Valentino Lai is a Italian

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

-born Swedish

Sweden

Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 footballer who plays for Viborg FF

Viborg FF

Viborg FF is a Danish professional football club located in Viborg. The full name of the club is Viborg Fodsports Forening , but the name is frequently abbreviated as Viborg FF or VFF. The club was founded in 1896, but would have to wait more than a century before winning its only countrywide...

.

Club career

Born in Cagliari, he started his career playing for FBK Balkan

FBK Balkan

FBK Balkan is a Swedish football club located in the suburb Rosengård of Malmö. The club was founded in 1962. They currently play in Division 4 Skåne Sydvästra. The club comes from a Malmö neighbourhood known for its very large immigrant community, Balkan is most famous for being the club where...

 at the youth level, and then Malmö FF

Malmö FF

Malmö Fotbollförening, also known simply as Malmö FF, are a Swedish professional football club based in Malmö. The club is affiliated with Skånes Fotbollförbund and play their home games at Swedbank Stadion. The club colours, reflected in their crest and kit, are sky blue and white...

. In 2001, he moved to Italy playing for Venezia, where he made his 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...

 debut. In 2002, he moved to 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...

, appearing just in one 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...

 match. After two loan spells at the Serie B level, in Salernitana

Salernitana Calcio 1919

Salerno Calcio, or simply Salerno is an Italian association football club from Salerno, Campania.The club is not the legitimate heir of the former Salernitana Calcio 1919, but there is however a sports continuity between the two companies thanks to Article 52 NOIF of FIGC, and the fact that they...

 and 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...

, in June 2005 Lai decided to return in Sweden by signing a 2-years contract for Landskrona BoIS

Landskrona BoIS

Landskrona BoIS is a Swedish professional football club located in Landskrona, which currently plays in the second highest Swedish division, Superettan. The club, formed on 7 February 1915 was a merger of two clubs from the city of Landskrona; IFK Landskrona and Diana...

, playing in Superettan

Superettan

Superettan is the second highest league in the league system of Swedish football and comprises 16 Swedish football teams. It was created in 2000. Before that, the second level league in Sweden had been Division 1....

. Then he went to the Danish club Vejle Boldklub

Vejle Boldklub

Vejle Boldklub is a Danish football club with proud traditions from the town of Vejle. The club has won the Danish championship five times and the Danish cup title six times....

. In the winter of 2010, Valentino went to Apollon Limassol

Apollon Limassol

Apollon Limassol is a Greek Cypriot sports club, based in Limassol. It has football, basketball and volleyball teams. Founded in 1954, Apollon F.C...

 on a loan deal. After leaving Apollon Limassol in summer of 2010, Lai went back to Vejle BK.

International career

He also represented Sweden at U21 level

Sweden national under-21 football team

The Swedish U-21 national football team is the football team representing Sweden in competitions for under-21 year old players. Sweden U21's current captain is Jiloan Hamad with Jakob Johansson as vice captain.-UEFA European U-21 Championship Record:...

.

External links

Vejle Boldklub profile