Cristiano Piccini

Cristiano Piccini (Italian pronunciation: [kriˈstjaːno pitˈtʃiːni]; born 26 September 1992) is an Italian professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Valencia and the Italy national team as a right back.

Cristiano Piccini
Piccini with Valencia in 2021
Personal information
Full name Cristiano Piccini
Date of birth (1992-09-26) 26 September 1992
Place of birth Florence, Italy
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s) Right back
Club information
Current team
 Valencia
Number 24
Youth career
1997–2002 Sporting Arno
2002–2011 Fiorentina
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2010–2015 Fiorentina 1 (0)
2011–2012 → Carrarese (loan) 32 (1)
2012–2013 → Spezia (loan) 30 (0)
2013–2014 → Livorno (loan) 20 (0)
2014–2015 → Betis (loan) 12 (0)
2015–2017 Betis 39 (2)
2017–2018 Sporting CP 24 (0)
2018– Valencia 25 (1)
2020–2021 → Atalanta (loan) 1 (0)
National team‡
2011 Italy U19 5 (1)
2011–2012 Italy U20 7 (0)
2013 Italy U21 1 (0)
2018– Italy 3 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 08:26, 12 December 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23 March 2019

Club career

Fiorentina

Born in Florence, Piccini joined Fiorentina's youth setup in 2002, aged ten, after starting it out at Sporting Arno. On 5 December 2010, he made his first team – and Serie A – debut, coming on as a substitute for Manuel Pasqual in a 1–0 home win against Cagliari.[2]

On 30 August 2011, Piccini was loaned to third division club Carrarese, in a season-long deal.[3] He scored his first professional goal on 4 April of the following year, netting the first in a 1–3 home loss against Virtus Lanciano.[4]

The following season, Piccini joined Spezia of Serie B on loan until the end of the season.[5] After being an undisputed starter, he was loaned to the top level's Livorno, with a buyout clause.[6]

Betis
Piccini with Betis in 2015

On 27 August 2014, Piccini moved to Spanish Segunda División side Real Betis.[7] He made his debut on 7 September, starting in a 1–4 away loss against SD Ponferradina in which he played a part in Jorge Molina's goal,[8] and made 11 more appearances as they won the title.

Piccini signed a permanent four-year deal with the Verdiblancos on 9 July 2015, with Fiorentina holding a buyback option.[9] He made his La Liga debut on 23 August, starting in a 1–1 home draw against Villarreal CF.[10]

On 8 January 2017, Piccini scored his first top-flight goal to conclude a 2–0 win over CD Leganés at the Estadio Benito Villamarín,[11] and followed it two months later to open a 1–1 draw at Deportivo de La Coruña.[12] He was also sent off twice over the course of the season, the first coming after 16 minutes of a 3–1 loss at SD Eibar for a foul on Takashi Inui.[13]

Sporting CP

On 18 May 2017, Piccini signed a five-year contract with Sporting CP.[14] He made his debut for the club on 6 August, as the Primeira Liga season began with a 2–0 away win against C.D. Aves.[15]

Piccini played four games as Sporting won the Taça da Liga. This included the final on 27 January 2018, in which he played all 120 minutes of a 1–1 draw before defeating Vitória F.C. on penalties.[16] On 31 March, he was sent off in a 1–0 loss away to S.C. Braga.[17]

Valencia

On 23 July 2018, Piccini returned to La Liga, signing for Valencia for a fee of around €10 million.[18] In his debut season, he made 37 appearances, mostly as a starter, and scored a last-minute winner in a 2–1 home win over SD Huesca on 23 December.[19] Seven of these games were in the victorious Copa del Rey run, including 18 minutes as a substitute for Kévin Gameiro in the 2–1 final win over FC Barcelona on 25 May 2019; the result was Valencia's first honour since 2008.[20]

In August 2019, just two games into the new season, Piccini suffered a fractured kneecap while in training, an injury that would leave him out of the squad until the end of year.[21] He remained sidelined for the whole season, undergoing another operation in May 2020.[22]

Loan to Atalanta

On 9 September 2020, Piccini joined Italian Serie A club Atalanta on loan with an option to buy.[23] The recovery from his kneecap injury delayed his debut until 21 November, when he played in a 0–0 away draw to Spezia. This turned out to be his only appearance for the Bergamo side, as Valencia reached an agreement for his early return in January 2021.[24]

International career

Piccini was given his first senior call-up for Italy in October 2018 by manager Roberto Mancini, following injuries to several players in the team.[25] He made his senior debut for the national team on 10 October, coming on as an 84th-minute substitute for Alessandro Florenzi in a 1–1 friendly draw against Ukraine in Genoa.[26]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 12 December 2020[27]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Fiorentina 2010–11 Serie A 1000——10
Carrarese (loan) 2011–12 Lega Pro Prima Divisione 32100——321
Spezia (loan) 2012–13 Serie B 30000——300
Livorno (loan) 2013–14 Serie A 20010——210
Real Betis (loan) 2014–15 Segunda División 12030——150
Real Betis 2015–16 La Liga 16020——180
2016–17 23221——253
Total 39241——433
Sporting CP 2017–18 Primeira Liga 240204010[lower-alpha 1]0400
Valencia 2018–19 La Liga 23160—8[lower-alpha 2]0371
2019–20 2000——20
2020–21 0000——00
Total 25160——431
Atalanta (loan) 2020–21 Serie A 1000——10
Career total 1844161401802225
  1. Appearances in the Champions League
  2. Three appearances in the Champions League and five in Europa League

