Lazio’s midfield gem, Cataldi exploded onto the scene last season, playing 16 matches for the Albiceleste en route to the club’s 3rd-place Serie A finish. As the new campaign looms around the corner, the Italian midfielder looks to be key in his boyhood team’s bid for the coveted Serie A crown.
What You Need to Know
Full name: Danilo Cataldi
Date of birth: August 6th, 1994 (21 years old)
Position: Central/ defensive midfielder
Current club: Lazio
Height: 1.80 meters
International caps: U-18 (3), U-19 (1), U-20 (2, 1 goal), U-21 (7, 1 goal)
Who is Danilo Cataldi?
Emerging from Lazio’s youth academy, Cataldi began his career with the club’s Primavera side, making 19 appearances during his debut campaign. Deployed as a playmaker, Cataldi found himself on the end of a few goals but also picked up seven yellow cards, with the tendencies of a combative defensive midfielder already showing through in the young Italian’s style of play. The following season Cataldi continued making impressive strides under the tutelage of coach Alberto Bollini, playing nearly 30 times in all competitions as Lazio’s youth won the Campionato Primavera Girone C as well as the Primavera cup. Once again a key link in the Albiceleste attack, Cataldi continued scoring goals while at the same time easing up on the harsh fouls that earned him so many cautions the previous campaign.
His two very impressive years in the youth leagues led Lazio’s management to send him out to Crotone during the summer of 2013, in order for the fledgling midfielder to get some professional matches under his belt. With the Serie B side, Cataldi made the full transition to the position he plies his trade in today, lining up as a central midfielder during the club’s 2013/14 campaign. Finishing 6th but losing out in the Serie A playoffs, Crotone and their on-loan midfielder both enjoyed extremely successful seasons. Cataldi found himself a key piece in the rossoblu’s bid for promotion, and made 35 league appearances for his temporary club. Though frequently carded, his combative nature provided Crotone with a reliable anchor in the center of the pitch, a player not shying away from making a big tackle if it meant stopping a dangerous opposition attack. His output in front of the net also continued to pay dividends with Cataldi scoring four goals in league play, including a superb volley against Pescara.
Returning to the Albiceleste upon the completion of his loan spell, Cataldi was told that he would not be going away again for the upcoming season, and would instead be a member of Lazio’s senior squad for the 2014/15 season. Two successive injuries at the start of the campaign kept the Italian out of commission until January, when he was finally given his club debut by Stefano Pioli, coming on as a late substitute against Napoli on January 18th. After that he became a sporadic starter Lazio lineup, missing just four matches from his debut to the end of the season, and starting 11 during that time. Linking up with Lucas Biglia and Marco Parolo in the center of the pitch, Cataldi’s accurate distribution was well utilized when delivering the ball to either of the club’s mercurial wingers, and he showed good decision making skills when put into tough situations. With the new season looming, Cataldi looks like he will be featuring more for Lazio across the team’s various competitions, though he will be competing for game time with the likes of Sergei Milinkovic-Savic and Ogenyi Onazi.
On an international level, Cataldi has represented Italy through a variety of youth levels, starting with his under-18 debut in March of 2012. He is currently a member of Luigi di Biagio’s under-21 side, and made three appearances during the team’s ill-fated U21 Euro campaign earlier this year.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Cataldi’s distribution has always been his strong suit, consistently wooing his managers with his superior passing skills. He links up well with the rest of the team and seamlessly flows into the attacking and defensive plays, not becoming a hindrance to Lazio’s overall tempo. Possessing an accurate right foot, Cataldi’s powerful shots were the scourge of primavera defenses, and while he hasn’t quite transitioned this trait into Serie A, him having the ball near the box is definitely a worry for an opposition keeper. A smart player, Cataldi isn’t a generic brute-force midfielder, instead relying on intelligence and quick movement to succeed.
His youth and professional inexperience, however, has left many things that still need to be buffed up in order for the 21-year-old to make the passage from youth prospect to established star. While his poor discipline was justified with heavyweight defensive contribution at Crotone two seasons ago, the same cannot be said for his time with Lazio’s senior side. Maintaining the same level of aggression, his output combating oncoming attacks greatly lessened. Though this is likely just a minor hiccup as Cataldi adjusts to the rigours of Serie A play, not adequately addressing this concern could prove to be a dagger in the back to Lazio’s chances at challenging for the Scudetto. Additionally, his small stature means that he cannot compete with the league’s taller players in aerial situations. While this is not something that Cataldi has much control over, it may signify that he requires a taller midfield partner, meaning Pioli would have to begin to cater to the Italian’s needs more and more if he wants to field him in the first team.
2015/16 and Beyond
For the upcoming season, Cataldi will most definitely feature much more in Lazio’s lineup, be it during Serie A, Coppa Italia, or European play. Though he will have more competition for places, Lazio’s various competitions will provide him with plenty of opportunities to get settled further into the first team and become a key cog in the Albiceleste midfield. Should Lucas Biglia or Marco Parolo depart the Stadio Olimpico next season, by then Cataldi should be ready to take over their mantle in the heart of the Lazio XI. On an international level, he is still someway off a full Italy call up, much less a debut, but an ageing Azzurri midfield provides him with an opportunity to stake his claim for a place in Antonio Conte’s side within the next couple of years.
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