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Alessio Cerci (; born 23 July 1987) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a winger.
Cerci started his professional football career at AS Roma, playing four times for the first team before serving periods on loan at Brescia Calcio, Pisa Calcio and Atalanta BC. He returned to Roma in 2009, where he sporadically played under Claudio Ranieri and was sold to ACF Fiorentina in August 2010. After two seasons in Florence, he transferred to Torino FC in June 2012. In September 2014, he was sold to Atlético Madrid, before returning to Italy to play for AC Milan and Genoa.
Internationally, Cerci has represented Italy from under-16 to under-21 youth levels. He made his senior international debut in March 2013 a Exhibition game against Brazil and was included in their squads for that year's Confederations Cup and the following year's World Cup, winning a bronze medal in the former competition.
On 21 March 2005, Cerci signed his first professional contract with Roma for three years. However, he mostly continued to play with the youth team (winning the second edition of the Wojtyła Cup) and making just one appearance for the first team against AC ChievoVerona on 30 April 2006.
Cerci returned to Roma at the end of the season, before being loaned to Pisa Calcio in 2007. Pisa was then a newly promoted side in Serie B and coached by Gian Piero Ventura, who quickly made Cerci a starter in his formation against Bari and Frosinone Calcio. On 9 September 2007, Cerci scored his first official goal, in a 1–2 victory away to AC Cesena. On 25 September, he scored again against Triestina before repeating himself against Treviso, Ascoli Calcio and UC AlbinoLeffe. On 30 October 2007, he scored the first brace of his career during a 3–3 draw to Modena FC, scoring another two against Cesena on 9 February 2008.
On 12 February, however, he suffered a knee injury against his former club Brescia that sidelined him for two months. He returned on 12 April, but after just seven days back, was stretchered off the field after a bad fall. Magnetic resonance imaging highlighted that Cerci had broken his meniscus and had inflammation to his anterior cruciate ligament. On 26 April 2008, he was operated on in Rome by the same doctor that had operated on Francesco Totti just days before, sidelining him for four months. His first season was ended prematurely with ten goals in 26 appearances, along with seven assists.
Returning to Roma, Cerci was prepared to stay in the capital to play in Serie A, but on 25 July 2008, was loaned out to Atalanta BC for €250,000 with the right to purchase the player in co-ownership for €2.75 million. Cerci once again selected the number 11 shirt, making his debut for the Nerazzurri against Chievo. However, numerous injuries throughout the season limited him just to 11 appearances with no goals scored.
Cerci made his debut for Fiorentina in the 29 August 2010 match against Napoli, ending 1–1, and scored his first goal in Serie A on 7 November 2010 against Chievo (1–0). Near the end of the season, Cerci scored six goals in five games, with two braces. He concluded the season with 26 appearances and seven goals in the league, plus one goal in Coppa Italia against Reggina Calcio. However, Cerci had a difficult rapport with Fiorentina and its supporters. During his time at Florence, he was accused of overindulging in the city nightlife and was famous for illegally parking his Maserati around the city centre. On one occasion, he was fined for refusing to move his car after he parked it in a space reserved for police.
In the summer of 2011, Cerci became the focus of a transfer to Manchester City under the direct request of its manager, Roberto Mancini. Just as the deal seemed imminent, however, Cerci decided to stay in Florence, having resolved his issue with the fans.
In the 2011–12 season, Cerci scored his first goal during Coppa Italia against AS Cittadella (2–1), and the first of two goals against Bologna (2–0) in the opening round of the league. He repeated himself against Parma FC, Lazio and US Lecce, but erratic performances and a difficult relationship with the fans called into question his permanence in Florence.
He concluded his first season at Torino with eight goals and eight assists, also scoring in the final two matches of the 2012–13 season against Chievo and Catania.
On 20 June 2013, the co-ownership agreement between Torino and Fiorentina was resolved in favour of Torino for €3.8 million, confirming him for the next season, and taking Marko Bakić permanently to Fiorentina.
For the 2013–14 season, Gian Piero Ventura began fielding Cerci as a second striker rather than a right winger, a role in which he began to score with greater continuity. He scored his first goal of the season in the opening round against Sassuolo, won 2–0. He scored again in September against Bologna and AC Milan, before scoring his first brace for Torino against Hellas Verona on 25 September. He scored again on 6 October in a 2–2 draw away to Sampdoria, also providing two assists and a goal against Livorno on 30 October. On 3 November, Cerci ended Roma's record ten-match winning streak, scoring the 1–1 at home for Torino.
