Andrea Conti (footballer, born 1994)

Andrea Conti (Italian pronunciation: [anˈdrɛːa ˈkonti]; born 2 March 1994) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a right-back for Serie A club Parma, on loan from Milan, and the Italy national team.

Andrea Conti
Conti in 2016
Personal information
Full name Andrea Conti
Date of birth (1994-03-02) 2 March 1994
Place of birth Lecco, Italy
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Right-back
Club information
Current team
 Parma
(on loan from Milan)
Number 5
Youth career
2003–2013[1] Atalanta
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2013–2017 Atalanta 47 (10)
2013–2014 → Perugia (loan) 17 (0)
2014–2015 → Lanciano (loan) 24 (0)
2017– Milan 40 (0)
2021– → Parma (loan) 2 (0)
National team‡
2010–2011 Italy U17 9 (0)
2011 Italy U18 1 (0)
2014 Italy U20 3 (0)
2015–2017 Italy U21 17 (1)
2017– Italy 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:55, 31 January 2021 (UTC).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 5 September 2017

Club career

Atalanta

Conti was born and raised in Lecco, Lombardy. In 2002, he had a successful trial at A.C. Milan yet refused to join the team due to his dislike of the club's youth training center in Linate area of the city, as well as its far-from-home location. He also had an offer from the club's cross-city rivals, Inter Milan, yet eventually joined Atalanta's youth academy where he would play together with Mattia Caldara and Roberto Gagliardini for over a decade.[2]

In July 2013, Conti was loaned to Lega Pro side Perugia.[3] He made his professional debut on 4 August 2013, starting in a 0–1 Coppa Italia home loss against Savona. His first league appearance occurred later that month, a 2–2 away draw against Nocerina. Conti made 16 league appearances, helping his team achieve promotion to Serie B.

On 10 July 2014, Conti moved to a fellow second-tier team Virtus Lanciano, in a season-long loan deal.[4] Conti made 24 league appearances while his team finished 14th out of 22. In the summer of 2015, he returned to Atalanta and was included in the first team squad for the upcoming Serie A season.

On 30 September 2015, Conti signed a new contract with Atalanta until July 2019.[5] He made his debut for the club on 2 December, in a 1–3 loss against Udinese in Coppa Italia. Conti made his debut in Serie A on 6 January 2016, in a 1–2 loss against the same opponent.[6] His first goal in the competition occurred on 3 February, in a 2–1 win against Verona.[7]

Conti managed to score 8 goals in 33 appearances during the 2016–17 Serie A season, setting a personal record for scoring. His main playing position was a right wing-back in a 3–4–3 formation.[8]

Milan

On 7 July 2017, Conti joined Milan in exchange for a reported fee of €24 million, plus Matteo Pessina.[9] He made his debut for the club on 27 July 2017, replacing Ignazio Abate as a second-half substitute in the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League qualification away game against CS U Craiova.[10] He made his league debut in the 3–0 away win against Crotone on 20 August 2017.[11]

On 15 September 2017, during A.C. Milan's training session, Conti suffered an injury to his left anterior cruciate ligament. Having undergone knee surgery, he was in recovery until March 2018. However, shortly after resuming training and playing a few matches with the reserves, Conti suffered a recurring ACL injury that sidelined him for the rest of the year.[12][13]

On 22 December 2018, Conti made his highly anticipated return to the pitch, coming on as a substitute for Ignazio Abate eleven minutes before the final whistle in a 0–1 home Serie A defeat against Fiorentina.[14] Before the end of the season, he appeared in 14 more games (mostly as a substitute) and made 3 assists.

Despite the two unsuccessful seasons in Milan, Conti declined transfer offers from Parma and Werder Bremen during the summer of 2019, opting to stay at the club and work with its new head coach Marco Giampaolo, under whom he made just two appearances before Stefano Pioli took over the managerial duties in October 2019.[15] Since Pioli's appointment, Conti began to play consistently as a starting right back until yet another knee injury sustained on 21 July 2020 in the away Serie A game against Sassuolo.[16][17] On 29 October 2020, Conti returned to the pitch as a substitute in the home Europa League game against Sparta Prague and in the reverse fixture on 10 December 2020 returned to the starting line up for the first time since his summer injury; as several senior players were given a rest, Conti served as the team's captain for the first time in his A.C. Milan career.[18]

Parma

On 21 January 2021, Conti joined Parma on a six-month loan deal containing an obligatory purchase clause.[19]

International career

On 12 August 2015, Conti made his debut with the Italy U21 team, in a friendly match against Hungary.

