Nikita Contini

Nikita Baranovsky Contini (Ukrainian: Нікі́та Конті́ні-Барано́вський; born 21 May 1996) is a Ukrainian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Italian Serie A club Napoli.[2]

Nikita Contini
Personal information
Full name Nikita Baranovsky Contini
Date of birth (1996-05-21) 21 May 1996
Place of birth Cherkasy, Ukraine
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
 Napoli
Number 14
Youth career
Atletico Giugliano
2008–2015 Napoli
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014– Napoli 0 (0)
2015–2016 → SPAL (loan) 8 (0)
2016–2017 → Carrarese (loan) 2 (0)
2017 → Taranto (loan) 5 (0)
2017–2018 → Pontedera (loan) 36 (0)
2018–2019 → Siena (loan) 37 (0)
2019–2020 → Virtus Entella (loan) 32 (0)
2021–2022 → Crotone (loan) 7 (0)
2022 → Vicenza (loan) 14 (0)
2022–2023 → Sampdoria (loan) 0 (0)
2023 → Reggina (loan) 8 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 May 2023

Club career

Youth career

Contini was born in Cherkasy, Ukraine to an Italian father originally from Naples, Italy and a Ukrainian mother. When Contini was three years old, he moved with his family to Giugliano in Campania, Italy.[3][4] He started his football career at the age of five at Atletico Giugliano, a club his father was part of as a youth coach a young age who was a youth coach of Atletico Giugliano; he often ended up playing in teams with older boys as he moved up their youth ranks.[5]

In 2007, Napoli played Atletico Giugliano in a friendly and Contini stood out with his performance and impressed then Napoli youth goalkeeping coach Luciano Tarallo. Later that year, he went on trial with Napoli and in 2008 he joined their youth system; in his first season at Napoli, he provided good performances and won the best goalkeeper award in the "Niccolò Galli" youth tournament in Florence and the "Cairo Montenotte" tournament in Savona, Italy. However, a serious knee injury (meniscus tear) following a clash with teammate Gennaro Tutino forced him to miss the remainder of the season.[6]

After recovering from his injury, he made a full comeback with the youth team and took part at the renowned "Beppe Viola-Arco di Trento" youth tournament, where Contini played all the games and Napoli reached the final, then lost to Inter Milan; Contini went on to win the award for best goalkeeper of the tournament.

On 3 April 2013, Contini made his debut for the Primavera Under-19 team in a match against Lanciano, as a substitute, and immediately saved a penalty on his first game. In the 2013–14 season, Contini was also featured in the UEFA Youth League.[2]

Napoli

His performances with the youth ranks did not go unnoticed, as Contini was called up by Xavi Valero, then goalkeeping coach of Napoli, to join the first team, being called up on many occasions during the 2014–15 season under Rafa Benitez.

Loan to SPAL

In July 2015, Contini moved to Spal on loan until the end of the 2015–16 season, in order to gain first team experience in the Italian thirrd division.[7]

Loan to Virtus Entella

On 23 July 2019, he joined newly promoted Serie B club Virtus Entella on loan.[8] He started Entella's season opener on 23 August 2019 against Livorno, making his debut in the second tier of Italian football.[9]

Loans to Crotone and Vicenza

On 19 August 2021, he joined newly promoted Serie B club Crotone on loan.[10] On 31 January 2022, he moved on loan to Vicenza.[11]

Loan to Sampdoria

On 11 August 2022, Contini moved to Sampdoria on a season-long loan.[12]

Loan to Reggina

On 13 January 2023, Contini joined Reggina on loan.[13]

References
  1. "Nikita Contini". U.C. Sampdoria. Archived from the original on 2 September 2022. Retrieved 2 September 2022.
  2. http://www.canalenapoli.it/news-napoli/talent-scout-nikita-contini-il-gigante-italo-ucraino-sulle-orme-di-taglialatela-140101
  3. "Nikita Contini Napoli, alla scoperta del n°1 del futuro". 25 June 2013.
  4. "La porta del Napoli la difende Nikita Baranovsky Contini". www.italianipiu.it. Archived from the original on 21 January 2014.
  5. "Calcio: Notizie, risultati in tempo reale, classifiche live e Calciomercato".
  6. "Contini nella calza ha trovato il San Paolo. Dallo scontro con Tutino alla panchina di Benitez..." 5 January 2014.
  7. "Alfredo Pedullà - Ufficiale: Nikita Contini alla Spal, tutto confermato. Ecco la foto - Alfredo Pedulla' Sito Ufficiale". www.alfredopedulla.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016.
  8. "Ufficiale, Contini è un nuovo giocatore dell'Entella" (in Italian). Virtus Entella. 23 July 2019.
  9. "Virtus Entella v Livorno game report". Soccerway. 23 August 2019.
  10. "Saracinesca Contini per la porta. Benvenuto Nikita!" (in Italian). Crotone. 19 August 2021.
  11. "Ufficiale: Nikita Contini in biancorosso!" (Press release) (in Italian). Vicenza. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  12. "Contini joins Samp on loan from Napoli". Sampdoria. 11 August 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2022.
  13. "NIKITA CONTINI È UN CALCIATORE AMARANTO" (in Italian). Reggina. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
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