 Pavoletti in 2016 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1988-11-26)26 November 1988 (age 36) | ||
| Place of birth | Livorno, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team 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 | 154 | (37) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019 | Italy | 1 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17:32, 22 December 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 26 March 2019 | |||
Leonardo Pavoletti (Italian pronunciation:[leoˈnardopavoˈletti]; born 26 November 1988) is an Italian professionalfootballer whocaptainsSerie A clubCagliari and plays for theItaly national team as astriker.
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 aVietnamesepot-bellied pig called Mou.[2]
Born inLivorno, Pavoletti started playing in the youth ranks of Gruppo Sportivo CNFO (Cantiere Navale Fratelli Orlando), he started his career atArmando Picchi. Then had spells at Viareggio,A.C. Pavia,S.S. Juve Stabia andCasale, showing good goalscoring form. He then went toVirtus Lanciano and was awarded the title of top scorer in2011–12 Lega Pro Prima Divisione season, contributing to the promotion of the team with 16 goals in all competitions and 15 in the league.
In the summer 2012, Pavoletti joinedSassuolo, scoring 5 goals in the first 4 league appearances for theSerie B side. However, during the season, he suffered a suspension of 40 days for doping, resulting in positive tests oftuaminoheptane 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.[3] Pavoletti returned to helpSassuolo win th Serie B title and earn promotion toSerie A for the first time in their history, after playing 33 matches and scoring 11 goals.
After making only two appearances inSerie A forSassuolo during the beginning of the 2013–14 season, on 2 September 2013, the last day of the Italian transfer window, Pavoletti joinedSerie B sideVarese on loan.
On 2 September 2013, Pavoletti went on loan toVarese with the right of purchasing his rights at the end of the season. He made his debut six days later, in a 3–0 away victory against Latina in the third game of the2013–14Serie B season, also marking the occasion by scoring the final goal of match. In 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 againstNovara Calcio in the relegation playoffs afterVarese 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 inSerie B and condemningNovara Calcio to relegation. With 24 goals, including 4 in the playoffs, he finished as the second-highest goalscorer inSerie B, behind onlyTrapani strikerMatteo Mancosu, who scored 26 goals.
On 17 June 2014, Varese exercised their option and signed 50% of the player's rights fromSassuolo in a co-ownership deal for a reported €800,000 fee.[4] However, the following day, on 18 June,Sassuolo immediately bought back the full rights to the player, for €400,000 net.[5]
Pavoletti's form during 2013–14 season forVarese reportedly alerted the attention ofSteaua Bucharest,TSG 1899 Hoffenheim andLeeds United.[6] Pavoletti turned down a last minute transfer deadline deal on 31 August 2014 toLeeds United deciding to stay atSassuolo where he would compete for places up front with highly rated strikersSimone Zaza,Nicola Sansone andDomenico Berardi.
On 13 December 2014, Pavoletti scored his firstSerie A goal inSassuolo's 2–1 loss againstPalermo.[7]
After making 8Serie A appearances, mainly as a substitute, towards the end of December 2014, Pavoletti was again linked with a move to English sideLeeds United, he also attended Leeds' 2–0 loss againstWigan Athletic on 26 December, sitting alongside Leeds Sporting DirectorNicola Salerno, Pavoletti also attended Leeds' training ground, ahead of an anticipated loan move in January 2015.[8]
On 29 January 2015, after turning down a loan move toLeeds United, Pavoletti joined fellowSerie A sideGenoa on loan[9] for free,[10][11] with an option to purchase.[9] In the same dealFrancesco Acerbi moved in the opposite direction outright,[9] for an additional €1.8 million,[10] as well asLorenzo Ariaudo moved to Genoa on loan.[9] Pavoletti had a successful spell scoring 6 goals in 10Serie A games forGenoa. On 7 July 2015, Genoa signed Pavoletti[12] for €4 million transfer fee.[11][13]
On 2 January 2017, Pavoletti joinedSerie A clubNapoli, for a reported fee of €18 million.[14][15]
