Alberto Aquilani
Encyclopedia
Alberto Aquilani is an Italian
footballer who plays for Serie A
club Milan
on loan from Liverpool
. He is also part of the Italian national team
. Aquilani is a central midfielder, who can operate in a holding position or an attacking position in the hole behind the strikers. Marcello Lippi has branded Aquilani as one of Italy's top midfielders.
Aquilani began his career at Roma
and, after a brief loan spell at Triestina
, returned to the Serie A
club where he became a regular in the Roma side during the 2005–06 season. During the following season, he suffered a thigh injury and was ruled out for several months. He moved to Liverpool for the start of the 2009–10 season
, in a deal that including add ons, could potentially be worth £20m in total. In August 2010, having received only limited playing time at Anfield
, he joined Juventus
on loan until the end of the season. Aquilani returned to Liverpool at the end of the season as Juventus did not take up their purchase option. Having played for Liverpool during their pre-season tours, it was then announced that Aquilani would be returning to Serie A on loan again, this time with AC Milan.
Internationally, Aquilani has represented Italy at youth level and at the Euro 2008. He made his full international debut in November 2006 in a 1–1 draw against Turkey
.
and Arsenal
offered him contracts, but he declined the offers to continue playing for his youth club Roma
.
He made his debut in Serie A
at the age of eighteen on 10 May 2002 under then manager Fabio Capello
against Torino. Roma won that game 3-1. He was loaned to Serie B
club Triestina
for the 2003–04 season to gain first team experience.
Returning to Roma in the 2004–05 season, he broke into the starting XI. In the 2005–06 season, he scored the second goal in the derby
victory on 26 February 2006, a victory in which Roma broke the record for the most consecutive wins in Serie A, a record later broken by Internazionale
in the 2006–07 season.
In the following season, Aquilani was expected to be one of Roma's best players. He was given the number 8 shirt previously worn by Matteo Ferrari
. Unfortunately, an injury forced him out of the game for several months. Aquilani returned to the field in May 2007 and featured in three games towards the end of the season, including the last two.
He also played in the Champions League
against Real Madrid
, where he had an excellent game. He scored two long range goals in the first two matches of the 2007–08 season
against Palermo
and Siena
. Although he was injured in October 2007, he returned to squad in January 2008.
Aquilani was injured again on 22 October 2008 against Chelsea
. He returned to action on 11 January 2009 against Milan
but picked up another injury in February. Although he played against Arsenal as a last minute substitute on 11 March 2009, he did not play in the rest of the season.
On 26 May 2009, Aquilani signed a new contract with Roma
until 2013, adding three more years to previous deal.
announced that they had agreed a deal with Roma for the transfer of Aquilani, subject to a medical. The club subsequently announced that the player had passed the medical and signed a 5 year contract on 7 August 2009. Roma revealed that the fee was €20 million (£17 million) plus sporting bonus. Aquilani was handed the number 4 shirt, last worn by Sami Hyypiä
, who joined Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the 2008–09 season. Although it was initially thought that he was recruited as a replacement for deep-lying playmaker Xabi Alonso
who had left the same summer to join Real Madrid
, Aquilani actually prefers to play further up the pitch and is considered to be more of a dynamic attacking midfielder than a holding playmaker
.
Aquilani made his Liverpool reserves debut with a 15 minutes substitute appearance in a 2–0 win against Sunderland
reserves on 21 October 2009.
Aquilani's first game for Liverpool was a 2–1 4th round Carling Cup defeat to Arsenal
, coming on in the 77th minute for Damien Plessis
. He made his long awaited Premier league debut on 9 November 2009, as a late substitute against Birmingham City
in a 2–2 draw.
He then made a 30 second appearance against Hungarian
club Debrecen
on 24 November which Liverpool won 1–0 courtesy of a goal from David Ngog. Aquilani made his first start against Fiorentina
in a Champions League
match on 9 December 2009, where Liverpool lost 2–1. Aquilani made his first Premier League start against Wolves
on 26 December 2009 and received a standing ovation from the Kop when he was substituted in the 84th minute for Daniel Pacheco
.
