Mirko Valdifiori (; born 21 April 1986) 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 ...
who plays as a
midfielder
A midfielder is an 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 central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
.
A
Cesena
Cesena (; rgn, Cisêna) is a city and ''comune'' in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, served by Autostrada A14 (Italy), Autostrada A14, and located near the Apennine Mountains, about from the Adriatic Sea. The total population is 97,137. ...
youth-product, he began his career with the senior side in 2004, but was sent on loan to Serie C sides
Pavia
Pavia (, , , ; la, Ticinum; Medieval Latin: ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy in northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was the capit ...
and
Legnano, before moving to
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
Empoli
Empoli () is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Florence, Tuscany, Italy, about southwest of Florence, to the south of the Arno in a plain formed by the river. The plain has been usable for agriculture since Roman times. The comm ...
in 2008. With Empoli, he became the sixth most capped player in the team's history and helped the team achieve
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 ...
promotion in 2014. He made his debut in the Italian top division the following season, and his performances throughout the year earned him a transfer to Napoli in 2015. Following a successful first season in Serie A with Empoli, he also earned his first international call-up in 2015, making his
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
debut the same year.
Club career
Cesena
Born in
Russi,
Ravenna
Ravenna ( , , also ; rgn, Ravèna) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 408 until its collapse in 476. It then served as the cap ...
, Valdifiori started his professional career at Italian club
Cesena
Cesena (; rgn, Cisêna) is a city and ''comune'' in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, served by Autostrada A14 (Italy), Autostrada A14, and located near the Apennine Mountains, about from the Adriatic Sea. The total population is 97,137. ...
. A former member of the club's youth system, his debut for the Cesena senior side came on 14 May 2005, in a 3–3 away from home draw with
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...
, during the
2004–05 Serie B season. He made one further appearance that season, in the last round. The following season, the 2005–06 season, the youngster made just one appearance, coming off the bench. In order to gain more playing time, he went out on loan to
Pavia
Pavia (, , , ; la, Ticinum; Medieval Latin: ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy in northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was the capit ...
for the 2006–07 season, where he made 24
Serie C1
Lega Pro Prima Divisione was the third highest football (soccer), football league in Italy. It consisted of 33 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 16 and 17 teams for group A and B respectively. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1 ...
appearances that season. The following season he went out on loan once more, this time to
Legnano, who were then in Serie C1, and made 17 appearances for the side that season. The
2007–08 Serie B season also saw the relegation of Cesena to the Lega Pro Prima Divisione (formerly the Serie C1).
Empoli
In June 2008, Cesena sold Valdifiori to
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 ...
team
Empoli
Empoli () is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Florence, Tuscany, Italy, about southwest of Florence, to the south of the Arno in a plain formed by the river. The plain has been usable for agriculture since Roman times. The comm ...
in a
co-ownership deal for €520,000. The defensive midfielder immediately became an important part of the first team at Empoli, playing 32 games during the 2008–09 season, as Empoli achieved a Serie B playoff spot for promotion, but unfortunately lost out to
Brescia
Brescia (, locally ; lmo, link=no, label= Lombard, Brèsa ; lat, Brixia; vec, Bressa) is a city and ''comune'' in the region of Lombardy, Northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Garda and Iseo ...
over two legs. In June 2009 Empoli signed Valdifiori outright for another €800,000.
The
2009–10 Serie B season was similarly strong for Valdifiori, who made 36 appearances and even managed his first professional goal - the 2nd in a 2–0 win over his former side Cesena.
In the
2010–11 Serie B season, Valdifiori remained a vital part of the Empoli set up, appearing in 38 matches, including his 100th for Empoli which came against
Novara
Novara (, Novarese: ) is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants (on 1 January 2021), it is the second most populous city in Piedmont after Turin. It i ...
on the 8 April 2011. He also scored a career high two goals that season, with both of his strikes earning draws for his side.
In the
2011–12 Serie B season, the midfield maestro sat out for a long period of time, missing rounds 21–36 of the Serie B season due to injury. Empoli finished in the relegation playoff zone this season, but fortunately managed an aggregate 3–2 win over
Vicenza
Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan.
Vicenza is a thr ...
to remain in Serie B the following season.
Empoli had a successful
2012–13 Serie B season, surprising everyone by managing to turn around their form from the previous season, thanks to the presence of a healthy Valdifiori, whose presence throughout the season was vital to the team's performances. The holding midfielder made 42 appearances, scoring 1 goal and providing 6 assists. Empoli finished in the playoff spots and beat Novara in the first playoff round, but lost to
Livorno
Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 158,493 residents in December 2017. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn (pronou ...
in the following stage of the playoff, falling one step short of promotion to Serie A.
Empoli finally achieved Serie A promotion during the
2013–14 Serie B season, which saw Valdifiori play a key part in the team's success, as he managed 8 assists in 40 appearances that season.
