Manolo Gabbiadini (; born 26 November 1991) is an Italian professional
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who plays as a
striker for
Serie A
The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Coppa ...
club
Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria, commonly referred to as Sampdoria (), is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa.
The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, ...
and the
Italy national team.
Gabbiadini began his professional career with
Atalanta
Atalanta (; grc-gre, Ἀταλάντη, Atalantē) meaning "equal in weight", is a heroine in Greek mythology.
There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene and who is primarily known ...
, where he made his
Serie A
The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Coppa ...
debut in 2010. After a one-year stint at
Cittadella
Cittadella ( vec, Sitadeła) is a medieval walled city in the province of Padua, northern Italy, founded in the 13th century as a military outpost of Padua. The surrounding wall has been restored and is in circumference with a diameter of around ...
between 2010 and 2011, he returned to Atalanta, before moving to
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
in 2012. The following year, Gabbiadini joined
Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria, commonly referred to as Sampdoria (), is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa.
The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, ...
, where he scored a personal best of ten goals in the Italian top flight. In 2015, he was sold to
Napoli
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
, before moving to
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
during the 2017 January transfer window. Gabbiadini returned to Sampdoria in 2019.
Having represented Italy internationally at
under-20 and
under-21 levels, Gabbiadini made his senior debut in 2012.
Club career
Atalanta
Born in the province of
Bergamo
Bergamo (; lmo, Bèrghem ; from the proto- Germanic elements *''berg +*heim'', the "mountain home") is a city in the alpine Lombardy region of northern Italy, approximately northeast of Milan, and about from Switzerland, the alpine lakes Como ...
, he grew up in the youth teams of Bolgare and then
Atalanta
Atalanta (; grc-gre, Ἀταλάντη, Atalantē) meaning "equal in weight", is a heroine in Greek mythology.
There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene and who is primarily known ...
, who loaned him to
Palazzolo and
Montichiari
Montichiari (Brescian: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the province of Brescia, in Lombardy. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree on December 27, 1991.
The town is home to the Gabriele D'Annunzio airport (Italian: ''Aer ...
, before returning to Bergamo. He made his
Serie A
The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Coppa ...
debut for the club on 14 March 2010 in a league match against
Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmigiano-Reggiano, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 ...
, coming on as a 79th-minute substitute for
Simone Tiribocchi. Following his debut, Gabbiadini made one further appearance for the club during the
2009–10 Serie A campaign.
Loan to Cittadella and return to Atalanta
On 9 July 2010, Gabbiadini joined
Serie B
The Serie B (), currently named Serie Balkrishna Industries, BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 ...
side
Cittadella
Cittadella ( vec, Sitadeła) is a medieval walled city in the province of Padua, northern Italy, founded in the 13th century as a military outpost of Padua. The surrounding wall has been restored and is in circumference with a diameter of around ...
, along with
Daniele Gasparetto
Daniele Gasparetto (born 6 April 1988) is an Italian footballer who plays as a defender for club Legnago Salus.
Club career Atalanta
Born in Montebelluna, Veneto, Gasparetto spent his early career with hometown club Montebelluna until 2004. ...
, in
co-ownership deal for a peppercorn of €500, as part of the negotiation that saw Atalanta sign
Matteo Ardemagni
Matteo Carlo Ardemagni (born 26 March 1987) is an Italian footballer who plays as a forward for club Siena.
Career Milan
A product of Milan's youth team, he has made a few appearances as a substitute for their Serie A team. He was then sent ...
. He scored five goals in 27 appearances, including 15 starts, during the
2010–11 Serie B
The 2010–11 Serie B (known as the Serie bwin for sponsorship reasons) is the seventy-ninth season since its establishment in 1929, and the first one under the rule of the new Lega Serie B. A total of 22 teams contest the league, 15 of which ret ...
season.
On 21 June 2011, Gabbiadini returned to Atalanta after his co-ownership deal was resolved for €1.5 million for 50 percent of his registration rights. During the
2011–12 Serie A campaign, Gabbiadini was fully integrated into the club's first team. He made 25 league appearances for the club, including eight starts, and scored his first Serie A goal on 25 March 2012 in the 2–0 home victory over
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
. He also scored in his lone
2011–12 Coppa Italia
The 2011–12 Coppa Italia, also known as TIM Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the 65th edition of the competition. As in the previous year, 78 clubs took part in the tournament. Internazionale were the cup holders. Napoli were the winners, thus q ...
appearance for ''La Dea''.
Juventus
On 24 August 2012,
Juventus
Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional Association football, football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football leagu ...
officially signed Gabbiadini in a new
co-ownership agreement for €5.5 million, however it involved €3.5 million cash along with the co-ownership of
James Troisi
James Troisi ( ; born 3 July 1988) is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger for Western United.
Early life
Troisi was born in Rose Park, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, to Greek parent ...
's contract, which was valued at €2 million. Troisi was a free agent just two days prior to the deal, but signed by Juventus for the sole purpose of this negotiation.