Aquilani next started for Liverpool in their 2–0 win over Bolton Wanderers
, where he got his second assist for Liverpool, again setting up Dirk Kuyt
. He scored his first goal for Liverpool on 15 March 2010 against Portsmouth
and he also assisted Fernando Torres
for the fourth Liverpool goal. He was voted man of the match
by the fans on Liverpool's official website. Aquilani also gained the man of the match award in his next Liverpool league start, against Fulham
in a goalless draw at Anfield
. In his next start for Liverpool he finished the match with three assists during a 4–0 away win against Burnley
On 29 April 2010 he scored a goal against Atlético Madrid in the Europa League, cancelling out Atlético's first leg goal from Diego Forlán
by scoring moments before half-time. Despite a great performance from Aquilani on the night, Liverpool eventually went out of the semi-finals on the away goal rule after Yossi Benayoun
had put Liverpool 2–0 up, as Forlán scored his second of the tie in exta-time to take the aggregate score to 2–2. Aquilani won the LFC Man Of The Match award again after his performance.
Aquilani also played in Liverpool's last 2 games of the season, a 2–0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea
at Anfield and a goalless draw away to Hull City
at the KC Stadium
. In total, Aquilani played 26 times in his debut season for the reds, scoring twice but rarely playing the full 90 minutes.
With the departure of Rafael Benítez
to Internazionale in June 2010, new manager Roy Hodgson
played him in some pre-season games, but stated publicly in mid-August that Aquilani may go back to his native Italy on loan for a full season, where playing regularly he could gain match fitness.
. He came on as a sub again on 23 September in a 3-1 home defeat to Sicilian club Palermo
. His first start for the club came on 26 September in a 4-2 win against Cagliari
. After that Aquilani played 80 minutes against reigning champions Internazionale in a goalless draw before he scored his first goal for the club on 17 October in a 4–0 home win against Lecce
two weeks later. He played his first full 90 minutes away to Bologna
in another 0-0 draw. On 5 February he played the full 90 minutes in a 3-1 away win over Cagliari with his next match being against Inter in a 1-0 win. On 21 April, Kenny Dalglish claimed Aquilani still had a future at Liverpool, despite claims that he wanted to remain in Italy. Aquilani returned to Liverpool after Juventus decided against making his transfer permanent, the club's owners declining to meet the previously agreed £14,000,000 transfer fee.
While on loan at the Italian side, he managed an 80% passing accuracy.
, who on twitter
dismissed rumors of Alberto leaving the club, saying "One missing link last year: Aquilani. Put the ball near Ngog and the goal and it's going in. Too much talk of them somewhere else." Aquilani's agent also confirmed that the Italian international would remain at Anfield for the upcoming season dismissing rumors of a return to Italy although he has been strongly linked with Milan and Fiorentina.
on loan for the 2011-2012 season with Milan having an option to make the move permanent at the end of the season. Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish
paid tribute to Aquilani on his departure, stating that the only reason for the loan was an inability to fit the player into the team's preferred formation. Damien Comolli, Liverpool director of football, said: "I want to pay tribute to the way Alberto has conducted himself during these discussions. Throughout the entire process, his only desire has been to play football and he has put this ahead of any other considerations and at personal cost to himself."
Alberto made his debut for the Rossoneri
in the opening game of the 2011-12 Serie A season against S.S. Lazio
, and had an immediate impact by being involved in the build-up for Milan's first goal with a neat pass to Antonio Cassano
, and assisting the second goal himself from a corner-kick. On 13 September 2011, he made his European debut for Milan in the UEFA Champions League
vs Barcelona
at the Camp Nou
, coming off the bench to help Milan secure a 2-2 draw. On 18 September 2011, Aquilani scored his first goal for Milan in his second Serie A match for the club, heading home a cross from Cassano to open the scoring against Napoli
at the San Paolo
.
at 2001 European Under-21 Football Championship
qualifying. He won 2003 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
with Italy and scored one goal. He was then promoted to the U21 team and took part in 2006 European Under-21 Football Championship
qualifying, but missed out on the final tournament due to injury.
