Alessio Romagnoli

Full name: Alessio Romagnoli

Date of birth: 12 January 1995

Place of birth: Anzio, Italy

Height: 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)

Position: Center-Back

Number: 13

National team: Italy

Nationality: Italy

Foot: Right

Agent: Mino Raiola

Joined: 11 August 2015

Contract until: 30.06.2022

Alessio Romagnoli is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre back for Serie A club Milan and the Italian national team.

He began his career with Roma in 2012, and later spent a season on loan with Sampdoria in 2014, before moving to Milan in 2015. At the start of the 2018–19 Serie A season, he was installed as club and team captain following Leonardo Bonucci’s return to Juventus.

2015–16 season
On 11 August 2015, he was sold to Milan for a fee of €25 million, signing a five-year contract. In addition, there is a sell-on clause entitling Roma to 30% over the value of €25 million. He made his official debut for Milan on 18 August, keeping a clean sheet in a 2–0 win over Perugia in Coppa Italia. Six days later, he made his first appearance in the league with the club, as Milan lost 2–0 to Fiorentina.

On 1 March 2016, he scored his first goal for Milan in a 5–0 win against Alessandria in Coppa Italia. This match sent Milan to the final for the first time since 2003. He concluded his first season with Milan with 40 appearances in all competitions and one goal.

2016–17 season
Romagnoli made his first appearance of the 2016–17 season in a 3–2 victory in Serie A against Torino. On 23 December, Alessio Romagnoli helped lead Milan to victory in the Supercoppa Italiana, playing the full 120 minutes as Milan beat Juventus 4–3 in the penalty shoot-out following a 1–1 draw after extra time. On 15 April 2017, Romagnoli scored his first ever Serie A goal for Milan in the Derby della Madonnina.

2017–18 season
After missing Milan’s first 4 games of the season due to injury, he returned to the squad and he made his return to play the second leg of Europa league play offs against Shkëndija. On 19 September 2017, he made his first appearance of the Serie A season against Udinese.

2018-19 season
Following Leonardo Bonucci’s return to Juventus, Alessio Romagnoli was appointed as Milan’s team captain. Romagnoli scored stoppage-time winning goals two times in five days for Milan, earning his club a 2-1 win over Genoa and a 1-0 over Udinese.

2019-20 season

During the season 19/20 Alessio Romagnoli was one of the best players in AC Milan. He was the leader of the entire team and crucial part of the starting XI. Romagnoli played the first 35 (of 38) games in the Italian Serie A, and missed the last 3 games due to injury. However it is expected that he will be fully fit for the start of the new season 20/21 in mid September. Romagnoli played 4 games in the Italian Cup as well. This season Romagnoli scored 1 goal. It was scored against Parma in the 33rd week of the Serie A.

Roma
A product of Roma youth academy, Alessio Romagnoli was included in the first team squad by new head coach Zdeněk Zeman at age 17. He made his senior debut on 11 December 2012 against Atalanta, playing the full game in Coppa Italia as a starter. He made his Serie A debut 12 days later, as a substitute in the final minutes of a league game against Milan. He scored his first goal in Serie A on 3 March 2013 against Genoa.

He found more first team opportunities in the second half of the 2013–14 season under new manager Rudi Garcia, both at full-back and in the centre of defence. On 31 May 2014 Romagnoli, signed a new four-year contract with Roma.

Loan to Sampdoria
On 1 September 2014, Alessio Romagnoli was loaned to Sampdoria for €500,000, with an option to purchase for €2 million, as well as a counter-option of €750,000. Romagnoli made his Sampdoria debut as a late substitute in a 2–0 victory against Torino on 14 September. He scored his first goal for Sampdoria on 24 September 2014 in a 2–1 defeat of Chievo. In June 2015, Roma activated the buy-back clause and he returned to the club.

Alessio Romagnoli has represented Italy on multiple occasions at under-16, under-17 and under-19 levels. He made his first appearance for the Italy under-21 team against Northern Ireland on 5 March 2014, playing the full 90 minutes. With the Italy under-21, he took part at the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, forming an effective partnership with fellow centre-back Daniele Rugani.

On 27 August, Romagnoli was called up to the senior squad for the first time for a friendly against France on 1 September and a 2018 World Cup qualification match on 5 September against Israel. However, he was later moved to the under-21 squad for 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification match against Serbia.

On 6 October, Romagnoli made his senior debut in a 2018 World Cup qualification match, playing all 90 minutes, in a 1–1 home draw against Spain.

An elegant, versatile, composed and gifted left-footed centre-back, with good technique and distribution, Romagnoli is known for his confidence in possession, and ability to play the ball out from the back due to his ability to advance into more attacking positions or put pressure on opponents higher up on the pitch, he is also capable of functioning as a left-sided full-back. Romagnoli is effective in the air and known for his ability to time his challenges regarded as one of the most promising young Italian defenders of his generation, his precocious displays, technique, positional sense, decision-making, and tackling abilities have led pundits to compare him with legendary Italian defender Alessandro Nesta, whom Romagnoli has described as his footballing idol. In 2015, Romagnoli was named one of the top 100 young footballers in the world born after 1994 by Don Balón.