International
As of match played 23 March 2019[28]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Italy 201820
201910
Total30

Honours

Club

Sporting CP

Valencia

References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2 June 2018. Retrieved 2 June 2018.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. "Fiorentina 1–0 Cagliari" (in Italian). Lega Serie A. 5 December 2010. Archived from the original on 9 January 2011. Retrieved 15 January 2011.
  3. "Ufficiale, Piccini e Rosaia in prestito alla Carrarese" [Official, Piccini and Rosaia on loan to Carrarese] (in Italian). Firenze Viola. 30 August 2011. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  4. "Carrarese–Lanciano 1–3: Pavoletti stende i toscani" [Carrarese–Lanciano 1–3: Pavoletti extends Tuscans run] (in Italian). TuttoSport 24 Ore. 4 April 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  5. "Ufficiale, Spezia: dalla Fiorentina arriva in prestito Piccini" [Official, Spezia: from Fiorentina arrives on loan Piccini] (in Italian). Calcio News 24. 4 July 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  6. "Livorno, presi Bardi, Benassi e Piccini" [Livorno, takes Bardi, Benassi and Piccini] (in Italian). Tuttosport. 9 July 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2015.
  7. "Piccini, un refuerzo llegado de Italia" [Piccini, an addition arriving from Italy] (in Spanish). Betis' official website. 27 August 2014. Archived from the original on 31 August 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2014.
  8. "Chaparrón en El Toralín" [Showers in El Toralín]. Estadio Deportivo (in Spanish). 7 September 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  9. "El Betis hace oficial el fichaje del lateral italiano Cristiano Piccini" [Betis turns official the signing of Italian full back Cristiano Piccini] (in Spanish). Marca. 9 July 2015. Retrieved 9 July 2015.
  10. "Rubén Castro llega justo a tiempo" [Rubén Castro arrives just in time] (in Spanish). Marca. 24 August 2015. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
  11. "El Betis descorcha a un Leganés sin gas" [Betis uncork a flat Leganés]. Marca (in Spanish). 8 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  12. "Un punto de polémica" [A controversial point]. Marca (in Spanish). 8 March 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  13. "La expulsión de Piccini hunde al Betis" [Piccini's expulsion sinks Betis]. ABC (in Spanish). 25 December 2016. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  14. "Cristiano Piccini assina pelo Sporting CP" [Cristiano Piccini signs for Sporting CP] (in Portuguese). Sporting CP. 18 May 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  15. "Gelson bisa na estreia vitoriosa do Sporting no Campeonato Português" [Gelson scores a brace in Sporting's victorious start to the Portuguese Championship] (in Portuguese). SAPO. 6 August 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2018.
  16. "Vitória de Setúbal - Sporting, Final da Taça da Liga" (in Portuguese). Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. 27 January 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  17. "Resumo – SC Braga vence Sporting e luta pelo terceiro lugar fica ao rubro" [Summary – SC Braga beat Sporting and fight for third place is red hot]. O Minho (in Portuguese). 31 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  18. Iacobellis, Giacomo (23 July 2018). "UFFICIALE: Valencia, preso Cristiano Piccini dallo Sporting CP" [OFFICIAL: Valencia, signed Cristiano Piccini from Sporting CP] (in Italian). Tutto Mercato Web. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  19. "Piccini's last-minute goal secures Valencia's 2-1 win over Huesca in La Liga". EFE. 23 December 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  20. Law, Matt (25 May 2019). "Result: Valencia beat Barcelona to land Copa del Rey title". Sports Mole. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  21. "Italia, Piccini dà forfait: frattura alla rotula" [Italy, Piccini withdraws: fractured kneecap]. Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). 28 August 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2020.
  22. "Piccini vuelve a ser operado de la rodilla" [Piccini will have a knee operation again] (in Spanish). Levante EMV. 18 May 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  23. "UFFICIALE: Atalanta, Piccini nuovo rinforzo per Gasperini. Arriva in prestito".
  24. "Official statement Cristiano Piccini". Valencia CF. 23 January 2021. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  25. "Uncapped Tonelli and Piccini called up by Italy after trio drop out". FourFourTwo. 8 October 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  26. "Piccini: 'Italy dream come true'". Football Italia. 10 October 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  27. Cristiano Piccini at Soccerway. Retrieved 21 July 2018.
  28. "Piccini, Cristiano" (in Italian). FIGC. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
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