Aquilani made his senior debut on 15 November 2006 in a 1–1 friendly against Turkey
.
He played as a regular during the 2007 U-21 Championship held in the Netherlands
, scoring two goals, and being named in the "UEFA Team of the Tournament". Italy finished 5th and qualified for the 2008 Olympics
. He was named to the 23-man roster for Euro 2008, his first major international tournament. He came on as a sub in Italy's third game of the tournament, which was a 2–0 victory over France
. He started Italy's quarter-final match against Spain
due to the suspensions to Andrea Pirlo
and Gennaro Gattuso
. Italy lost 4–2 in a shootout after a 0–0 tie through 120 minutes.
Aquilani scored his first goal for Italy during the 2010 World Cup qualification
match against Montenegro
on 15 October 2008, a tally he doubled later in the same match. In spite of this, the national team manager Marcelo Lippi opted not to include him in the 23-man Italian squad
for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
.
After the 2010 World Cup it was the UEFA Euro 2012 qualification, Aquilani played his first qualifying game against Slovenia
playing the full 90 minutes. He started the next match against Estonia
but came off in the first half through a head injury. On 10 August 2011, he scored his third international goal with the late winner in a friendly against world champions Spain
.
1Europe includes UEFA Champions League
, UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League
2Other includes Supercoppa Italiana
and Football League Cup
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
footballer who plays for Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
club Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
on loan from Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
. He is also part of the Italian national team
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
. Aquilani is a central midfielder, who can operate in a holding position or an attacking position in the hole behind the strikers. Marcello Lippi has branded Aquilani as one of Italy's top midfielders.
Aquilani began his career at Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
and, after a brief loan spell at Triestina
U.S. Triestina Calcio
Unione Sportiva Triestina is an Italian football club based in Trieste, in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.It is in the season 2010-11 from Serie B, having returned there in 2002 after 11 seasons in Serie C and Serie D, the club was relegated to Lega Pro Prima Divisione.-History:The club was...
, returned to the Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
club where he became a regular in the Roma side during the 2005–06 season. During the following season, he suffered a thigh injury and was ruled out for several months. He moved to Liverpool for the start of the 2009–10 season
Premier League 2009–10
The 2009–10 Premier League was the 18th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. A total of 20 teams competed in the league, with Chelsea unseating the three-time defending champions Manchester United, scoring a Premier League record 103 goals in the process...
, in a deal that including add ons, could potentially be worth £20m in total. In August 2010, having received only limited playing time at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
, he joined Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
on loan until the end of the season. Aquilani returned to Liverpool at the end of the season as Juventus did not take up their purchase option. Having played for Liverpool during their pre-season tours, it was then announced that Aquilani would be returning to Serie A on loan again, this time with AC Milan.
Internationally, Aquilani has represented Italy at youth level and at the Euro 2008. He made his full international debut in November 2006 in a 1–1 draw against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
.
Roma
In 2001, at the age of 16, ChelseaChelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
and Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
offered him contracts, but he declined the offers to continue playing for his youth club Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
.
He made his debut in Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
at the age of eighteen on 10 May 2002 under then manager Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello is an Italian football manager and former player. He is the manager of the England national football team.Capello has the distinction of winning the domestic league title with every club he has coached throughout his career...
against Torino. Roma won that game 3-1. He was loaned to Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
club Triestina
U.S. Triestina Calcio
Unione Sportiva Triestina is an Italian football club based in Trieste, in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.It is in the season 2010-11 from Serie B, having returned there in 2002 after 11 seasons in Serie C and Serie D, the club was relegated to Lega Pro Prima Divisione.-History:The club was...
for the 2003–04 season to gain first team experience.
