Leonardo Pavoletti

Leonardo Pavoletti
Personal information
Date of birth (1988-11-26) 26 November 1988
Place of birth Livorno, Italy
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current team
 Cagliari
Number 30
Youth career
– Gruppo Sportivo CNFO
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2008 Armando Picchi 59 (16)
2008–2009 Viareggio 26 (7)
2009–2010 Pavia 28 (9)
2010–2011 Juve Stabia 7 (0)
2011 Casale 11 (3)
2011–2012 Virtus Lanciano 36 (16)
2012–2015 Sassuolo 44 (12)
2013–2014 → Varese (loan) 33 (24)
2015–2017 Genoa 44 (23)
2017–2018 Napoli 6 (0)
2017–2018 → Cagliari (loan) 33 (11)
2018– Cagliari 7 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 6 October 2018

Leonardo Pavoletti is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Cagliari on loan from Napoli.

In 2016, Pavoletti was called up to the Italy squad for separate matches against France and Israel.[2][3]

Early and personal life

Known to friends as 'Pavoloso', Pavoletti played tennis up until the age of ten, when he began playing football. His father Paolo is a tennis coach. He also owns a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig called Mou.[4]

Career

Born in Livorno, Pavoletti started playing in the youth ranks of Gruppo Sportivo CNFO (Cantiere Navale Fratelli Orlando), he started his career at Armando Picchi. Then had spells at Viareggio, A.C. Pavia, S.S. Juve Stabia and Casale showing good goal scoring form. He then went to Virtus Lanciano and was awarded the title of top scorer in 2011–12 Lega Pro Prima Divisione season, contributing to the promotion of the team with 16 goals.

Sassuolo

In the summer 2012, he joined Sassuolo, scoring 5 goals in the first 4 league appearances for the Serie B side. However, during the season, he suffered a suspension of 40 days for doping, resulting in positive tests of tuaminoheptane after 26 December 2012 game against Livorno, Sassuolo lodged an appeal against the ban due to the assumption of Rinoflumicil, found in a nasal decongestant.[5] Pavoletti returned to help Sassuolo earn promotion to Serie A for the first time in the history, after playing 33 matches and scoring 11 goals

After two appearances in Serie A for Sassuolo on 2 September 2013, the last day of the Italian transfer window, Pavoletti joined Serie B side Varese on loan.

Varese loan

On 2 September 2013, he went on loan to Varese with the right of purchasing his rights at the end of the season. He made his debut six days later, that won 3–0 away against the Latina of the third game of Serie B, scoring the final goal of the 3–0 victory. On the following game he scored a brace, this time at the expense of Pescara in a 3–2 defeat. He finished the season with 36 appearances and 25 goals, with four of them against Novara Calcio in the relegation playoffs after Varese finished 18th, with Pavoletti scoring a brace in a 2–0 victory and then a 2–2 draw to win 4–2 on aggregate to keep Varese in Serie B and condemning Novara Calcio to relegation. With 24 goals, he finished as the 2nd Top Scorer in Serie B behind Trapani striker Matteo Mancosu who scored 26 goals.

On 17 June 2014, Varese exercised their option and signed 50% of the players rights from Sassuolo in a co-ownership deal for a reported €800,000 fee.[6] However, the following day on 18 June, Sassuolo immediately bought the full rights to the player back, for €400,000 net.[7]

Return to Sassuolo

His form during 2013–14 season for Varese reportedly alerted the attention of Steaua Bucharest, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and Leeds United.[8] Pavoletti turned down a last minute transfer deadline deal on 31 August 2014 to Leeds United deciding to stay at Sassuolo where he would compete for places up front with highly rated strikers Simone Zaza, Nicola Sansone and Domenico Berardi.

On 13 December 2014, Pavoletti scored his first Serie A goal in Sassuolo's 2–1 loss against Palermo.[9]

After making 8 Serie A appearances, mainly as a substitute, towards the end of December 2014, Pavoletti was again linked with a move to English side Leeds United, he also attended Leeds' 2–0 loss against Wigan Athletic on 26 December, sitting alongside Leeds Sporting Director Nicola Salerno, Pavoletti also attended Leeds' training ground, ahead of an anticipated loan move in January 2015.[10]

Genoa

On 29 January 2015, after turning down a loan move to Leeds United, Pavoletti joined fellow Serie A side Genoa on loan[11] for free,[12][13] with an option to purchase.[11] In the same deal Francesco Acerbi moved in the opposite direction outright,[11] for an additional €1.8 million,[12] as well as Lorenzo Ariaudo moved to Genoa on loan.[11] Pavoletti had a successful spell scoring 6 goals in 10 Serie A games for Genoa. On 7 July 2015, Genoa signed Pavoletti[14] for €4 million transfer fee.[13][15]

Napoli

On 2 January 2017, Pavoletti joined Serie A club Napoli, for a reported fee of €18 million.[16] [17]

Cagliari loan

On 30 August 2017, Pavoletti joined Cagliari on loan, with an obligation to buy at the end of season.[18] He signed a 1+4-year contract.[18]He made his debut against Crotone in a 1–0 home victory and scored his first goal for the club in a 2–3 loss at home to Genoa.

