Samuele Ricci

Samuele Ricci (born 21 August 2001) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as central or defensive midfielder for Serie A club Torino and the Italy national team.

Samuele Ricci
Ricci with Torino in 2023
Personal information
Date of birth (2001-08-21) 21 August 2001
Place of birth Pontedera, Italy
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Central midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Torino
Number 28
Youth career
Empoli
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2022 Empoli 83 (3)
2022 → Torino (loan) 12 (0)
2022– Torino 29 (2)
International career‡
2017–2018 Italy U17 12 (3)
2018–2019 Italy U18 6 (1)
2019–2020 Italy U19 11 (0)
2020–2023 Italy U21 17 (1)
2022– Italy 2 (0)
Medal record
Representing  Italy
UEFA European Under-17 Championship
Runner-upEngland 2018U-17 Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:17, 3 June 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 28 June 2023

Club career

Empoli

Ricci came through the Empoli youth teams and started playing for their under-19 squad in the 2018–19 season.[1] He was called up to the senior squad for the first time in April 2019, but remained on the bench on that occasion. He made his professional debut for Empoli on 21 September 2019, at the age of 18, replacing Leo Štulac in a 1–0 win against Cittadella.[2] On 3 December, he made his debut in the Coppa Italia, in the 4th round round lost 1–0 against Cremonese. Having become a starter, he ended the season with 30 total appearances.

The following season, the coach Alessio Dionisi mainly used him as a mezzala. On 18 January 2021, he scored his first goal as a professional in the 5–0 victory against Salernitana. Empoli finished the season in first place in the league standing and were promoted to Serie A, with Ricci winning the Manlio Scopigno award as the best player of the season.[3]

On 21 August 2021, on his 20th birthday, Ricci made his Serie A debut in the 3–1 home loss against Lazio. The following 26 September, he scored his first goal in Serie A, in the match won 4–2 against Bologna.

Torino

On 30 January 2022, Ricci was loaned to Torino with a conditional obligation to purchase.[4] He made his debut for Torino under Ivan Juric on 27 February of that same year in a 1–2 defeat against Cagliari. He finished the season with 12 appearances for Torino and was purchased outright by the club.

On 28 January 2023 he scored his first goal for Torino, in a 2–2 draw away against former club Empoli.[5]

International career

Ricci was first called up to the Italy under-17 team in December 2017 for a friendly against France.[6]

Ricci was included in the 2018 UEFA European Under-17 Championship squad and played in five out of six games, including four as a starter. He started the final game and scored Italy's first goal in a 2–2 draw, but was substituted before Italy lost to the Netherlands in a penalty shoot-out and finished as runners-up.

At the 2019 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, Ricci started all three games as Italy was eliminated in the group stage.

On 13 October 2020, Ricci made his debut with the Italy under-21 team, playing as a starter in a 2–0 qualifying match victory against the Republic of Ireland in Pisa.

Ricci was selected in the senior Italy squad for the 2022 Finalissima against Argentina on 1 June 2022, and for 2022–23 UEFA Nations League group stage matches against Germany, Hungary, England and Germany between 4 and 14 June 2022.[7]

Style of play

Ricci is a right-footed player, mainly deployed as playmaker in front of the defence or as a midfielder.[8] Gifted with excellent individual technique and sense of positioning, he is regarded as one of the most important prospects in Italian football. His reference model is Andrea Pirlo.[9]

Personal life

On 9 September 2020, Ricci tested positive for COVID-19.[10]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 3 June 2023[11]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Coppa Italia Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Empoli 2019–20 Serie B 29010—300
2020–21 Serie B 33230—362
2021–22 Serie A 21130—241
Total 8337000903
Torino (loan) 2021–22 Serie A 12000—120
Torino 2022–23 Serie A 28240—322
Total 4024000442
Career total 1235110001345

    Honours

    Empoli

    Individual

    References
    1. Samuele Ricci at TuttoCalciatori.net (in Italian)
    2. "Empoli v Cittadella game report". Soccerway. 21 September 2019.
    3. "Samuele Ricci ha vinto il premio Manlio Scopigno come miglior calciatore dell'ultimo campionato di Serie B". 3 August 2021.
    4. "Ricci al Toro" (Press release) (in Italian). Torino. 30 January 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
    5. https://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/serie-a/le-pagelle-del-torino-ricci-conferma-il-cliche-dell-ex-lukic-saluta-con-la-sua-qualita-1785039
    6. "Ricci Italy U17 profile by FIGC" (in Italian). Italian Football Federation. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
    7. "Una 'Finalissima' per salutare l'azzurro. Chiellini: "Lascio senza rimpianti, l'Europeo il ricordo più bello"". Italian Football Federation (in Italian). 30 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
    8. "Ricci, il talento dell'Empoli che studia da campione. In campo e sui libri".
    9. "Empoli, gli occhi di mezza Serie a sul gioiello Samuele Ricci". 24 March 2020.
    10. "Empoli calcio, Samuele Ricci positivo al covid 19" (in Italian). Il Tirreno. 12 October 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
    11. "S. Ricci". Soccerway.
    12. "Lukaku, Ronaldo and Conte win Serie A awards for 2020-21". Football Italia. 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
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