Returning to Roma in the 2004–05 season, he broke into the starting XI. In the 2005–06 season, he scored the second goal in the derby
Derby della Capitale
The Derby della Capitale , also known as Derby Capitolino and Derby del Cupolone, as well as The Rome Derby in English, is the football local derby in Rome, Italy, between the two major teams of the city, Roma and Lazio...
victory on 26 February 2006, a victory in which Roma broke the record for the most consecutive wins in Serie A, a record later broken by Internazionale
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
in the 2006–07 season.
In the following season, Aquilani was expected to be one of Roma's best players. He was given the number 8 shirt previously worn by Matteo Ferrari
Matteo Ferrari
Matteo Ferrari is an Italian footballer, currently a free agent after being released by Beşiktaş J.K..-Early career:Ferrari started his career at SPAL in 1995, and he can play as left-back or centreback....
. Unfortunately, an injury forced him out of the game for several months. Aquilani returned to the field in May 2007 and featured in three games towards the end of the season, including the last two.
He also played in the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
against Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, where he had an excellent game. He scored two long range goals in the first two matches of the 2007–08 season
A.S. Roma 2007-08
During the 2007–08 football season A.S. Roma played the 75th Serie A season in its history.As in the previous season, Roma achieved second place in Serie A behind Internazionale, but had the chance to win the Championship until the last match....
against Palermo
U.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
and Siena
A.C. Siena
Associazione Calcio Siena is an Italian football club based in Siena.The club currently plays in Serie A, having gained promotion from Serie B at the end of the 2010-2011 season....
. Although he was injured in October 2007, he returned to squad in January 2008.
Aquilani was injured again on 22 October 2008 against Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
. He returned to action on 11 January 2009 against Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
but picked up another injury in February. Although he played against Arsenal as a last minute substitute on 11 March 2009, he did not play in the rest of the season.
On 26 May 2009, Aquilani signed a new contract with Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
until 2013, adding three more years to previous deal.
Liverpool
On 5 August 2009, LiverpoolLiverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
announced that they had agreed a deal with Roma for the transfer of Aquilani, subject to a medical. The club subsequently announced that the player had passed the medical and signed a 5 year contract on 7 August 2009. Roma revealed that the fee was €20 million (£17 million) plus sporting bonus. Aquilani was handed the number 4 shirt, last worn by Sami Hyypiä
Sami Hyypiä
Sami Tuomas Hyypiä is a retired European Cup winning Finnish footballer who played in the centre back position. He last played for German Bundesliga side Bayer 04 Leverkusen and was the captain of the Finland national football team. He joined Leverkusen in summer 2009, ending a ten year spell at...
, who joined Bayer Leverkusen at the end of the 2008–09 season. Although it was initially thought that he was recruited as a replacement for deep-lying playmaker Xabi Alonso
Xabi Alonso
Xabier "Xabi" Alonso Olano is a Spanish World Cup-winning footballer who plays for Real Madrid as a midfielder.Alonso began his career at Real Sociedad, the main team of his home region Gipuzkoa. After a brief loan period at Eibar he returned to Sociedad where then manager John Toshack appointed...
who had left the same summer to join Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
, Aquilani actually prefers to play further up the pitch and is considered to be more of a dynamic attacking midfielder than a holding playmaker
Playmaker
In association football, a playmaker is a player who controls the flow of the team's offensive play, and is often involved in passing moves which lead to goals....
.
Aquilani made his Liverpool reserves debut with a 15 minutes substitute appearance in a 2–0 win against Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
reserves on 21 October 2009.
Aquilani's first game for Liverpool was a 2–1 4th round Carling Cup defeat to Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
, coming on in the 77th minute for Damien Plessis
Damien Plessis
Damien Plessis is a French footballer of Réunionais origin, who plays for Greek side Panathinaikos. He is also the younger brother of professional footballer Guillaume Plessis.-Olympique Lyonnais:...
. He made his long awaited Premier league debut on 9 November 2009, as a late substitute against Birmingham City
Birmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
in a 2–2 draw.
