Description
NICOLÒ ZANIOLO BIOGRAPHY :
Nicolò Zaniolo (born 2 July 1999) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Roma and the Italy national team.
Club career
Early career
Born in Massa, Tuscany, Zaniolo grew up in the Fiorentina youth system.On the final day of the 2016 mid year transfer window, he was released by Fiorentina, and subsequently joined Virtus Entella.After several months playing for the Entella Primavera side, Zaniolo was given his professional debut in Serie B on 11 March 2017, aged 17, in a 3–2 win against Benevento.In total, he collected seven appearances for the Biancocelesti in the 2016–17 season.On 5 July 2017, Internazionale announced they had signed Zaniolo, for a reported fee of €1.8 million, plus €1.7 million in bonuses.He played for the Primavera side in the 2017–18 season, finishing top-scorer of the team with 13 goals and winning the Campionato Nazionale Primavera.Zaniolo made his Inter debut in a pre-season friendly on 9 July 2017.However, he did not play any competitive game for Inter’s first team.
Roma
In June 2018, it was reported that Zaniolo and Davide Santon had joined Roma as a part of the deal moving Radja Nainggolan to Inter. Zaniolo completed his medical on 25 June, and signed a five-year contract with the club, for a fee of €4.5 million plus 15% resell revenue.He made his first appearance for Roma and UEFA Champions League debut on 19 September, in a 3–0 defeat to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu.He made his Serie A debut on 26 September 2018, aged 19, in the home match won 4–0 against Frosinone. On 26 December, he scored his first goal in Serie A in a 3–1 win against Sassuolo.The following year, during a UEFA Champions League match against FC Porto, Zaniolo became the youngest Italian player to score twice in a single match in the competition when he scored both of Roma’s goals in a 2–1 win. On 12 January 2020, Zaniolo suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee during a 2–1 home loss to Juventus.He returned to training in late June 2020.In addition, he received letters of support from both the Italian and global footballing community, including Roberto Mancini, Roberto Baggio, and Francesco Totti, who had previously been operated by the same surgeon.
International career
With the Italy under-19 side, Zaniolo took part in the 2018 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, reaching the final of the tournament, which Italy lost 4–3 after extra time against Portugal.On 1 September 2018, he was given his first senior international call-up for Italy by manager Roberto Mancini – without having received a cap in Serie A – for Italy’s opening UEFA Nations League matches against Poland and Portugal later that month.He made his debut with the Italy U21 team on 11 October 2018, under manager Luigi Di Biagio, in a 1–0 friendly defeat to Belgium.He made his debut with the senior team on 23 March 2019, entering as a substitute for Verratti in a 2–0 home win over Finland in Italy’s opening UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying match.He made his first start for Italy on 15 October, in a 5–0 away win against Liechtenstein, in a Euro 2020 qualifier.His first international goals came on 18 November, a brace in a 9–1 home win over Armenia, in Italy’s final Euro 2020 qualifier; he also set up Ciro Immobile’s second goal during the match.On 7 September 2020, after being called up for the start of Italy’s campaign in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, he suffered a second anterior cruciate ligament injury in eight months, this time in his left knee, in an eventual 1–0 away win over the Netherlands.
Style of play
Standing at 1.90m (6’3″), Zaniolo is a tall, strong, and fast player, who is also a good dribbler. A versatile player, due to his creativity, technique, work-rate, energy, and physicality, he can operate in several midfield positions, and has been used as an attacking midfielder or “trequartista,” as an offensive-minded central midfielder or “mezzala,” as a box-to-box midfielder, and even as a deep-lying playmaker; he can even play out on the flanks, due to his goalscoring abilities, ability to create chances for teammates, the breadth he provides, and the attacking threat he poses. A talented player, he is considered one of Italy’s most promising young prospects.
Club career
Early career
Born in Massa, Tuscany, Zaniolo grew up in the Fiorentina youth system.On the final day of the 2016 mid year transfer window, he was released by Fiorentina, and subsequently joined Virtus Entella.After several months playing for the Entella Primavera side, Zaniolo was given his professional debut in Serie B on 11 March 2017, aged 17, in a 3–2 win against Benevento.In total, he collected seven appearances for the Biancocelesti in the 2016–17 season.On 5 July 2017, Internazionale announced they had signed Zaniolo, for a reported fee of €1.8 million, plus €1.7 million in bonuses.He played for the Primavera side in the 2017–18 season, finishing top-scorer of the team with 13 goals and winning the Campionato Nazionale Primavera.Zaniolo made his Inter debut in a pre-season friendly on 9 July 2017.However, he did not play any competitive game for Inter’s first team.
Roma
In June 2018, it was reported that Zaniolo and Davide Santon had joined Roma as a part of the deal moving Radja Nainggolan to Inter. Zaniolo completed his medical on 25 June, and signed a five-year contract with the club, for a fee of €4.5 million plus 15% resell revenue.He made his first appearance for Roma and UEFA Champions League debut on 19 September, in a 3–0 defeat to Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu.He made his Serie A debut on 26 September 2018, aged 19, in the home match won 4–0 against Frosinone. On 26 December, he scored his first goal in Serie A in a 3–1 win against Sassuolo.The following year, during a UEFA Champions League match against FC Porto, Zaniolo became the youngest Italian player to score twice in a single match in the competition when he scored both of Roma’s goals in a 2–1 win. On 12 January 2020, Zaniolo suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury in his right knee during a 2–1 home loss to Juventus.He returned to training in late June 2020.In addition, he received letters of support from both the Italian and global footballing community, including Roberto Mancini, Roberto Baggio, and Francesco Totti, who had previously been operated by the same surgeon.
International career
With the Italy under-19 side, Zaniolo took part in the 2018 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, reaching the final of the tournament, which Italy lost 4–3 after extra time against Portugal.On 1 September 2018, he was given his first senior international call-up for Italy by manager Roberto Mancini – without having received a cap in Serie A – for Italy’s opening UEFA Nations League matches against Poland and Portugal later that month.He made his debut with the Italy U21 team on 11 October 2018, under manager Luigi Di Biagio, in a 1–0 friendly defeat to Belgium.He made his debut with the senior team on 23 March 2019, entering as a substitute for Verratti in a 2–0 home win over Finland in Italy’s opening UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying match.He made his first start for Italy on 15 October, in a 5–0 away win against Liechtenstein, in a Euro 2020 qualifier.His first international goals came on 18 November, a brace in a 9–1 home win over Armenia, in Italy’s final Euro 2020 qualifier; he also set up Ciro Immobile’s second goal during the match.On 7 September 2020, after being called up for the start of Italy’s campaign in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League, he suffered a second anterior cruciate ligament injury in eight months, this time in his left knee, in an eventual 1–0 away win over the Netherlands.
Style of play
Standing at 1.90m (6’3″), Zaniolo is a tall, strong, and fast player, who is also a good dribbler. A versatile player, due to his creativity, technique, work-rate, energy, and physicality, he can operate in several midfield positions, and has been used as an attacking midfielder or “trequartista,” as an offensive-minded central midfielder or “mezzala,” as a box-to-box midfielder, and even as a deep-lying playmaker; he can even play out on the flanks, due to his goalscoring abilities, ability to create chances for teammates, the breadth he provides, and the attacking threat he poses. A talented player, he is considered one of Italy’s most promising young prospects.