On 30 August 2017, Pavoletti joinedCagliari on loan, with an obligation to buy at the end of season, for €10 million plus bonuses, making him the club's most expensive acquisition ever.[16][17] He signed a 1+4-year contract, which included a €1 million annual salary plus bonuses.[16][17] He made his club debut on 11 September againstCrotone in a 1–0 home victory,[18] and scored his first goal for the club in a 2–3 loss at home to his former club Genoa on 15 October.[19][20] He finished his first season with the club with 11 goals in 33 appearances in Serie A, nine of which were headers, the most headed goals scored by any player in one of Europe's major leagues throughout the 2017–18 season.[21]
On 25 August 2019, Pavoletti was stretchered off just before half-time in an eventual 1–0 home defeat toBrescia in Cagliari's opening league match of the season; it was later revealed that he had injured theACL and meniscus in his right knee, and would be ruled out for at least three months.[22][23][24]
On 27 August 2016, Pavoletti was called up to theItaly senior squad by managerGian Piero Ventura for a friendly againstFrance on 1 September and a2018 World Cup qualification match on 5 September againstIsrael.[25][26]
On 15 March 2019, Pavoletti received an international call up fromRoberto Mancini for the team'sUEFA Euro 2020 qualifying matches againstFinland andLiechtenstein.[27] On 26 March, Pavoletti made his debut for the national team, also scoring his first goal, the final goal of a 6–0 home win over Liechtenstein.[28]
Pavoletti has been described as a large, direct, and "old fashioned"centre-forward, due to his hold-up play with his back to goal and, in particular, his ability in the air, as well as the fact that he mainly operates in the penalty area; however, he is also known for his movement across the entire attacking area of the pitch. His height, combined with his heading accuracy, timing, and elevation give him an edge in winning aerial challenges; as such, many of his goals are from headers, and he often functions as atarget-man. A tall, physically strong, determined, and hard-working right-footed striker, although he is neither particularly quick nor particularly skilful from a technical standpoint, he is known for his intelligent attacking movement, positional sense, and eye for goal, as well as his link-up play, and his ability to get on the end of his teammates' crosses and finish off chances in the six-yard box with his head as well as either foot.[nb 1]
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Juve Stabia | 2010–11 | Lega Pro | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| Virtus Lanciano | 2011–12 | Lega Pro | 33 | 15 | 3 | 1 | — | — | 36 | 16 | ||
| Sassuolo | 2012–13 | Serie B | 33 | 11 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 11 | ||
| 2013–14 | Serie A | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 3 | 1 | |||
| 2014–15 | Serie A | 9 | 1 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 12 | 1 | |||
| Total | 44 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 50 | 13 | ||
| Varese (loan) | 2013–14 | Serie B | 36 | 20 | 1 | 0 | — | 2 | 4 | 39 | 24 | |
| Genoa | 2014–15 | Serie A | 10 | 6 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 6 | ||
| 2015–16 | Serie A | 25 | 14 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 26 | 15 | |||
| 2016–17 | Serie A | 9 | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 10 | 4 | |||
| Total | 44 | 23 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 46 | 25 | ||
| Napoli | 2016–17 | Serie A | 6 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 0 | ||
| Cagliari (loan) | 2017–18 | Serie A | 33 | 11 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 33 | 11 | ||
| Cagliari | 2018–19 | Serie A | 32 | 16 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 34 | 18 | ||
| 2019–20 | Serie A | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2020–21 | Serie A | 31 | 4 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 4 | |||
| 2021–22 | Serie A | 33 | 5 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 35 | 6 | |||
| 2022–23 | Serie B | 26 | 7 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 28 | 7 | |||
| 2023–24 | Serie A | 19 | 4 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 20 | 4 | |||
| 2024–25 | Serie A | 11 | 1 | 2 | 1 | — | — | 13 | 2 | |||
| Total | 187 | 48 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 199 | 51 | ||
| Career total | 358 | 118 | 28 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 388 | 129 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 2019 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 1 | 1 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 March 2019 | Stadio Ennio Tardini,Parma, Italy |  Liechtenstein | 6–0 | 6–0 | UEFA Euro 2020 qualification |
Sassuolo
Individual
