1. Overview
Andrea Poli (Andrea Polianˈdrɛːa ˈpɔːliItalian) is an Italian professional footballer who primarily plays as a midfielder. Born in Vittorio Veneto on September 29, 1989, Poli began his professional career at the age of 17 with his hometown club, Treviso. His career has seen him play for several prominent Italian clubs, including Sampdoria, Inter Milan, AC Milan, and Bologna, before moving to Turkish club Antalyaspor and later returning to Italy with Modena and currently Pro Sesto. He has also represented Italy at various youth levels, including the U-19 and U-21 teams, and earned caps for the senior national team.
2. Early Life and Background
Andrea Poli's football journey began in his hometown, where he quickly rose through the ranks to make his professional debut at a young age.
2.1. Birth and Childhood
Andrea Poli was born on September 29, 1989, in Vittorio Veneto, Italy.
2.2. Early Career
Poli started his professional career in Serie B with his native club, Treviso. He made his professional debut at just 17 years, 2 months, and 10 days old under manager Ezio Rossi, in a 3-2 loss against Genoa C.F.C. on December 9, 2006. On January 31, 2007, he was signed by Serie A club Sampdoria in a joint ownership deal, but was immediately loaned back to Treviso until he officially became a member of Sampdoria at the end of the season. He made three further appearances for Treviso during the 2006-07 season.
3. Club Career
Andrea Poli has played for a number of clubs throughout his professional career, making significant contributions across various leagues.
3.1. Treviso
After his professional debut in December 2006, Andrea Poli continued to play for Treviso on loan from Sampdoria for the remainder of the 2006-07 season, making a total of four appearances for the club.
3.2. Sampdoria
On November 4, 2007, Andrea Poli made his Serie A debut for Sampdoria in a 0-3 away win against Cagliari, under manager Walter Mazzarri, at the age of 18 years, 1 month, and 6 days. He was also on the bench for six other matches during the 2007-08 season. Poli was part of Sampdoria's Primavera (Under-20) squad that won the Campionato Nazionale Primavera in the 2007-08 season.
3.2.1. Sassuolo (loan)
In the 2008-09 season, Poli was loaned out to the Serie B club Sassuolo to gain more experience. At Sassuolo, he had a breakout season, making 33 appearances across the Coppa Italia and Serie B, and managing five goals and three assists. A highlight of his season was scoring both of Sassuolo's goals in a 2-1 away win against U.S. Grosseto F.C.. During this period, Poli also represented Italy's U-19, U-20, and U-21 youth national teams.
3.2.2. Inter Milan (loan)
Upon his return to Sampdoria in the summer of 2009, Poli became a key player for the team, contributing to their fourth-place finish in the league. He made 32 appearances as a central midfield playmaker and provided three assists. The following season, Poli played less due to injuries and a decline in form, as Sampdoria experienced a difficult season. The team was eliminated from UEFA Champions League qualifying by SV Werder Bremen, exited the UEFA Europa League at the group stage, and was eventually relegated from Serie A, finishing fourteen places lower than the previous season.
On August 29, 2011, Poli joined Internazionale on a season-long loan, with Inter having an option to buy him permanently in 2012. After missing most of the first half of the season due to injury, Poli had a strong second half, making 21 appearances for the Italian giants. He scored his first goal for Inter in a Coppa Italia match against Genoa in a 2-1 win on January 19, 2012. He also made his UEFA Champions League debut against Olympique de Marseille. Despite his good performances, Internazionale did not exercise their buy option, and he returned to Sampdoria. Andrea returned to Sampdoria, who had been promoted back to Serie A after just one season in Serie B. He made 32 appearances in the 2012-13 season, scoring a career-high three goals.
3.3. AC Milan
On July 8, 2013, Poli joined AC Milan, becoming their third signing of summer 2013 for 3.00 M EUR, which included 1.40 M EUR plus 50% of the rights to Bartosz Salamon in a co-ownership deal. In his first season with the Rossoneri, Andrea made 37 appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals and providing four assists, marking a promising start to his Milan career. Milan purchased his full rights on June 9, 2014. Poli initially played a significant role at Milan but gradually saw his playing time decrease, and his contract expired in June 2017, leading to his departure.
3.4. Bologna
On July 1, 2017, Andrea Poli permanently joined Bologna, signing a four-year contract. The new contract was reported to be worth 800.00 K EUR net per season. On October 15, he scored his first goal for the rossoblù in a 2-1 victory against SPAL.
3.5. Antalyaspor
On July 23, 2021, Poli signed a three-year deal with Turkish Süper Lig club Antalyaspor. This marked his first experience playing in a league outside of Italy. During his time with Antalyaspor, he was a key player, making 32 official appearances.
3.6. Modena
After his contract with Antalyaspor expired, Poli remained without a club for over a month. On September 29, 2022, he joined Modena in Serie B for the 2022-23 season, marking his return to the Italian second division after six seasons.
3.7. Pro Sesto
On February 7, 2024, Poli signed with Serie C club Pro Sesto.
4. International Career
Andrea Poli has represented Italy at various levels, from youth teams to the senior national squad.
