi - 21 April 2016 - Soccerway". soccerway.com. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  10. ^ "Milan-Roma 1-3: Salah-El Shaarawy-Emerson, a Brocchi resta la Coppa Italia". Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  11. ^ "Sampdoria 0-1 AC Milan: Carlos Bacca scores winner for visitors". Sky Sport. 16 September 2016.
  12. ^ Paul, Sumeet (12 October 2016). "With Montolivo injured, is it time for Milan to start Locatelli?". ESPN FC.
  13. ^ Rathborn, Jack (22 October 2016). "AC Milan wonderkid Manuel Locatelli scores screamer to down Juventus A winner GOAL from Locatelli". Mirror.
  14. ^ Letizia, Benito. "Milan News: rinnova Locatelli, il numero 73 al 73' | StadioSport.it".
  15. ^ "Calendario e Risultati | Stagione 2016-17 | Quarti" (in Italian). Lega Serie A. 25 January 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  16. ^ "Player Ratings: Milan 2-0 Craiova". Football Italia. 3 August 2017.
  17. ^ "Locatelli: 'AC Milan didn't believe in me'". Calciomercato.com | Tutte le news sul calcio in tempo reale.
  18. ^ "Milan: as Chelsea's Bakayoko inches closer, Locatelli could join Sassuolo". Calciomercato.com | Tutte le news sul calcio in tempo reale.
  19. ^ "Official statement: Manuel Locatelli". acmilan.com. Associazione Calcio Milan. 13 August 2018. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
  20. ^ "Coppa Italia | Sassuolo-Catania 2-1 Highlights" – via www.youtube.com.
  21. ^ "Sassuolo-Cagliari 3-0 | Highlights 2018/19" – via www.youtube.com.
  22. ^ "Sassuolo-Chievo 4-0 | Highlights 2018/19" – via www.youtube.com.
  23. ^ "Finale Europeo Under 19, Francia-Italia 4-0: Augustin, Blas, Tousart e Diop". Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  24. ^ "U21: Italy squad for Euros named". Football Italia. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  25. ^ James Horncastle (28 June 2017). "Italy fall to familiar foe Spain at U21 Euros but there is hope for the future". ESPN FC. Retrieved 24 October 2017.
  26. ^ "Parte l'avventura europea: Di Biagio ufficializza la lista dei 23 Azzurrini". Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio. 6 June 2019.
  27. ^ "Archived copy". Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  28. ^ "Archived copy". Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  29. ^ "Bulgaria 0-2 Italy: Azzurri conquer Sofia". Football Italia. 28 March 2021.
  30. ^ "Mancini names uncapped striker Raspadori in final Italy Euro 2020 squad". Reuters. 1 June 2021. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
  31. ^ "Italy 3–0 Switzerland". BBC Sport. 16 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  32. ^ "ESCLUSIVA MN - Ag. Locatelli: "Pirlo il suo idolo, come lui è veloce di testa. Ha rinnovato già da tempo. Ruolo? Solo regista"". Milan News.
  33. ^ "Milan, finalmente è scoccata l'ora di Locatelli: "Ho realizzato il mio sogno"" (in Italian). www.goal.com. 22 April 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  34. ^ "De Zerbi ha fatto crescere Locatelli" (in Italian). L'Ultimo Uomo. 11 March 2020. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  35. ^ Horncastle, James (10 September 2020). "Locatelli glides in glimpse of future for Italy". The Athletic. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  36. ^ "Juve, senti Marchisio: "Pogba o Locatelli? Io vedrei bene..."". corrieredellosport.it (in Italian). 4 February 2021. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  37. ^ "New AC Milan Hero Manuel Locatelli Aims to Emulate Club Legend". 90min.com. 25 October 2016. Retrieved 12 June 2021.
  38. ^ "Six potential Euro 2020 game-changers to keep an eye on". TSN. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  39. ^ "Juventus, adesso Locatelli non è più un Piano B" (in Italian). Sport Mediaset. 22 July 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  40. ^ Zanon, Federico (2 November 2020). "Locatelli, rimpianto Juve: oggi è uno dei centrocampisti più completi d'Italia" (in Italian). Calciomercato.com. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
  41. ^ "Next Generation 2015: 50 of the best young talents in world football". The Guardian. 7 October 2015. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  42. ^ "Giocatore - MANUEL LOCATELLI" (in Italian). Lega Serie A. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  43. ^ a b c "Italy - M. Locatelli - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". soccerway.com. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  44. ^ "Locatelli, Manuel" (in Italian). FIGC. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  45. ^ "Manuel Locatelli". Italian Football Federation (in Italian). Retrieved 13 October 2016.

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