Loan to Bologna
Immediately following his transfer to the city of
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
, Gabbiadini was loaned to fellow Serie A side Bologna on a season-long loan deal. The loan deal was not confirmed until the final week of the 2012 summer transfer window, though Gabbiadini previously trained with Bologna days before the deal was officially finalized.
He enjoyed a productive year at Bologna, scoring seven goals in 31 appearances during the
2012–13 Serie A
The 2012–13 Serie A (known as the Serie A TIM for sponsorship reasons) was the 111th season of top-tier Italian football, the 81st in a round-robin tournament, and the 3rd since its organization under a league committee separate from Serie B. ...
season. On 19 June 2013, at the end of the campaign, the co-ownership agreement between Atalanta and Juventus was renewed, with the player's registration rights remaining with Juventus.
Sampdoria
On 9 July 2013,
Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria, commonly referred to as Sampdoria (), is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa.
The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, ...
acquired the 50 percent registration rights of Gabbiadini from Atalanta for €5.5 million, with Juventus retained the remaining 50 percent registration rights. Gabbiadini would spend the
2013–14 Serie A
The 2013–14 Serie A (known as the Serie A TIM for sponsorship reasons) was the 112th season of top-tier Italian football, the 82nd in a round-robin tournament, and the 4th since its organization under a league committee separate from Serie ...
for the
Liguria
Liguria (; lij, Ligûria ; french: Ligurie) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is ...
n club. In his first season with the ''Blucerchiati'', he scored ten goals, a personal best, in 35 appearances.
Napoli
In January 2015, Gabbiadini joined
Napoli
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
for a reported fee of €13 million, to be split equally between Sampdoria and Juventus, each owning 50 percent of the player at the time of the deal. (Juventus later declared that their revenue was €6.25 million). He made his debut on 11 January against former team Juventus at the
Stadio San Paolo
Stadio Diego Armando Maradona (formerly known as Stadio San Paolo) is a stadium in the western Fuorigrotta suburb of Naples, Italy. It is the third largest football stadium in Italy, after Milan's San Siro and Rome's Stadio Olimpico, as well as ...
, replacing
José Callejón
José María Callejón Bueno (; born 11 February 1987) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a forward or winger for Granada.
He began his career with the reserve teams of Real Madrid, but made a name for himself at Espanyol. In ...
for the last 17 minutes of a 3–1 defeat. His first goal for the team came on 1 February, the winner in a 2–1 victory away to
Chievo
Chievo (4,500 inhabitants) is a frazione of Verona located to the west of the city, around from the historic city centre, on the shores of the river Adige.
It is best known for its football team, A.C. ChievoVerona, which competes in the second ...
from
Ivan Strinić
Ivan Strinić (; born 17 July 1987) is a Croatian retired footballer who played as a left-back. Strinić spent his professional career playing in a number of clubs from Croatian, Ukrainian and Italian top flight, including Hajduk Split, Napoli a ...
's assist. On 19 March 2016, he scored a first-half
brace
Brace(s) or bracing may refer to:
Medical
* Orthopaedic brace, a device used to restrict or assist body movement
** Back brace, a device limiting motion of the spine
*** Milwaukee brace, a kind of back brace used in the treatment of spinal cur ...
in a 6–0 victory over
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
.
Southampton
On 31 January 2017, Gabbiadini signed a four-and-a-half year contract with
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
. The transfer fee paid was reported to be in the region of £14 million to £15 million depending on the source, although the club did not officially disclose the transfer fee. On 4 February 2017, he scored his first goal for the club on his debut in the
Premier League
The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Foo ...
in a 1–3 loss to
West Ham
West Ham is an area in East London, located east of Charing Cross in the west of the modern London Borough of Newham.
The area, which lies immediately to the north of the River Thames and east of the River Lea, was originally an ancien ...
.
He started his second game for Southampton on 11 February and scored twice inside the first 45 minutes in Southampton's 4–0 win at
Sunderland
Sunderland () is a port city in Tyne and Wear, England. It is the City of Sunderland's administrative centre and in the Historic counties of England, historic county of County of Durham, Durham. The city is from Newcastle-upon-Tyne and is on t ...
.
He scored two more goals in his next match (and had a further goal disallowed incorrectly for offside), in the
2017 EFL Cup Final on 26 February, in a 3–2 defeat by
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
to bring his goal-scoring tally to five in his first three matches for Southampton.
With his goal in the next match, a 4–3 win at
Watford
Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne.
Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...
on 4 March, Gabbiadini became the first Saints player to score in each of his first four matches for the club. His performances for Southampton throughout the February period saw him awarded the
Premier League's PFA Fans’ Player of the Month award.
Return to Sampdoria
On 11 January 2019, Gabbiadini returned to Italy and signed with former club
Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria, commonly referred to as Sampdoria (), is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa.
The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, ...
, for a reported fee of £12 million.