4.1. Youth Career
Poli was part of the squad for the 2008 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship, where he scored two goals in the first round. Italy finished as runners-up in the tournament. On February 11, 2009, he made his debut with the Italy U-21 squad in a 1-1 friendly draw against Sweden, played at the Stadio Nereo Rocco in Trieste. He was called up by manager Pierluigi Casiraghi for the 2009 European Championships that summer, but he did not make an appearance. Italy reached the semi-finals of the tournament, where they were eliminated 1-0 by eventual champions Germany. He scored his first goal for the U-21 side later that year, on September 8, in a 2-0 home win over Luxembourg in a Euro 2011 qualifier.
4.2. Senior Team Career
After receiving his first senior international call-up from Cesare Prandelli on August 10, 2012, Poli made his debut with the Italian senior team on August 15. He came on for Alberto Aquilani in the second half of a 2-1 friendly loss to England. On May 31, 2013, he scored his first goal with the national team in a 4-0 friendly win against San Marino in Bologna. Poli was initially included in Italy's 31-man preliminary squad for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, but he was ultimately excluded from the final 23-man squad.
5. Style of Play
Andrea Poli mainly operates as an offensive-minded central midfielder, a role known as the "mezzalaItalian" in Italy, due to his ability to support his team both offensively and defensively. He can also be deployed as an attacking midfielder, or even as a defensive midfielder in front of the back-line. On occasion, he has also been fielded as a full-back. Poli is described as a versatile and energetic player, standing 72 in (182 cm) tall and weighing 170 lb (77 kg), possessing good technical and creative qualities that enable him to initiate attacking plays after winning back the ball. He also has an eye for goal, demonstrated by his accurate striking ability from distance. He has been praised for his stamina, work-rate, ability to read the game, and his tactical intelligence and discipline. Poli has been compared to Daniele De Rossi, and he has cited Andrea Pirlo, Frank Lampard, and Steven Gerrard as his role models, with a particular focus on Gerrard.
6. Career Statistics
Andrea Poli's career statistics reflect his extensive time in Italian football and his brief spell abroad.
6.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Treviso | 2006-07 | Serie B | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 4 | 0 | ||
| Total | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 4 | 0 | ||||
| Sampdoria | 2007-08 | Serie A | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2009-10 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 32 | 0 | ||||
| 2010-11 | 21 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5[A] | 0 | - | 28 | 0 | |||
| 2012-13 | 31 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 32 | 3 | ||||
| Total | 84 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 | - | 93 | 3 | |||
| Sassulo (loan) | 2008-09 | Serie B | 32 | 5 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 33 | 5 | ||
| Total | 32 | 5 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 33 | 5 | ||||
| Internazionale (loan) | 2011-12 | Serie A | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1[B] | 0 | - | 20 | 1 | |
| Total | 18 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | 20 | 1 | |||
| AC Milan | 2013-14 | Serie A | 26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 10[B] | 0 | - | 37 | 2 | |
| 2014-15 | 33 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 35 | 1 | ||||
| 2015-16 | 18 | 0 | 6 | 0 | - | - | 24 | 0 | ||||
| 2016-17 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | |||
| Total | 90 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 109 | 3 | ||
| Bologna | 2017-18 | Serie A | 32 | 2 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 33 | 2 | ||
| 2018-19 | 30 | 4 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 32 | 4 | ||||
| 2019-20 | 28 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 30 | 3 | ||||
| 2020-21 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 19 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 108 | 9 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 114 | 10 | ||
| Antalyaspor | 2021-22 | Süper Lig | 28 | 0 | 3 | 0 | - | 1[C] | 0 | 32 | 0 | |
| Modena | 2022-23 | Serie B | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 11 | 0 | ||
| Pro Sesto | 2023-24 | Serie C | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 10 | 0 | ||
| Career total | 385 | 20 | 23 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 426 | 22 | ||
A One appearance in UEFA Champions League, Four appearances in Europa League
B All appearances in UEFA Champions League
C Appearance in Turkish Super Cup
6.2. International
| Italy national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 |
| 2013 | 3 | 1 |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 5 | 1 |
7. Honours
Andrea Poli has accumulated several team honours throughout his career at both club and international youth levels.
- AC Milan
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2016
- U.C. Sampdoria
- Campionato Nazionale Primavera: 2007-08 (Youth)
- Coppa Italia: 2008-09 (Runner-up)
- Internazionale
- Coppa Italia: 2011-12
- Italy U21
- UEFA European Under-21 Championship bronze: 2009
8. External links
- [http://www.legaseriea.it/en/serie-a-tim/calciatore?p_p_id=BDC_dettaglio_calciatore_WAR_LegaCalcioBDC&p_p_lifecycle=0&p_p_state=normal&p_p_mode=view&p_p_col_id=column-1&p_p_col_pos=1&p_p_col_count=2&_BDC_dettaglio_calciatore_WAR_LegaCalcioBDC_idPersona=45747 Profile on Lega-Calcio.it]
- [https://www.transfermarkt.com/andrea-poli/profil/spieler/44834 Andrea Poli at Transfermarkt]