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.[20] Italy were eliminated by Spain in the semi-finals on 27 June, following a 3–1 defeat, although Conti did not appear during the match.[21][22]

In August 2017, he was called up to the senior squad by Gian Piero Ventura 2018 World Cup qualification match against Spain on 2 September and, on 5 September against Israel.[23] He made his senior international debut in Italy's 1–0 home win over Israel, but was forced off early due to injury and replaced by Davide Zappacosta.[24]

Style of play

Conti can play as a right-back or a right wing-back, although he is more comfortable in the latter position. Gifted with a great pace, he thrives going forward and making overlapping runs. He excels at staying wide and crossing but also has a knack for getting into the box and scoring himself. His great stamina allows him to make attacking runs and rapidly get back into defense when needed.[25]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 31 January 2021[26]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Perugia (loan) 2013–14 Lega Pro 16010——170
Virtus Lanciano (loan) 2014–15 Serie B 24010——250
Atalanta 2015–16 Serie A 14210——152
2016–17 33820——358
Total 471030——5010
Milan 2017–18 Serie A 200030—50
2018–19 120200010150
2019–20 23030——260
2020–21 300020—50
Total 400505010510
Parma 2020–21 Serie A 2000——20
Career total 12910100501014510

    International
    As of 5 September 2017[27]
    Appearances and goals by national team and year
    National teamYearAppsGoals
    Italy 201710
    Total10

    References
    1. "Accordo Di Collaborazione Sportiva" (JPG). Gianlucadimarzio.com. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
    2. "Gianluca Di Marzio :: Lo sgambetto alla compagna di classe, gli scherzi con Grassi e la dedizione al sacrificio. "Calciava contro al muro e poi diceva: 'Tanto pitturi tu…'": viaggio nel 'Mondo di Conti'". Gianlucadimarzio.com. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
    3. "UFFICIALE: Conti in prestito al Perugia". Tuttoatalanta.com. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
    4. "News - SS Virtus Lanciano 1924". Virtuslanciano.it. 10 July 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
    5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
    6. "Esordio in serie A per il terzino lecchese Andrea Conti". Resegoneonline.it.
    7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 9 February 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
    8. "Giocatore - ANDREA CONTI - Lega Serie A". Legaseriea.it.
    9. "AC Milan complete €24m Conti signing". Goal.com.
    10. "Newcomers Ricardo Rodriguez, Franck Kessie lift Milan past FC U Craiova". ESPN. 27 July 2017. Retrieved 28 July 2017.
    11. "Crotone 0 AC Milan 3: Cutrone and Suso star in sizzling start". FourFourTwo. 20 August 2017. Retrieved 21 August 2017.
    12. "ANDREA CONTI: MEDICAL UPDATE". acmilan.com.
    13. https://sport.sky.it/calcio/serie-a/2018/04/05/milan-conti-operazione-ginocchio-villa-stuart.html
    14. http://www.legaseriea.it/it/serie-a/match-report/2018-19/UNICO/UNI/17/MILFIO
    15. https://www.football-italia.net/142315/report-conti-makes-milan-decision
    16. https://www.acmilan.com/en/news/articles/media/2020-07-31/official-statement-andrea-conti
    17. https://sempremilan.com/official-milan-defender-andrea-conti-undergoes-surgery-on-knee-injury
    18. https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/2029840--sparta-praha-vs-milan
    19. "Andrea Conti joins Parma". Parma Calcio 1913. 21 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
    20. "U21: Italy squad for Euros named". Football Italia. 7 July 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
    21. 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.
    22. "Spain U21 3-1 Italy U21". BBC Sport. 27 June 2017. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
    23. "Italia, ecco i convocati di Ventura per la Spagna: c'è Pellegrini".
    24. "Immobile squeezes past Israel". Football Italia. 5 September 2017. Retrieved 5 September 2017.
    25. "Scout Report, Andrea Conti: AC Milan's next target in the transfer market". Sportskeeda. 4 July 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
    26. http://www.legaseriea.it/en/players/andrea-conti/TNQXB
    27. "Andra Conti". Soccerway. Retrieved 14 July 2017.
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