International career

On 27 August 2016, Pavoletti was called up to the senior squad for a friendly against France on 1 September and a 2018 World Cup qualification match on 5 September against Israel.[19][20]

Style of play

Pavoletti has been described as a large, "old fashioned" centre-forward, as he mainly operates in the penalty area. He is known in particular for his attacking movement and eye for goal, as well as his ability to get on the end of his teammates' crosses and finish off chances in the six-yard box.[21][22][23]

Career statistics

As of 6 October 2018[24]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Juve Stabia 2010–11 Lega Pro 8000——80
Virtus Lanciano 2011–12 331531——3616
Sassuolo 2012–13 Serie B 331120——3511
2013–14 Serie A 2011——31
Varese (loan) 2013–14 Serie B 362010—243924
Sassuolo 2014–15 Serie A 9130——121
Total 44126100005013
Genoa 2014–15 Serie A 10600——106
2015–16 251411——2615
2016–17 9311——104
Total 44232200004625
Napoli 2016–17 Serie A 6040——100
Cagliari (loan) 2017–18 331100——3311
Cagliari 2018–19 7312——85
Total 40141200004116
Career total 21184176002423094

Honours

Club

Sassuolo[25]

Individual

References

  1. ↑ http://www.sscnapoli.it/Squadra/Leonardo-Pavoletti
  2. ↑ "Italy: Ventura calls new faces". Football Italia. 27 August 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  3. ↑ FIGC database (in Italian)
  4. ↑ Menicucci, Paolo (3 January 2017). "Who is Napoli's new signing Leonardo Pavoletti? - UEFA Champions League - News - UEFA.com". UEFA.com. UEFA. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  5. ↑ "Sassuolo player fails doping test". Football Italia. 15 January 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2012.
  6. ↑ "Leonardo Pavoletti, l'uomo duplicato" (in Italian). sportellate.it. 29 March 2016. Retrieved 24 May 2016.
  7. ↑ U.S. Sassuolo Calcio S.r.l. bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 31 December 2014 (in Italian), PDF purchased from Italian C.C.I.A.A.
  8. ↑ "VIDEO Emoţii pentru Claudiu Keşeru? Steaua a găsit un vîrf care vine din Serie A şi a fost o maşină de goluri sezonul trecut" (in Romanian). Gazeta Sporturilor. 29 November 2014.
  9. ↑ "Palermo 2 Sassuolo 1". Goal.com. 13 December 2014.
  10. ↑ "Pavoletti Given Leeds Tour". Football Italia. 27 December 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "UFFICIALI: ARIAUDO, LAXALT, PAVOLETTI" (in Italian). Genoa C.F.C. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  12. 1 2 Genoa C.F.C. S.p.A. bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 31 December 2015, PDF purchased from Italian C.C.I.A.A. (in Italian)
  13. 1 2 U.S. Sassuolo Calcio S.r.l. bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 31 December 2015, PDF purchased from Italian C.C.I.A.A. (in Italian)
  14. ↑ "Calciomercato: Leonardo Pavoletti ceduto al Genoa" (in Italian). U.S. Sassuolo Calcio. 7 July 2015. Retrieved 7 July 2015.
  15. ↑ Nicolò Schira (24 June 2015). "Genoa, Pavoletti riscattato: al Sassuolo vanno 4 milioni" [Genoa, Pavoletti acquired: 4 million go to Sassuolo] (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  16. ↑ "Il Napoli ufficializza l'acquisto di Pavoletti" [Napoli formalizes the purchase of Pavoletti] (in Italian). S.S.C. Napoli. 2 January 2017. Retrieved 3 January 2017.
  17. ↑ http://www.football-italia.net/95657/sky-pavoletti-napoli-done
  18. 1 2 "Pavoletti in rossoblù" [Pavoletti in "red-blue"] (Press release) (in Italian). Cagliari Calcio. 30 August 2017. Retrieved 30 August 2017.
  19. ↑ "Italy: Ventura calls new faces". Football Italia. 27 August 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  20. ↑ FIGC database (in Italian)
  21. ↑ "Preziosi: 'Simeone would suit Napoli'". Football Italia. 2 February 2017. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  22. ↑ "Lucariello: "Preferisco Pavoletti a Zaza"" (in Italian). Tutto Juve. 14 November 2016. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  23. ↑ Luca Incoronato (1 January 2017). "Calciomercato Napoli, manca la firma per Pavoletti: Giuntoli pensa ai giovani" (in Italian). CalcioMercato.it. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
  24. ↑ "Leonardo Pavoletti".
  25. ↑ "L. Pavoletti". Soccerway. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  26. ↑ "Bomber Lega Pro, Le Noci e Pavoletti capocannonieri della Prima Divisione B davanti a Evacuo" (in Italian). Lega Pro. 8 May 2012. Retrieved 26 May 2016.
  27. ↑ "Italian Serie B Stats: Top Goal Scorers – 2013–14". ESPN. Retrieved 27 June 2014.
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