In the
2014–15 Serie A season, Valdifiori finally 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 a 2–0 loss to
Udinese
Udinese Calcio, commonly referred to as Udinese, is a professional Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, that currently plays in Serie A. It was founded on 30 November 1896 as a sports club, and on 5 July 1911 as a ...
on the first match-day of the season. In the club's fourth-Round fixture against
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan (), commonly referred to as AC Milan or simply Milan, is a professional Association football, football club in Milan, Italy, founded in 1899. The club has spent its entire history, with the exception of the 1980–81 ...
, he was sent off after receiving two consecutive
yellow cards
Yellow card may refer to:
* Yellow card (sport), shown in many sports after a rules infraction or, by analogy, a serious warning in other areas
* Yellowcard, an American alternative rock band
* Yellow Card Scheme, a United Kingdom initiative conce ...
in the 85th and 86th minute. In his Round 6 return against
Palermo
Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
, he assisted twice to help his side to a 3–0 win over Palermo, their first Serie A win that season. He
captained Empoli for the first time in Round 19, in a 0–0 draw against
Internazionale
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Inter is t ...
.
Napoli
After having a very successful first season in the Italian top flight with Empoli, which saw him earn his first call up for the
Italian national team
The Italy national football team ( it, Nazionale di calcio dell'Italia) has represented Italy in international football since its first match in 1910. The national team is controlled by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), the governing bo ...
by manager
Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte (; born 31 July 1969) is an Italian professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.
Playing as a midfielder, Conte began his career at local club Lecce and later ...
, Valdifiori officially 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 ...
on 20 June 2015 for a reported fee of €5.5 million, where he was reunited with his former Empoli coach
Maurizio Sarri
Maurizio Sarri (; born 10 January 1959) is an Italian professional football manager who is the current manager of club Lazio.
Sarri did not play football professionally, taking part as an amateur centre back and coach while working as a banker. ...
, also becoming the manager's very first signing at the new club. Valdifiori signed a four-year contract which will earn him €900,000 a season.
Torino
On 31 August 2016, after having played as a starter for Napoli in the first round of the season, he was purchased outright by
Torino
Turin ( , 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 from 1861 to 1865. T ...
.
SPAL
On 16 August 2018, Valdifiori signed with
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 ...
side
SPAL
Società Polisportiva Ars et Labor, commonly known as S.P.A.L. (), is a professional football club based in Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. The team plays in Serie B, the second tier of the Italian football league system.
Founded in 1907, sinc ...
.
Pescara
On 8 September 2020, Valdifiori signed with
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 ...
club
Pescara
Pescara (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Pescàrë; nap, label= Pescarese, Piscàrë) is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is the most populated city in Abruzzo, with 119,217 (2018) residents (and approxim ...
. On 14 January 2022, his contract with Pescara was terminated by mutual consent.
International career
In March 2015, Valdifiori was called up by coach
Antonio Conte
Antonio Conte (; born 31 July 1969) is an Italian professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur.
Playing as a midfielder, Conte began his career at local club Lecce and later ...
to the
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
squad for the first time, for a
Euro 2016 qualifier against
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedon ...
, and a friendly 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 ...
. On 31 March 2015 he made his debut in the latter match against England, starting the 1–1 draw at the
Juventus Stadium
Juventus Stadium, known for sponsorship reasons as the Allianz Stadium since July 2017, sometimes simply known in Italy as the Stadium ( it, Lo Stadium), is an all-seater football stadium in the Vallette borough of Turin, Italy, and the home o ...
in
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 ...
, and making way for
Marco Verratti
Marco Verratti (; born 5 November 1992) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Italy national team. He is often considered as one of the best midfielders in the wor ...
after 67 minutes.
Style of play
A creative, right-footed
central midfielder
A midfielder is an 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 central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
with good vision, Valdifiori's preferred role is as a
deep-lying playmaker
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 ...
in front of the
defence
Defense or defence may refer to:
Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups
* Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare
* Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks
* Defense indus ...
, where he is able to utilise his passing ability to set the tempo of his team's play, and create scoring opportunities for team-mates. Although he is not known for scoring goals, he is an accurate set-piece taker, renowned for his ball delivery from free-kicks. His style of play is inspired by
Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo (; born 19 May 1979) is an Italian professional football coach and former player who is head coach of Süper Lig club Fatih Karagümrük. Considered one of the best deep-lying playmakers ever, Pirlo was renowned for his visio ...
.
Career statistics
Club
International
References
External links
Football.it Profile
*
*
La Gazzetta dello Sport Profile
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valdifiori, Mirko
1986 births
Living people
Italian footballers
Italy international footballers
Serie A players
Serie B players
Serie C players
A.C. Cesena players
F.C. Pavia players
A.C. Legnano players
Empoli F.C. players
S.S.C. Napoli players
Torino F.C. players
S.P.A.L. players
Delfino Pescara 1936 players
Association football midfielders
Sportspeople from the Province of Ravenna
Footballers from Emilia-Romagna