He then made a 30 second appearance against Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
club Debrecen
Debreceni VSC
Debreceni VSC or just Debrecen or DVSC is a football club from the city of Debrecen in Hungary. They are best known for reaching the group stages of the UEFA Champions League 2009–10 season. Debreceni VSC has been the most successful Hungarian club since 2000. The club has won the Hungarian...
on 24 November which Liverpool won 1–0 courtesy of a goal from David Ngog. Aquilani made his first start against Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
in a Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
match on 9 December 2009, where Liverpool lost 2–1. Aquilani made his first Premier League start against Wolves
Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C.
Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club that represents the city of Wolverhampton in the West Midlands region. They are members of the Premier League, the highest level of English football. The club was founded in 1877 and since 1889 has played at...
on 26 December 2009 and received a standing ovation from the Kop when he was substituted in the 84th minute for Daniel Pacheco
Daniel Pacheco
Daniel "Dani" Pacheco Lobato is a Spanish footballer who plays for Rayo Vallecano, on loan from Atlético Madrid, and owned by Liverpool. Pacheco started his career with Barcelona in 2003, before moving to Liverpool in 2007. He made his debut on 9 December 2009 against Fiorentina in the UEFA...
.
Aquilani next started for Liverpool in their 2–0 win over Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
, where he got his second assist for Liverpool, again setting up Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt is a Dutch footballer who plays for English club Liverpool. He started his career as a striker, but he has been converted into a winger and plays the position for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team....
. He scored his first goal for Liverpool on 15 March 2010 against Portsmouth
Portsmouth F.C.
Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
and he also assisted Fernando Torres
Fernando Torres
Fernando José Torres Sanz , nicknamed , is a Spanish footballer who plays for Chelsea and the Spain national team as a striker....
for the fourth Liverpool goal. He was voted man of the match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
by the fans on Liverpool's official website. Aquilani also gained the man of the match award in his next Liverpool league start, against Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
in a goalless draw at Anfield
Anfield
Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...
. In his next start for Liverpool he finished the match with three assists during a 4–0 away win against Burnley
Burnley F.C.
Burnley Football Club are a professional English Football League club based in Burnley, Lancashire. Nicknamed the Clarets, due to the dominant colour of their home shirts, they were founder members of the Football League in 1888...
On 29 April 2010 he scored a goal against Atlético Madrid in the Europa League, cancelling out Atlético's first leg goal from Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán
Diego Forlán Corazo is an Uruguayan footballer who plays as a striker for Internazionale and the Uruguayan national team. He is a two-time winner of both the Pichichi Trophy and the European Golden Shoe, and also received the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2010 World Cup.Forlán was born...
by scoring moments before half-time. Despite a great performance from Aquilani on the night, Liverpool eventually went out of the semi-finals on the away goal rule after Yossi Benayoun
Yossi Benayoun
Yosef Shai "Yossi" Benayoun is an Israeli international footballer who plays for Arsenal on loan from Chelsea.Benayoun plays as an attacking midfielder, often occupying the space just behind the striker. In Israel, he is sometimes nicknamed "The Diamond from Dimona". He is also the captain of the...
had put Liverpool 2–0 up, as Forlán scored his second of the tie in exta-time to take the aggregate score to 2–2. Aquilani won the LFC Man Of The Match award again after his performance.
Aquilani also played in Liverpool's last 2 games of the season, a 2–0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
at Anfield and a goalless draw away to Hull City
Hull City A.F.C.
Hull City Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, founded in 1904. The club participates in the Football League Championship, the second tier of English football...
at the KC Stadium
KC Stadium
The KC Stadium, often shortened to the KC, is a multi-purpose facility in the city of Kingston upon Hull , England. Conceived as early as the late 1990s, it was completed in 2002 at a cost of approximately £44 million. It is named after the stadium's sponsors, telecommunications provider KC,...
. In total, Aquilani played 26 times in his debut season for the reds, scoring twice but rarely playing the full 90 minutes.
