Francesco Caputo

Francesco "Ciccio" Caputo (born 6 August 1987) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Sassuolo and the Italy national team.

For the Italian illuminator and miniaturist painter, see Francesco Caputo (painter).
Francesco Caputo
Caputo in 2016
Personal information
Date of birth (1987-08-06) 6 August 1987
Place of birth Altamura, Italy
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Forward
Club information
Current team
 Sassuolo
Number 9
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2006 Toritto 20 (14)
2006–2007 Altamura 30 (12)
2007–2008 Noicattaro 29 (11)
2008–2015 Bari 142 (48)
2009–2010 → Salernitana (loan) 36 (6)
2010–2011 → Siena (loan) 14 (3)
2015–2017 Virtus Entella 80 (35)
2017–2019 Empoli 79 (42)
2019– Sassuolo 52 (29)
National team‡
2020– Italy 2 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:57, 6 February 2021 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 11 October 2020

Club career

Caputo started his career in the Pugliesi amateur divisions, first with Toritto and then with Real Altamura, before joining Bari in the summer of 2008. With the club, Caputo won the Serie B title during the 2008–09 season, but he was excluded from Bari's Serie A plans the following season. In mid-2009, he was loaned to Salernitana, along with his teammates Giuseppe Statella and Gianluca Galasso. The following season he was loaned out to Siena. He returned to Bari in 2011, and remained at the club for four seasons.[1]

In 2015, he joined Entella on loan with an option to buy;[2] at the end of the season, he was signed outright by the club.[3] He remained with Entella for two seasons, scoring 35 goals.[1]

On 18 August 2017, Empoli signed Caputo on a four-year contract for €2.8 million plus bonuses.[1] He helped Empoli win the Serie B title and achieve promotion to Serie A during the 2017–18 season, forming a prolific attacking partnership with Alfredo Donnarumma; together, the pair scored 49 goals, and Caputo finished as the top scorer in the league, with 26 goals, while Donnarumma finished as the second-highest scorer with 23.[4]

On 13 July 2019, Caputo signed to Sassuolo.[5]

International career

Caputo was called up to the senior Italy squad for the UEFA Nations League matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Netherlands in September 2020.[6] Caputo made his debut for the national team on 7 October 2020, in a 6–0 home win against Moldova in a friendly match, also scoring the second goal of the match.[7]

Style of play

A technically gifted forward, with an eye for goal, Caputo mainly plays as a striker, although he is capable of playing anywhere along the front line. He is mainly known in the media for his pace, work-rate, movement off the ball, and his powerful and accurate striking ability.[8][9][10]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 6 February 2021[11]
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Bari 2008–09 Serie B 271010–2810
Salernitana (loan) 2009–10 Serie B 36621–387
Bari 2010–11 Serie A 13131–162
Siena (loan) 2010–11 Serie B 14300–143
Bari 2011–12 Serie B 28931–3110
2012–13 Serie B 361710–3717
2013–14 Serie B 0000–00
2014–15 Serie B 381100–3811
Total 1424882000015050
Virtus Entella 2015–16 Serie B 401700–4017
2016–17 Serie B 401810–4118
2017–18 Serie B 0010–10
Total 80352000008235
Empoli 2017–18 Serie B 412600–4126
2018–19 Serie A 381610–3916
Total 79421000008042
Sassuolo 2019–20 Serie A 362110–3721
2020–21 Serie A 16800–168
Total 52291010005329
Career total 4031631431000418166

International
As of 11 October 2020[12]
National team YearAppsGoals
Italy 202021
Total21
Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first.[13]
No.DateVenueCapOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.7 October 2020Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence, Italy1 Moldova2–06–0Friendly

Honours

Club

Bari[12]

Empoli[12]

Individual

Performances

References
  1. "Francesco Caputo è dell´Empoli" (in Italian). www.empolicalcio.net. 18 August 2017. Archived from the original on 6 May 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  2. "COLPO IN ATTACCO: CAPUTO IN BIANCOCELESTE" (in Italian). www.entella.it. 31 August 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  3. "Virtus Entella, acquistati a titolo definitivo bomber Caputo e Pellizzer" (in Italian). picenotime.it. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
  4. Alessandro Marmugi (3 June 2018). "Una coppia da 49 gol che scala la vetta europea" (in Italian). Il Tirreno. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  5. "UFFICIALE: Sassuolo, colpo Caputo per rinforzare l'attacco" (in Italian). tuttomercatoweb.com. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  6. "Archived copy". Retrieved 6 September 2020.
  7. "Italy 6-0 Moldova: Caputo and El Sha shine for Azzurri". Football Italia. 7 October 2020.
  8. Gianluigi Longari (22 September 2017). "Caputo: non un bomber, ma un fuoriclasse di categoria" (in Italian). www.tuttomercatoweb.com. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  9. "Milan-Empoli, occhio a Caputo: è il bomber che non ti aspetti" (in Italian). Il Milanista. 22 February 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  10. D'Ottavi, Marco (4 June 2019). "Cosa ci mancherà delle retrocesse" (in Italian). Ultimo Uomo. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  11. "Francesco Caputo". Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  12. "F. Caputo". Soccerway. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  13. "Francesco Caputo". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  14. "Top Scorers Table - Lega Serie B". Lega Serie B. Retrieved 3 March 2018.


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