Davide Faraoni

Born in Bracciano, in the Province of Rome, Lazio region, Faraoni started his career at Rome-based club S.S. Lazio, which he could play right or centre-back.[1][2] He missed a few months in 2009–10 season due to right leg anterior cruciate ligament injury.[3] Faraoni had played for Lazio's Giovanissimi regionali team[4] to Primavera team.[2]

On 1 July 2010, he was signed by Internazionale on a four-year contract[5] on a reported free transfer.[6] He was a member of Inter's Primavera under-20 team in 2010–11 season (de facto U-19 team as the team had a handful players born 1991: Faraoni, Alibec and Carlsen). With the team, he also won 2011 Torneo di Viareggio.[7] He played various positions for the team, from right-back, left-back[8] to right wing-forward.[7] Under new coach Leonardo, he was named in the first team squad several times[9][10][11][12][13][14] but never made his first team debut in 2010–11 season.

Faraoni did not play in the reserve league playoff round, as coach Fulvio Pea and the technical team chose to rest Faraoni and Alibec, two of the three senior players of the reserve.

Faraoni graduated from the youth team in 2011. Under new coach Gian Piero Gasperini, he played in pre-season friendlies, usually as a midfielder (wing-back) in 3–4–3 formation.[15][16][17][18][19] and made his competitive debut in 2011 Supercoppa Italiana in Beijing. That match Gasperini used his symbolic 3-5-2 formation in the first half but changed to 4–4–1–1 in the second;[20] Faraoni substituted midfielder Ricardo Álvarez in the 63rd minute, as a left-midfielder.[20] He made his Serie A debut 3 months later, under new coach Claudio Ranieri, replacing Jonathan at the last minutes. That match Inter won Cagliari 2–1. He was the only backup right-back of the team in UCL matchday 5 as Maicon had not yet recovered. He made his European debut in that match, replacing Ricky Álvarez on 22 November 2011, a 1–1 draw with Trabzonspor.

Faraoni played five out of possible six matches for Inter in December, all as right midfielder. The first match was his first start in professional career, losing to Udinese 0–1 on 3 December. In the next game, Faraoni played his first European start, losing to CSKA, but Inter already qualified as group winner before that match.[21] He then played 3 out of 4 successive league matches, as midfielder, which Inter won all 4 matches and climbed from bottom half to 5th before the winter break. Faraoni was highly rated[22][23][24] in the first match (v. Fiorentina) but he was substituted at half time in the second (v. Genoa, by Álvarez, who made a winning assist) and third one (v. Lecce, by Cambiasso). In those 4 league appearances, Zanetti moved from right midfielder to right-back twice (Udinese & Genoa, Maicon was injured/rested), suspended (v. Fiorentina), and as central midfielder (v. Lecce, Cambiasso on the bench) respectively; while his right wing-back competitor Nagatomo was as left-back to replace injured Chivu in latter 3 match. He missed the match against Cesena on 18 December as Zanetti and Maicon restored to their usual position.

Despite being returned to a 'backup' role on 7 January 2012 against Parma, Faraoni came on as a substitute and scored his first ever Serie A goal, in the 77th minute. He hit a stunning volley from the edge of the area which lobbed the Parma goalkeeper and crowned a 5–0 win. On 12 January 2012, Inter announced that Faraoni had signed a new 4+1⁄2-year contract.[25] A week later, Faraoni made his Italian cup debut in a 2–1 win over Genoa.[26]

Faraoni returned to starting XI on 17 February, played three successive Serie A match. Since late January Inter suffered from injury crisis (e.g., Alvarez, Maicon and then Chivu again), poor form and the departure of main player (Thiago Motta) and did not won any game with only two draw. The coach had changed the formation occasionally to fit recovered Wesley Sneijder but no improvement. Faraoni had played as a right wing forward in 4–2–3–1 formation against Bologna (as coach had a handful choice of winger since injury of Alvarez) and then starting right-back (due to injury of Maicon and Chivu, Nagatomo had to play left-back) for the first time in the 4–3–1–2 formation against Napoli. In the third match saw the return of 4–4–2 formation with Faraoni as right midfielder. However Faraoni was substituted by Sneijder at half time after finished the first half in 0–2 against Catania. Eventually Inter 2–2 draw with Catania, a point since January.

After the appointment of Andrea Stramaccioni, Faraoni was left out from the starting XI completely.

On 9 July 2012, Udinese Calcio claimed half of the registration rights of Faraoni due to them being transferred as part of the deal that saw 50% rights of Samir Handanovič go the other way.[27][28] Faraoni made his debut on 25 August 2012, in the match against Fiorentina. On 19 June 2013, Udinese redeemed the other half of Faraoni for an undisclosed fee, selling the remaining 50% registration rights of Handanovič to Inter in the same formula.[29][30]

On 6 July 2013, Faraoni's agent confirmed to Sky Sports that he would be joining Watford on a five-year deal. Watford was owned by Gino Pozzo, son of Udinese owner Giampaolo Pozzo.

In Faraoni's first season he was given the number 19. He made his Watford debut away to Birmingham City on 3 August 2013. Faraoni scored his first Watford goal away to Reading on 17 August 2013, heading home a corner in the second half. He scored his first cup goal against Norwich in a 3–2 loss. After one season and 43 appearances for Watford (38 in the league), Faraoni announced on Twitter he would be heading back to Italy in July 2014.

After one season with Watford, Faraoni re-signed for Udinese in July 2014. On 3 September 2015 Faraoni was signed by Novara Calcio in a temporary deal.[31]

Faraoni once again returned to Udinese in summer 2016. On 10 March 2017 he had an operation on his left knee (removal of an intra–articular fragment), at Villa Stuart,[32] the same clinic he had an operation on his right knee in 2009.

Faraoni canceled his contract with Udinese on 8 July 2017.[33] On the next day, Faraoni signed a three-year contract with fellow Serie A club Crotone.[34]

On 14 January 2019, Faraoni joined on loan to Hellas Verona with an obligation to buy.[35]