A catalyst for Bologna’s attempts to avoid the relegation zone, Adam Masina has quietly been one of Serie A’s standout fullbacks this season.
What you Need to Know
Full name: Adam Masina
Date of Birth: January 2nd, 1994 (21 years old)
Position: Left back
Nationality: Italy/ Morocco
Current club: Bologna FC
Height: 1.89 meters
International caps: Under-21 (1)
Who is Adam Masina?
Born in the Moroccan city of Khouribga, Masina and his family moved to Italy when he was a young boy, where the youngster began his football career as a member of Bologna FC’s youth ranks. Kickstarting his adventures in the sport as a forward, the youngster eventually found his grove as a defender after being sent to Lega Pro Seconde Divisione side Giacomense in 2012. There, coach Fabio Gallo noticed the then-18-year-old’s defensive qualities, and quickly reassigned Masina to the left back spot. Despite only making around a dozen appearances, Masina began showing a knack for reading opposition attackers and making bombing runs forward, elements that would become staples of his playing style in the future.
Subsequently given another opportunity with Bologna’s Primavera side, Masina was a star showing in an otherwise unremarkable 2013/14 campaign for the Rossoblu youth team. Playing 18 matches, the Moroccan-Italian terrorised players who dared make their way down his flank. His success led to a senior team call from coach Stefano Pioli, and starting in the winter of 2014, Masina became a regular fixture in the senior team. In his 25 Serie B matches leading up to promotion to the Italian top flight, Bologna lost just three times, with the youngster helping keep 12 clean sheets in that span whilst lining up as left back. Though receiving praise from journalists and coaches alike, he went into the 2015/16 campaign as a relatively unknown commodity. Four months down the line, and Masina’s status amongst his peers has skyrocketed. He has performed at the best of his abilities, and though Bologna’s form has been disappointing, the Moroccan dual national’s been one of the season’s best left backs. His amazing form even attracted the attention of Italy under-21 coach Luigi di Biagio, who gave the 21-year-old his international debut in a 2-0 Euro qualification victory over Lithuania.
Roma’s midfielder from Italy Alessandro Florenzi (L) vies with Bologna’s defender from Morocco Adam Masina during the Italian Serie A football match Bologna vs AS Roma on November 21, 2015 at the Renato Dall’Ara stadium in Bologna. AFP PHOTO / GIUSEPPE CACACE (Photo credit should read GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP/Getty Images)
Strengths and Weaknesses
Masina is equally strong in both defensive and offensive action. Boasting a respectable 75% pass completion rate and averaging almost one created chance every match, he represents a significant flanking threat if left unchecked. Scoring two goals and assisting three more, he has backed up his numbers with results, highlighting his versatility and well-rounded nature. On the defensive side, he is even more of a powerhouse. Winning a stunning 73% of his aerial duels despite being under 180cm, Masina punches well above his ‘weight class’ in the air. Making key tackles and interceptions week in and week out, Masina’s heroics at the back have cemented him as an invaluable asset for the Rossoblu back line. Putting in notable performances against Roma, Palermo, and Atalanta in addition to Napoli this past weekend, his standout matches have not been limited to victories, with the defender on many occasions not only helping to preserves leads and draws, but stifle further embarrassments in defeats as well.
A rarity among young defenders, Masina’s talent is raw and still quite untested, but yet he shows no major weaknesses. Beefing up his pass success rate would undoubtedly make him more consistent when attacking, as connecting only three out of four passes on average starts to become problematic when this rate of completion adds up over the course of an entire season. Additionally, slightly toning down his aggression should be in order, as receiving four yellow cards for bad tackles within the span of less than half a season isn’t optimal for a player of his calibre and importance to the team. Beyond these two blips on his CV, Masina’s talent and abilities do not leave any begging-to-be-addressed flaws.
2016 and Beyond
Going into the new year, Masina is undoubtedly both one of Serie A’s and Europe’s top emerging fullbacks. As a result, whispers have come up linking him to clubs like Inter Milan and Juventus. However, the fullback was quick to dismiss links with the Nerazzurri in an interview with Italian paper La Reppublica at the end of November, stating that “he would love to stay here [Bologna] and win something.” Should he stay with Bologna until the end of the season, the pressure for the club to sell him will only increase, especially if they go back down to Serie B. In that case, Masina could quickly find himself at a powerhouse Italian team, raring to go for many seasons ahead.
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