With the departure of Rafael Benítez
Rafael Benítez
Rafael "Rafa" Benítez Maudes is a football manager, and former player. He is currently unemployed, after leaving as manager of Internazionale in December 2010....
to Internazionale in June 2010, new manager Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson is a former English footballer and current head coach of West Bromwich Albion.Hodgson, who has managed sixteen different teams in eight countries, guided the Switzerland national team to the last 16 of the 1994 World Cup and qualification for Euro 1996; Switzerland had not qualified...
played him in some pre-season games, but stated publicly in mid-August that Aquilani may go back to his native Italy on loan for a full season, where playing regularly he could gain match fitness.
Juventus (loan)
On 21 August 2010, a deal between Liverpool and Juventus was agreed, to allow Aquilani to go on a one season loan deal to Juventus with an option of a permanent move. He made his debut for the Bianconeri on 12 September in a 3–3 draw with Sampdoria from coming on as a substitute for Simone PepeSimone Pepe
Simone Pepe is an Italian footballer who plays as a right winger for Serie A club Juventus. He is known for his high versatility and can play on either side of the pitch and even as a right fullback-Club career:...
. He came on as a sub again on 23 September in a 3-1 home defeat to Sicilian club Palermo
U.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
. His first start for the club came on 26 September in a 4-2 win against Cagliari
Cagliari Calcio
Cagliari Calcio is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. The club was formed in 1920 and currently plays in Italian Serie A, having spent a large part of recent years mainly in Serie A and Serie B....
. After that Aquilani played 80 minutes against reigning champions Internazionale in a goalless draw before he scored his first goal for the club on 17 October in a 4–0 home win against Lecce
U.S. Lecce
Unione Sportiva Lecce or simply U.S. Lecce is an Italian football club based in Lecce, Apulia who play in the Italian Serie A. After being crowned Serie B champions in 2009–10, the team successfully managed to avoid relegation in 2010-11....
two weeks later. He played his first full 90 minutes away to Bologna
Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...
in another 0-0 draw. On 5 February he played the full 90 minutes in a 3-1 away win over Cagliari with his next match being against Inter in a 1-0 win. On 21 April, Kenny Dalglish claimed Aquilani still had a future at Liverpool, despite claims that he wanted to remain in Italy. Aquilani returned to Liverpool after Juventus decided against making his transfer permanent, the club's owners declining to meet the previously agreed £14,000,000 transfer fee.
While on loan at the Italian side, he managed an 80% passing accuracy.
Return to Liverpool
On 4 July 2011, Aquilani started pre-season training with Liverpool, though his agent later confirmed that his wish was to stay at Juventus in Serie A. He was included in the squad's pre-season tour of Asia and marked his return to the team in a friendly against Guangdong Sunray Cave on 13 July. He subsequently impressed against a Malaysian XI on the 16 July 2011. Aquilani's performance in the game pleased Liverpool's owner John W. HenryJohn W. Henry
John William Henry II is a futures and foreign exchange trading advisor who founded John W. Henry & Company . He is the principal owner of the Boston Red Sox and Liverpool F.C., and co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing. In March 2006, Boston Magazine estimated his net worth at $1.1 billion, but noted...
, who on twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
dismissed rumors of Alberto leaving the club, saying "One missing link last year: Aquilani. Put the ball near Ngog and the goal and it's going in. Too much talk of them somewhere else." Aquilani's agent also confirmed that the Italian international would remain at Anfield for the upcoming season dismissing rumors of a return to Italy although he has been strongly linked with Milan and Fiorentina.
Milan (loan)
On 25 August 2011 it was announced that Aquilani would be joining A.C. MilanA.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
on loan for the 2011-2012 season with Milan having an option to make the move permanent at the end of the season. Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish
Kenny Dalglish
Kenneth Mathieson "Kenny" Dalglish MBE is a Scottish former footballer and the current manager of Liverpool F.C.. In a 22-year playing career, he played for two club teams, Celtic and Liverpool, winning numerous honours with both. He is the most capped Scottish player, with 102 appearances, and...
paid tribute to Aquilani on his departure, stating that the only reason for the loan was an inability to fit the player into the team's preferred formation. Damien Comolli, Liverpool director of football, said: "I want to pay tribute to the way Alberto has conducted himself during these discussions. Throughout the entire process, his only desire has been to play football and he has put this ahead of any other considerations and at personal cost to himself."