International career
Youth
On 17 November 2010, Gabbiadini made his debut with the
Italian under-21 squad in a friendly game against
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
. On 29 March 2011, he scored his first goal for the U21 team in a friendly game against
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. On 6 October 2011, he scored a
hat trick
A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mecha ...
in the away match won 7–2 against
Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein (), officially the Principality of Liechtenstein (german: link=no, Fürstentum Liechtenstein), is a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland. Liechtenstein is a semi-constitutional monarchy ...
. He took part at the
2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championships in Israel, scoring two goals against hosts
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
in the group stage, as Italy went on to reach the
final
Final, Finals or The Final may refer to:
*Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event
** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...
, only to lose to
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
.
Senior
On 15 August 2012, Gabbiadini made his debut with the
Italian senior team, playing in the second half of the friendly match against
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
in
Bern
german: Berner(in)french: Bernois(e) it, bernese
, neighboring_municipalities = Bremgarten bei Bern, Frauenkappelen, Ittigen, Kirchlindach, Köniz, Mühleberg, Muri bei Bern, Neuenegg, Ostermundigen, Wohlen bei Bern, Zollikofen
, website ...
, which Italy lost 2–1.
On 17 November 2015, he came off the bench to score his first international goal for Italy in the 66th minute of a 2–2 friendly home draw against
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
, in
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
, although he was forced off early after sustaining an injury.
Style of play
Regarded as one of the most promising Italian players of his generation,
Gabbiadini is a versatile, creative, well-rounded, and hardworking
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
, with an eye for goal, who is capable of playing in several offensive positions, either in the
centre
Center or centre may refer to:
Mathematics
*Center (geometry), the middle of an object
* Center (algebra), used in various contexts
** Center (group theory)
** Center (ring theory)
* Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...
as a
striker, as a
supporting forward, as an
attacking midfielder
A midfielder is an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position in association football.
Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As #Cent ...
, or as a
winger on either flank.
His preferred role is on the right, however, where he is capable of cutting into the middle and
curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take turns sliding ...
shots on goal with his stronger left foot, rather than looking to deliver crosses into the area from the touchline.
A dynamic player with good tactical awareness, he possesses pace, as well as a good positional sense and offensive movement, which allow him to play between the lines, or take advantage of openings and spaces by making attacking runs into good areas in which he can receive the ball.
He also possesses good control, quick feet, and technical skills, which, along with his strength, enable him to retain possession when playing with his back to goal and hold up the ball for teammates.
Gabbiadini is capable both of
creating
Creation may refer to:
Religion
*''Creatio ex nihilo'', the concept that matter was created by God out of nothing
*Creation myth, a religious story of the origin of the world and how people first came to inhabit it
*Creationism, the belief that ...
and scoring goals due to his intelligence, link-up play, and his powerful and accurate shot with his left foot, in particular from outside the penalty area; he is also an accurate
set-piece taker.
In spite of his height and physique, he is not particularly strong in the air.
Personal life
Gabbiadini's older sister
Melania
Melania is a feminine given name that derives from the Greek word (melania) meaning "black, dark".
People named Melania include:
* Melania the Elder (350–410), a Christian saint and an influential figure in the ascetic movement
* Melania the ...
is also a forward, who has spent most of her career with
AGSM Verona
Società Sportiva Dilettantistica Women Hellas Verona, known as Hellas Verona or simply Verona, is a women's football club based in Verona, Italy, currently playing in Serie B.
Founded in 1995, the team won the Serie A championship five times a ...
and plays internationally for the
Italy women's national football team
The Italy women's national football team () has represented Italy in international women's football since their inception in 1968. The team is controlled by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), the governing body for football in Italy.
Form ...
. He has mentioned her as a formative influence. On 17 June 2017, Gabbiadini married his long-term partner Martina Rubini in the parish church of
Sasso Marconi Sasso Marconi (Bolognese dialect, Bolognese: ) is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Bologna in northern Italy, south-southwest of Bologna.
Known as Sasso Bolognese until 1938, it is named after Guglielmo Marconi, the radio pioneer, ...
,
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
.
Career statistics
Club
International
:''Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first.''
Honours
Southampton
*
EFL Cup
The EFL Cup (referred to historically, and colloquially, as the League Cup), currently known as the Carabao Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual knockout competition and major trophy in men's domestic football in England. Organised by the ...
runner-up:
2016–17[
Individual
* Premier League PFA Fans’ Player of the Month: February 2017]
References
External links
Profile at Lega-Calcio.it
Profile at La Gazzetta dello Sport (2009–10)
FIGC National Team data
Tuttomercatoweb.com
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gabbiadini, Manolo
1991 births
Living people
Sportspeople from the Province of Bergamo
Association football forwards
Italian footballers
Italy youth international footballers
Italy under-21 international footballers
Italy international footballers
Italian expatriate footballers
Serie A players
Serie B players
Premier League players
Atalanta B.C. players
A.S. Cittadella players
U.C. Sampdoria players
Juventus F.C. players
Bologna F.C. 1909 players
S.S.C. Napoli players
Southampton F.C. players
Italian expatriate sportspeople in England
Expatriate footballers in England
People from Calcinate
Footballers from Lombardy