Though Atalanta parted with Daniele Baselli this transfer window, the club has retained the services of Mario Pugliese, another academy product capable of someday taking the world by storm.
What You Need to Know
Full name: Mario Pugliese
Date of birth: March 26, 1996 (19 years old)
Position: Central midfielder
Nationality: Italian
Current club: US Arezzo (on loan from Atalanta)
Height: 1.78 meters
International caps: U-16 (12), U-17 (25, 2 goals), U-18 (2, 3 goals), U-19 (12)
Who is Mario Pugliese?
One of the latest graduates of the Atalanta academy that has produced players like Daniele Baselli, Davide Zappacosta, and Alessio Tacchinardi, Pugliese made his Nerazzurri youth debut in August of 2013, a 1-0 win over the Padova academy side. Deployed in positions as varied as center back and wide midfielder, he quickly found his home in the center of the midfield. Starring in his first Primavera season, he quickly caught the attention of senior coach Stefano Colantuono, who gave Pugliese his first professional start in the Coppa Italia 4th round match against Sassuolo. The youngster quickly repaid his manager’s faith, assisting the first and winning goal in a 2-0 victory whilst deployed on the right wing. Pugliese would go on to make 24 youth appearances in his first season with La Dea’s Primavera, while also appearing on the bench for Atalanta in Serie A several times. In his next season, Pugliese began to become more and more established as a central midfielder, as his speedily expanding skill set made him ideal for the role of the team engine. Coming out 12 times in Atalanta youth colors, he was sent out to Serie B surprises Carpi in the winter of 2015, in hopes that he would be able to gain valuable professional experience. Unfortunately for Pugliese, his adventure with the Biancorossi did not go as planned, and he ended up making just two substitute appearances, a combined 15 minutes of play in the final two matches of the Serie B campaign. After his failed Modena adventure, he was deemed not-yet ready for the Atalanta senior team fold, and subsequently got loaned out to Lega Pro side Arezzo, where he will surely get plenty of playing time this season.
Despite his young age, Pugliese is already an international veteran, though you likely wouldn’t be able to tell. Between the various levels of the Azzurri youth setup, he has played over 50 matches from the under-16 to under-19 level. A member of Italy’s 2013 Under 17 Euro squad which heartbreakingly fell to Russia on penalties in the final, he is 4th on the all-time appearances list for Alessandro Dal Canto’s side. Though he has yet to progress past the U-19 stage, it isn’t a result of his sub-par quality, so much as it is an indication of the vast amount of young midfield talent coming up in Serie A. However, if he impresses with Arezzo the same way he did in the Primavera league, an under-21 call fr omLuigi di Biagio shouldn’t be very far away.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Technically sound and with an accurate right foot, Pugliese ticks all the boxes for an up-and-coming versatile midfielder. Adept at providing the tempo for his team and going forward to help with the attacking phase of play, his stamina and ease of motion are valuable assets when coming up against players bigger than him. Though he has been deployed as a winger in addition to a midfielder, this does not mean that Pugliese’s contributions end with attacking output. Quite the contrary, he is just as skillful when not on the ball, pressuring opponents and tracking back quickly when needed. Possessing a good footballer’s brain, his decision-making and reactions do not leave much to be desired. He bares many similarities to Paris Saint-Germain’s Marco Verratti, down to the small stature, but Pugliese nonetheless still has a long way to go before he can emulate the heights his counterpart has reached.
Unlike Verratti, Pugliese has still not learned quite how to get around being smaller than the majority of his opponents. While the PSG man has countered his physical disadvantage with fantastic footwork and a fiery, combative attitude, Pugliese still falls prey to his physical shortcomings. Though it isn’t anything that cannot be resolved, it will certainly take time to get around. Fortunately for Pugliese, while his isn’t particularly tall, he is a fairly strong player, meaning if he can work around being a non-factor in the air and a head shorter than many opponents, his one major shortcoming will be all but resolved.
2015/16 and Beyond
For the current campaign, Pugliese should find himself plenty of Lega Pro playing time. At Arezzo there will not be the same competition for spots as at Atalanta, and he is already arguably the club’s best midfielder, if not player. If his loan spell is successful and Atalanta continues it’s current trend of madly selling players, than Pugliese could very likely have a reserved spot in La Dea’s starting lineup in 2016.
The post Player Focus: Mario Pugliese appeared first on IFD.
from IFD http://ift.tt/1fNyVf2
via IFTTT berita selengkapnya Follow @jadwalliga