Alberto made his debut for the Rossoneri
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
in the opening game of the 2011-12 Serie A season against S.S. Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
, and had an immediate impact by being involved in the build-up for Milan's first goal with a neat pass to Antonio Cassano
Antonio Cassano
Antonio Cassano is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan as a striker. Nicknamed Il Gioiello di Bari Vecchia , he is known for his short temper as much as his ability on the pitch, which led to the coining of the neologism Cassanata by his former coach, Fabio Capello, in November...
, and assisting the second goal himself from a corner-kick. On 13 September 2011, he made his European debut for Milan in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
vs Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
at the Camp Nou
Camp Nou
Camp Nou , sometimes called "the Nou Camp" in English, is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The stadium, located in the west of the city, has been the home of FC Barcelona since its construction in 1957....
, coming off the bench to help Milan secure a 2-2 draw. On 18 September 2011, Aquilani scored his first goal for Milan in his second Serie A match for the club, heading home a cross from Cassano to open the scoring against Napoli
S.S.C. Napoli
Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....
at the San Paolo
Stadio San Paolo
Stadio San Paolo is a multi-purpose stadium in the western suburb of Fuorigrotta in Naples, Italy, and is the third largest football stadium in Italy after the San Siro and Stadio Olimpico. For the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, it hosted the football preliminaries. It is currently used mostly for...
.
International career
At youth level, Aquilani was capped for ItalyItaly national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
at 2001 European Under-21 Football Championship
2001 UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship
-Group B:---------------------Group C:---------------------Group D:---------------------Quarterfinals:-------------Semi-finals:-----Third Place Playoff:-Final:-References:**...
qualifying. He won 2003 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
2003 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship
The 2003 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship was held in Liechtenstein from 16 to 26 July 2003. Players born after 1 January 1984 can participate in this competition.- Venues :- Teams :The eight teams that participated in the final tournament were:...
with Italy and scored one goal. He was then promoted to the U21 team and took part in 2006 European Under-21 Football Championship
2006 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Final:-Goalscorers:4 goals Klaas Jan Huntelaar3 goals Thomas Kahlenberg Nicky Hofs2 goals Bryan Bergougnoux Ruslan Fomin Artem Milevskiy...
qualifying, but missed out on the final tournament due to injury.
Aquilani made his senior debut on 15 November 2006 in a 1–1 friendly against Turkey
Turkey national football team
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in association football and is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Turkey. They are affiliated with UEFA...
.
He played as a regular during the 2007 U-21 Championship held in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, scoring two goals, and being named in the "UEFA Team of the Tournament". Italy finished 5th and qualified for the 2008 Olympics
Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held in Beijing and several other cities in the People's Republic of China from 6 August to 23 August. Associations affiliated with FIFA were invited to send their full women's national teams and men's U-23 teams to participate...
. He was named to the 23-man roster for Euro 2008, his first major international tournament. He came on as a sub in Italy's third game of the tournament, which was a 2–0 victory over France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
. He started Italy's quarter-final match against Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
due to the suspensions to Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus, and for the Italian national team. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position...
and Gennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Gattuso
Gennaro Ivan Gattuso, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer, who plays for Serie A club Milan. He mainly plays as a defensive midfielder. Gattuso is an aggressive, hard tackling player and in his prime, was widely regarded as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world...
. Italy lost 4–2 in a shootout after a 0–0 tie through 120 minutes.
Aquilani scored his first goal for Italy during the 2010 World Cup qualification
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
The qualification competition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup was a series of tournaments organised by the six FIFA confederations. Each confederation — the AFC , CAF , CONCACAF , CONMEBOL , OFC , and UEFA — was allocated a certain number of the 32 places at the tournament...
match against Montenegro
Montenegro national football team
The Montenegro national football team represents Montenegro in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Montenegro, the governing body for football in Montenegro...
on 15 October 2008, a tally he doubled later in the same match. In spite of this, the national team manager Marcelo Lippi opted not to include him in the 23-man Italian squad
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
.
