_-_Edited_(2).jpg) Destro withRoma in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1991-03-20)20 March 1991 (age 34) | ||
| Place of birth | Ascoli Piceno, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2004–2005 | Ascoli | ||
| 2005–2010 | Inter Milan | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2011 | Inter Milan | 0 | (0) |
| 2010 | →Genoa (loan) | 10 | (2) |
| 2011–2012 | Genoa | 8 | (1) |
| 2011–2012 | →Siena (loan) | 32 | (13) |
| 2012 | Siena | 0 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | Genoa | 0 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | →Roma (loan) | 26 | (11) |
| 2013–2015 | Roma | 42 | (18) |
| 2015 | →AC Milan (loan) | 15 | (3) |
| 2015–2020 | Bologna | 105 | (29) |
| 2020 | →Genoa (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| 2020–2022 | Genoa | 56 | (20) |
| 2022–2024 | Empoli | 32 | (1) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2006–2007 | Italy U16 | 12 | (5) |
| 2007–2008 | Italy U17 | 9 | (5) |
| 2009 | Italy U18 | 1 | (1) |
| 2008–2010 | Italy U19 | 14 | (16) |
| 2010–2013 | Italy U21 | 15 | (5) |
| 2012–2014 | Italy | 8 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:18, 26 May 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22 December 2017 | |||
Mattia Destro (Italian pronunciation:[matˈtiːaˈdɛstro]; born 20 March 1991) is an Italian professionalfootballer who plays as astriker. He has also featured at international level, holding eightcaps forItaly.
Destro began his career with hometown clubAscoli. In the 2004–05 season, he played in theGiovanissimi Nazionali squad,[2][3][4] while his father Flavio was coaching theAllievi Nazionali team. In mid-2005, he joinedInter Milan'syouth system.
Destro was the top-scorer of theGiovanissimi Nazionali team in the 2005–06 season, the second top-scorer of theAllievi Nazionali team in the 2006–07 season (behindMario Balotelli), and the second top-scorer of thePrimavera team in the 2008–09 season (behindAiman Napoli). Destro won the league with theAllievi Nazionali team in 2008,[5] and also played for thePrimavera team – the senior youth team, scoring four goals in the league group stage;[6][7][8][9] 1 inPrimavera league playoff,[10] winning2008 Torneo di Viareggio[11] and losing toSampdoria in the final of thePrimavera League.[12]
Destro scored 18 goals in the 2009–10Campionato Nazionale Primavera Group Stage and played a few club friendly matches for the first team.[13][14][15] Destro won the2009–10 UEFA Champions League despite not being used in any of the matches[16] — he had been included in the Champions League list as one of the under-21 youth products in the B list since the 2008–09 edition of the tournament.[17]
In June 2010,La Gazzetta dello Sport reported that Inter Milan agreed a deal withGenoa to sign centre-backAndrea Ranocchia and that Destro was part of the exchange deal.[18] The transfer became official on 20 July 2010, when Genoa purchased a preferential option to sign Destro in aco-ownership deal in June 2010.[19]
After the injury ofLuca Toni, Destro started his first match inSerie A, againstChievo, on 12 September 2010 as the only central forward in the 3–4–3 formation chosen for the match, and scored a goal in the sixth minute of the match. However, Genoa lost the match 1–3.[20]
As another 50% registration rights of Ranocchia were sold to Inter in January 2011 for €12.5 million,[21] Destro was sold to Genoa in June for €4.5 million.[21] That month, Genoa also signed his Inter teammateSamuele Longo in a co-ownership deal.[21] The two strikers became part of the exchange that led to Inter's signing of Ranocchia.
In 2011, Destro left for Serie A newcomersSiena on loan for €1.5 million[22] with an option for a co-ownership deal.[23]
Destro became the team's top goalscorer with 12 goals, followed byEmanuele Calaiò's 11 goals. On 20 June 2012, Siena purchased half of Destro's registration rights from Genoa for €1.3 million.[24][25][26] However, afterRoma formed an agreement with both Genoa and Siena, Genoa bought back Destro from Siena for €7.5 million million (€6 million cash plus half ofEugenio Lamanna)[24][27] in order to complete the deal.