On 22 December, Cerci ended his mini goal drought, scoring the 4–1 against Chievo, also providing two assists. On 26 January 2014, he scored a decisive penalty against Atalanta to give Torino the win 1–0, and on 17 February, scored the second Torino goal in a 3–1 win away to Hellas Verona, breaking his personal record for goals scored during his season at Pisa. With teammate Ciro Immobile suspended, Cerci was the difference in a 2–1 against Cagliari Calcio, assisting the first goal and scoring the second on 30 March. On 13 April, Immobile and Cerci scored in stoppage time, Cerci with the last kick of the match, to secure a 2–1 win against Genoa CFC. However, on the last match–day of the season, Torino initially missed out on an UEFA Europa League playoff spot to Parma in sixth–place when Cerci missed a decisive injury–time penalty in a 2–2 away draw against his former club Fiorentina. Nevertheless, Parma failed to obtain a UEFA licence, which meant that Torino, who finished seventh in Serie A, progressed to the third qualifying round of the 2014–15 Europa League in their place. This was the first time in 20 years that Torino had qualified for an UEFA club competition, with their last participation occurring in the 1993–94 European Cup Winners' Cup. Cerci ended his season with 13 goals and also 11 assists, the most in Serie A.
On 22 January 2016, Cerci was loaned to Genoa. He scored 4 goals in 11 Serie B games.
After his positive start to the season at Pisa, Cerci was called up to the Italy under-21 by coach Pierluigi Casiraghi. Osvaldo e Cerci le novita' di Casiraghi per il doppio impegno con Azerbaijan e far oer
On 17 March 2013, Cerci was called up for the first time to the Italian senior squad by Cesare Prandelli for a friendly match against Brazil and 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification against Malta. He debuted in the latter match on 21 March, replacing Andrea Pirlo in the 46th minute of a 2–2 draw with Brazil in Geneva. On 16 May 2013, Cerci was included in the list of 31 provisional players ahead of the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, with his place confirmed in the final list submitted on 3 June. He made his only appearance in the competition on 16 June, in Italy's opening group match, a 2–1 victory over Mexico at the Maracanã Stadium, coming on as a second–half substitute for Claudio Marchisio; Italy finished the tournament in third place.
On 11 April 2014, Cerci was included in the list of 30 provisional players by Cesare Prandelli for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, with his place confirmed in the final 23–man squad on 1 June. He made his only appearance in the tournament in Italy's second group match on 20 June, a 1–0 defeat to Costa Rica, coming on as a substitute for Marchisio in the second half; Italy ultimately suffered a first–round exit.
During the 2013–14 Serie A season with Torino, he began to be used regularly in a creative, supporting role as a second striker, alongside the club's more offensive–minded centre-forward or striker Ciro Immobile. He was also used as an outright forward on occasion under Torino manager Gian Piero Ventura.
Italy
Style of play
Cerci is a naturally left footed player, with excellent technique, vision and remarkable quickness, playing mainly as a winger or as an attacking midfielder on the flank. He can play on both wings, but prefers the right, from which he can cut inside and shoot or provide crosses and assists with his stronger foot. His playing style has drawn comparisons to Arjen Robben.
Career statistics
Club
AS Roma 2003–04 Serie A 0 2004–05 0 2005–06 0 2009–10 3 Brescia Calcio (loan) 2006–07 Serie B 0 Pisa Calcio (loan) 2007–08 Serie B 10 Atalanta BC (loan) 2008–09 Serie A 0 ACF Fiorentina 2010–11 Serie A 8 2011–12 8 Torino FC 2012–13 Serie A 8 2013–14 13 Atlético Madrid 2014–15 La Liga 1 2016–17 0 AC Milan (loan) 2014–15 Serie A 1 2015–16 0 Genoa CFC (loan) 2015–16 Serie A 4 Hellas Verona 2017–18 Serie A 3 Ankaragücü 2018–19 Süper Lig 5 Salernitana 2019–20 Serie B 0 SS Arezzo 2020–21 Serie C 0
International
Italy 0 0
Honours
Roma Youth
External links
Categories: 1987 Births, Living People, People From Velletri, Italian Men's Footballers, Atalanta Bc Players, As Roma Players, Brescia Calcio Players, Pisa Sc Players, Acf Fiorentina Players, Torino Fc Players, Atlético Madrid Footballers, Ac Milan Players, Genoa Cfc Players, Hellas Verona Fc Players, Mke Ankaragücü Footballers, Us Salernitana 1919 Players, Ss Arezzo Players, Serie A Players, Serie B Players, Serie C Players, La Liga Players, Süper Lig Players, Men's Association Football Forwards, Italy Men's Youth International Footballers, Italy Men's Under-21 International Footballers, Italy Men's International Footballers, 2013 Fifa Confederations Cup Players, 2014 Fifa World Cup Players, Italian Expatriate Men's Footballers, Expatriate Men's Footballers In Spain, Italian Expatriate Sportspeople In Spain, Italian Expatriate Sportspeople In Turkey, Footballers From The Metropolitan City Of Rome Capital, 21st-century Italian Sportsmen
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