After the 2010 World Cup it was the UEFA Euro 2012 qualification, Aquilani played his first qualifying game against Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
playing the full 90 minutes. He started the next match against Estonia
Estonia national football team
The Estonia national football team represents Estonia in international association football. Team members are selected by the head coach of Estonian Football Association . Estonia play their home matches at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn, Estonia....
but came off in the first half through a head injury. On 10 August 2011, he scored his third international goal with the late winner in a friendly against world champions Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
.
Playing Style
Aquilani is a modern playmaker who is well known for his "point-blank" and "clinical" passes. He also incorporates good vision and plays with flair. He has a knack of making pinpoint passes which allow him to succeed in the midfield position. His preferred position is in the "hole" behind the strikers.Honours
RomaA.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
- Coppa ItaliaCoppa ItaliaThe Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
: 2
-
- 2006–07, 2007–08
- Supercoppa ItalianaSupercoppa ItalianaThe Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
: 1
- Supercoppa Italiana
- 20072007 Supercoppa ItalianaThe 2007 Supercoppa Italiana was a match contested by Serie A 2006-07 winners Internazionale and Coppa Italia 2006-07 winners Roma.The match took place on 19 August 2007 in San Siro, Milan and resulted in a 1-0 victory for Roma...
- 2006–07, 2007–08
Career statistics
| Team | Season | League | Cup | Europe1 UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... |
Other2 | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Roma A.S. Roma Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s... |
2002–03 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 |
| Triestina U.S. Triestina Calcio Unione Sportiva Triestina is an Italian football club based in Trieste, in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia.It is in the season 2010-11 from Serie B, having returned there in 2002 after 11 seasons in Serie C and Serie D, the club was relegated to Lega Pro Prima Divisione.-History:The club was... |
2003–04 | 41 | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 41 | 4 |
| Roma A.S. Roma Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s... |
2004–05 | 29 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | — | 38 | 0 |
| 2005–06 | 24 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 1 | — | — | 34 | 6 | |
| 2006–07 | 13 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 22 | 3 | |
| 2007–08 | 21 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 31 | 4 | |
| 2008–09 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 2 | |
| Liverpool Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups... |
2009–10 | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 2 |
| 2010–11 2010–11 Premier League The 2010–11 Premier League was the 19th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The 2010–11 fixtures were released on 17 June 2010 at 09:00 BST. The season began on 14 August 2010, and ended on 22 May 2011... |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Juventus Juventus F.C. Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont... |
2010–11 2010–11 Serie A The 2010–11 Serie A was the 79th season since its establishment, the first under a league committee separate from Serie B. It began on 28 August 2010 and ended on 22 May 2011... |
33 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 2 |
| Milan A.C. Milan Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others... |
2011–12 2011–12 Serie A The 2011–12 Serie A is the eightieth season since its establishment, and the second under a league committee separate from Serie B. It began on 9 September 2011 and will end on 13 May 2012. The league was originally scheduled to start on 27 August, but this was delayed due to a strike by the players... |
11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| Roma career | 102 | 9 | 15 | 3 | 27 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 147 | 15 | |
| Triestina career | 41 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 4 | |
| Liverpool career | 18 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 2 | |
| Juventus career | 33 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 2 | |
| Milan career | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | |
| Career total | 205 | 17 | 18 | 3 | 39 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 266 | 24 | |
1Europe includes UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League
2Other includes Supercoppa Italiana
Supercoppa Italiana
The Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
and Football League Cup
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
International goals
Updated to games played 10 August 2011| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 15 October 2008 | Lecce, Italy | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2010 WCQ 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (UEFA) The European zone of qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup saw 53 teams competing for 13 places at the finals. The qualification process started on 20 August 2008, after UEFA Euro 2008, and ended on 18 November 2009. The qualification process saw the first competitive matches of... |
|
| 2. | 2–1 | |||||
| 3. | 10 August 2011 | Bari, Italy | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |