.jpg) Benassi withTorino in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1994-09-08)8 September 1994 (age 31) | ||
| Place of birth | Modena, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2007–2011 | Modena | ||
| 2011–2012 | Inter Milan | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2014 | Inter Milan | 6 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | →Livorno (loan) | 20 | (2) |
| 2014–2017 | Torino | 85 | (11) |
| 2017–2023 | Fiorentina | 93 | (13) |
| 2020–2021 | →Hellas Verona (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2022 | →Empoli (loan) | 12 | (0) |
| 2023 | →Cremonese (loan) | 15 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2011–2012 | Italy U18 | 8 | (1) |
| 2012–2013 | Italy U19 | 13 | (1) |
| 2013–2017 | Italy U21 | 27 | (6) |
| 2016–2018 | Italy | 0 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 3 June 2023 | |||
Marco Benassi (born 8 September 1994) is an Italian professionalfootballer who plays as amidfielder.
Born inModena, Benassi began his career at his local clubModena. In January 2011 Benassi was signed byInter Milan on a temporary deal. After a half-season with the Inter U17 youth team, Benassi signed for Inter permanently in aco-ownership deal for €180,000.[1] Benassi was a member of both Inter U18 andU19 team in 2011–12 season, winning thePrimavera league and European title –NextGen Series. He also played for the U18 team in the league playoffs round, winning theBerretti league.
Benassi was included in summer training camp by his former U19 team coachAndrea Stramaccioni, winning the pre-seasonTIM Trophy and well as being included in the 25-men List A squad for2012–13 UEFA Europa League; as one of the four essential association trained player (local player) as required by UEFA.[2] In October 2012 he signed a new five-year contract.[3]
Benassi made his senior debut for Inter 22 November 2012 against Russian sideRubin Kazan in the starting XI. Fielding a younger squad, Inter lost 3–0. On 12 January 2013, he made hisSerie A debut for Inter, starting in a 2–0 victory overPescara. On 21 February 2013, he scored his first senior goal againstCFR Cluj.
On 9 July 2013, he was transferred on loan toLivorno, making his competitive debut on 17 August in a 1–0Coppa Italia defeat againstSiena. He scored his first goal in the Italian top flight on 26 January 2014 at home toSassuolo, before scoring his second of the season on 16 March againstBologna.
On 1 July 2014, it was officially announced that Benassi was sold toTorino under aco-ownership agreement, as part of the transfer that broughtDanilo D'Ambrosio to Inter in January.[4][5][6][7] He made his debut for theGranata as a substitute during thethird round of the2014–15 Europa League which Torino won 3–0 against Swedish clubBrommapojkarna.[8] On 18 January 2015 he scored his first goal for Torino againstCesena. He scored again on 8 March after entering as a substitute forAlessandro Gazzi, marking the final goal in a 3–2 defeat at theStadio Friuli againstUdinese. He returned to the scoresheet in the final game of the season against Cesena (the match ended 5–0 in favour of Torino).
On 25 June 2015, the deadline for the expiration of the co-ownership, Torino acquired the other half of his contract for an additional €3.3 million,[9] after winning a blind auction against the reported €2.9 million offered by theNerazzurri.[10][11] At the start of his second season with the club he changed his shirt number, from 94 to 15. During a 2–1 win overPalermo on 27 September 2015, Benassi scored with a volley reminiscent ofMarco van Basten's strike in thefinal of Euro 88.[12][13][14] On 7 February 2016 he opened the scoring in a home loss againstChievo Verona.[15] He finished the season with 32 appearances in which he scored three goals.
He scored his first goal of the2016–17 season in a 2–1 win againstFiorentina on 2 October 2016; a match in which he also wore the captain's armband for the first time for Torino.[16]
On 9 August 2017,Fiorentina announced the signing of Benassi on a five-year deal.[17]
On 12 September 2020, Benassi joinedHellas Verona on aseason-long loan, with option to buy.[18] However, due to various injuries, he missed the entire season, making only one appearance on the team's substitutes bench on 20 February 2021 for the Serie A game againstGenoa. At the season's end, he returned to Fiorentina.
On 22 January 2022, Benassi moved toEmpoli on loan.[19]
On 19 January 2023, Benassi joinedCremonese on loan for the rest of the 2022–23 season.[20]
On 2 September 2023, Benassi's contract with Fiorentina was terminated by mutual consent.[21]
Benassi played all 3 games in the2013 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship qualification.[22] He made his debut with theItaly under-21 squad on 14 August 2013, underLuigi Di Biagio, in the friendly matchSlovakia-Italy (1–4). From 10–12 March 2014, he was called up by the head coach of thesenior national team,Cesare Prandelli, as part of an evaluate of young players ahead of the2014 World Cup.[23]
He took part in the2015UEFA European Under-21 Championship in theCzech Republic where he scored a brace in the last game of the group stage againstEngland.[24] Benassi began the subsequent biennial cycle ascaptain of the under-21 squad.
In May 2016 he was called up to thesenior national team by coachAntonio Conte in preparation for theUEFA Euro 2016. He was subsequently included in the list of 30 provisional players for the tournament.[25] On 31 May, he was named one of three reserves for the senior side for Euro 2016.[26] On 7 October, he was called up again, this time byGian Piero Ventura, as a replacement for the injuredRiccardo Montolivo for the2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier againstMacedonia.[27]
In June 2017, he was included in the Italy under-21 squad for the2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship by manager Di Biagio.[28] Italy were eliminated bySpain in the semi-finals on 27 June, following a 3–1 defeat.[29]
A talented, hard-working, well-rounded and versatile box-to-boxmidfielder,[30][31][32] Benassi is capable of playing both as adefensive midfielder[33] or as a moreoffensive mindedcentral midfielder;[34][35] he has also been used as awinger.[36] In addition, he is both a skilled tackler and physically strong with good vision and technique, as well as an ability to time and make late attacking runs from behind into the box. He also possesses a good ability to strike from distance.[37][38][39]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Inter Milan | 2012–13 | Serie A | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4[a] | 1 | — | 13 | 1 | |
| Livorno (loan) | 2013–14 | Serie A | 20 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 21 | 2 | ||
| Torino | 2014–15 | Serie A | 25 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 11[a] | 0 | — | 36 | 3 | |
| 2015–16 | 32 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 33 | 4 | ||||
| 2016–17 | 28 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 29 | 5 | ||||
| Total | 85 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 98 | 12 | ||
| Fiorentina | 2017–18 | Serie A | 35 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 37 | 5 | ||
| 2018–19 | 32 | 7 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 36 | 9 | ||||
| 2019–20 | 18 | 1 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 22 | 3 | ||||
| 2021–22 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 91 | 13 | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 103 | 17 | ||
| Hellas Verona (loan) | 2020–21 | Serie A | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| Empoli (loan) | 2021–22 | Serie A | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 214 | 26 | 18 | 5 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 247 | 32 | ||
Inter Milan