On 30 July 2012, Roma announced they had signed Destro from Genoa in a loan deal for €11.5 million (€8.5 million cash plus half of the rights to bothGiammario Piscitella andValerio Verre) with the option to purchase him outright for an additional €4.5 million (which meant Destro would cost Roma €16 million in total if the purchase was completed). Destro would replace theLiverpool-bound strikerFabio Borini, whom Roma just sold for €13.3 million.[28] Destro made his Roma debut on 2 September 2012 in a 3–1Serie A win away against Inter.[29][30] He scored his first goal for theGiallorossi in a 4–1 home match againstPalermo on 4 November.[29][31] He also received his first red card with the club in the same match after receiving two bookings from the referee, the second of which was for taking off his shirt when celebrating his goal.[31][32] Destro played 21 Serie A matches for Roma in his first season, many in which he came on as a substitute, and scored six goals.[29] Roma finished a distant sixth in Serie A,[33] but did reach the final ofCoppa Italia.[34] Destro scored five goals en route, making him top-scorer for the tournament.[35] However,Lazio edged a 1–0 win over Roma in thefinal.[34]
Destro had struggled with injury during his first season at Roma, and these problems continued into the2013–14 season.[36] He did not make his first appearance until 8 November 2013, when he came on as a substitute early in the second half againstFiorentina.[37] He made an immediate impact, scoring the winning goal in the 67th minute in a 2–1 victory.[36][37][38] Destro then started playing regularly,[29] showing the goalscoring form from earlier in his career. As the season progressed, he scored twice in a 3–0 win overSampdoria in February and a hat-trick in a 3–1 win overCagliari in April 2014.[29] Controversy followed the Cagliari game, during which Destro had punched defenderDavide Astori but was not punished at the time by the referee. However, the league authorities later imposed a three-match ban on Destro (which became four matches for accumulated yellow cards).[39] Despite this, Destro scored 13 league goals for Roma, finishing the season as the club's top scorer and helping his side to a second-place finish inSerie A, behindJuventus.[40] He was ranked as one of the best strikers in Serie A.[41] OnlySergio Aguero andLionel Messi had a better goal-per-minute ratio than Destro acrossEurope's top five leagues.[42]
Destro was the subject of intense transfer speculation during the summer of 2014, being heavily linked by the media with moves toChelsea andReal Madrid.[43]VFL Wolfsburg offered €30 million, which was rejected by Roma choosing to keep him.[44] He scored his first goal of the2014–15 Serie A season on 20 September as Roma won 2–0 against Cagliari.[45] He scored his second of the season in the 2–0 victory overHellas Verona, a 40-yard half volley to seal the victory afterAlessandro Florenzi's earlier strike.[46]
On 30 January 2015, Destro moved toAC Milan on loan from Roma.[47] He scored his first Milan goal in a 1–1 draw withEmpoli on 15 February.[48] He left the club at the end of the 2014–15 season, having scored 3 goals in 15 matches.
On 20 August 2015,Bologna signed Destro from Roma for €8.5 million plus bonuses up to €3 million, on a five-year deal.[49] Destro was the highest earning player of Bologna that season with a net salary of €1.6 million.[50] He made his debut on 22 August 2015, coming on as a substitute in the 2–1 defeat to Lazio.[51] He scored his first goal in a 3–0 win overAtalanta on 1 November. Destro signed a new contract worth €2 million per year.[52]
On 4 January 2020, Destro agreed a return toGenoa, on loan until the end of theseason.[53] On 7 September 2020, he signed a permanent contract with the club on afree transfer.[54]
On 28 June 2022, Destro signed with Serie A clubEmpoli on a free transfer.[55][56] After leaving Empoli as a free agent at the end of the 2022–23 season, he re-joined the club on 29 August 2023.[57]
Destro has been capped for theAzzurrini at almost every level, from under-16 to under-21, except the under-20 team. Destro received his first call-up in 2005 Christmas to a training camp.[58] Destro scored more than one goal in average for the Italian U19 team, and scored 10 out of his first 11 games. He failed to score, in any of thefinal tournament's matches.
Destro made his debut for the Italy under-16 team in the internationalVal-de-Marne tournament.[59][60] He was the member of under-17 team in2008 Euro qualification along with then-Inter teammatesDavide Santon,Luca Caldirola, andMichele Rigione,[61]) scoring one goal in two appearances. Destro started all three matches ofthe elite qualification and scored one goal.[62] He was also called up to the 2008 Minsk under-17 International Tournament[63] where he scored a goal in a 1–1 draw with Moldova[64] and a goal in the 3–0 win against Belarus.[65] Eventually theAzzurrini lost 0–1 to Russia (line-up unavailable) and finished third after winning 1–0 againstBelgium.[66] (line-up unavailable).
On 17 December 2008, Destro scored a goal in hisunder-19 debut, a 3–1 win againstRomania.[67][68][69] Destro scored the only goal in the following match in March 2009, a 1–0 defeat ofNorway. He also capped once for the Italian under-18 team in January 2009, scoring a goal in the 3–0 win over Denmark.[70] Due to the early exit of Italy under-19 team in the2009 season, the Italy under-18 team (players born 1991) wasde facto the same team as under-19 (also with players born in 1991). Destro was a regular member of the under-18/19 team, receiving a call-up againstUkraine,[71] but did not play[72] and missed a friendly tournament in Slovakia due to injury.[73] He then scored a goal in the 4–1 friendly win againstDenmark in September 2009, and five goals in three appearances inthe qualification in November.[74][75][76] Teammates Luca Caldirola andLuca Tremolada were also in the starting line-up.[77] Destro then scored ahat-trick againstTurkey in January 2010,[78] the opening goal againstGermany in March[79][80] and three goals in two appearances atthe elite round in May 2010. Only in the friendly match againstSwitzerland in April 2010 did Destro not score.
He played all three matches of2010 UEFA European Under-19 Championship for Italy's U19 team. The team failed to score any goal and finished at the bottom of Group B (equal 7th).
When strikerAlberto Paloschi was about to miss the final qualification match of2011 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification due to injury, Destro received his first under-21 call-up[81] and substitutedStefano Okaka in the 80th minute. ThatAzzurrini won againstWales 1–0 and went on ahead of Wales as the group champions by winning the head-to-head record. On 8 October 2010, he started the play-off match and partnered with Okaka up front in a 4–4–2 formation, scoring the opening goal by converting aDiego Fabbrini pass with a left-foot shot.[82] He was substituted byLuca Marrone in the 53rd minute as the coach changed to a 4–3–3 formation. TheAzzurrini eventually defeatedBelarus 2–0. However, after losing wingerEzequiel Schelotto and fullbackLorenzo De Silvestri, Italy lost 0–3 to Belarus inBorisov. Destro was substituted by wingerGuido Marilungo at half-time.[83] He scored against Turkey in a 1–0 win for the under-21 Championship qualifier.
Destro was included by head coachCesare Prandelli in the 32-man preliminary squad forUEFA Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine, but was not included in the final squad for the tournament.[84]
On 15 August 2012, he made his debut with theItaly national team, starting in a 1–2 friendly loss toEngland atWembley Stadium. He was substituted off for fellow debutantDiego Fabbrini in the 84th minute.[85] In Destro's third appearance, on 11 September, he scored his first international goal in the first five minutes of Italy's 2–0 win againstMalta at theStadio Alberto Braglia inModena, in Italy's second2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying match.[86]
Destro was named in the provisional 30-man squad for the2014 World Cup, but was one of seven players cut from the final squad.[87]
Destro is a quick striker with good technique and an ability to play off of his teammates, which enables him to participate in the build-up of plays. An accurate finisher, he is known for his anticipation, as well as his ability to make attacking runs into the area and subsequently shoot first time.[88][89][90] He was considered one of the best young talents in football.[91]
Destro is the son of former Italian footballerFlavio Destro.[92][93] On 1 September 2014, he married model girlfriendLudovica Caramis.[94]
In September 2020 he tested positive forCOVID-19.[95][96]
| Club | Season | League | Coppa Italia | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Genoa | 2010–11 | Serie A | 16 | 2 | 2 | 1 | — | 18 | 3 | |
| Siena | 2011–12 | Serie A | 30 | 12 | 1 | 1 | — | 31 | 13 | |
| Roma | 2012–13 | Serie A | 21 | 6 | 5 | 5 | — | 26 | 11 | |
| 2013–14 | 20 | 13 | 3 | 0 | — | 23 | 13 | |||
| 2014–15 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 19 | 5 | ||
| Total | 57 | 24 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 68 | 29 | ||
| AC Milan (loan) | 2014–15 | Serie A | 15 | 3 | — | — | 15 | 3 | ||
| Bologna | 2015–16 | Serie A | 27 | 8 | — | — | 27 | 8 | ||
| 2016–17 | 30 | 11 | 3 | 0 | — | 33 | 11 | |||
| 2017–18 | 26 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | 27 | 6 | |||
| 2018–19 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | 18 | 4 | |||
| 2019–20 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 7 | 0 | |||
| Total | 105 | 29 | 7 | 0 | — | 112 | 29 | |||
| Genoa (loan) | 2019–20 | Serie A | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 9 | 0 | |
| Genoa | 2020–21 | Serie A | 29 | 11 | 1 | 0 | — | 30 | 11 | |
| 2021–22 | 27 | 9 | 3 | 0 | — | 30 | 9 | |||
| Total | 64 | 20 | 5 | 0 | — | 69 | 20 | |||
| Empoli | 2022–23 | Serie A | 17 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 18 | 1 | |
| 2023–24 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 15 | 0 | |||
| Total | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 33 | 1 | |||
| Career total | 319 | 91 | 25 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 346 | 98 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 2012 | 4 | 1 |
| 2014 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 8 | 1 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 September 2012 | Stadio Alberto Braglia,Modena, Italy |  Malta | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Inter Milan Primavera
Roma
Individual
