1. Overview
Daniele Paponi (born on April 16, 1988) is an Italian footballer who plays primarily as a forward. Standing at 70 in (179 cm), Paponi began his youth career at Ancona and Parma, making his Serie A debut at just 17 years old. His professional journey has included spells with notable Italian clubs such as Bologna, Bari, and various teams in Serie C, alongside a significant loan period with Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer. Throughout his career, he has achieved successes, including winning the Canadian Championship with Montreal Impact and the Serie C title with Bari. He currently plays for Serie D club Castelfidardo.
2. Club career
Daniele Paponi's professional career spans over a decade, featuring numerous transfers and loan spells across Italy's top divisions and even an international stint in North America. His journey reflects a forward's determination to find consistent playing time and contribute goals for his respective clubs.
2.1. Youth and early career
Paponi commenced his football journey in the youth ranks of Ancona, where he developed his skills. In the summer of 2004, following the unfortunate folding of Ancona, he became a free agent. Seizing the opportunity, Paponi accepted an offer from Parma and subsequently joined the `ducalidukesItalian` youth team.
His talent quickly saw him ascend to the senior level. Paponi made his Serie A debut at the age of 17 on October 22, 2005. He also debuted at the European level in the 2006-07 UEFA Cup, where he impressively scored two goals. His first Serie A goal came in an away league match against Messina on December 20, 2006, a game that ended in a 1-1 draw. Paponi's equalizer was a spectacular reversed bicycle kick, immediately dubbed a "scorpion kick," and was widely celebrated as one of the finest goals of the league season.
2.2. Parma and initial loan spells
Despite his promising start, Paponi found it challenging to secure a regular spot in Parma's first team during the 2007-08 season. In January 2008, he accepted a loan move to Serie B club Cesena, where he scored two goals in 21 appearances.
For the 2008-09 season, he returned to Parma, which was then in Serie B. He played seven games and scored twice before being loaned out again in January 2009. This time, he joined Rimini as part of a deal that saw Daniele Vantaggiato, then the Serie B topscorer, move to Parma. Following his stint at Rimini, Paponi was also loaned to Perugia for the 2009-10 season, playing 21 matches in Lega Pro.
2.3. Bologna and Montreal Impact
On June 10, 2010, Parma and Bologna completed a co-ownership deal involving Paponi and Gabriele Paonessa from Bologna. Both players' 50% registration rights were valued at 600.00 K EUR. Paponi signed a five-year contract with Bologna worth 120.00 K EUR annually net, plus bonuses. The deal, while not a success on the field for either player, proved financially beneficial for both clubs, contributing 1.20 M EUR in player selling profit in the 2009-10 season. However, this profit was offset by the amortization of the buying cost over the five-year contract length (2010 to 2015). Paponi's wage also became a financial burden for Bologna by 2013.
Paponi struggled to break into Bologna's first team, making only one appearance in the 2011-12 Serie A season. In June 2012, the co-ownership agreement was resolved, with Paponi definitively joining Bologna. During the 2012-13 season, he missed several games due to injuries. His limited opportunities meant he only played three 2012-13 Serie A games, all as a substitute. In April 2013, he traveled to Canada for a trial with Montreal Impact.
On April 19, 2013, Paponi officially joined Montreal Impact on loan until December 31, 2013. He scored his first goal for the club on June 29, 2013, in a MLS match against Colorado Rapids, where he impressively netted a brace. He also played one match for Montreal Impact Reserves in the MLS Reserve League, scoring two goals.
2.4. Return to Ancona (2014) and Latina
On August 4, 2014, Paponi returned to Ancona, joining the third-tier club on a temporary deal. He played 23 games and scored 5 goals during the 2014-15 Lega Pro season.
On August 20, 2015, Paponi signed a free transfer with U.S. Latina Calcio for 730.00 K EUR, as part of a deal that saw Marco Crimi move in the opposite direction to Bologna. Paponi signed a two-year contract with Latina, where he played 31 league games and scored 4 goals across the 2015-16 and 2016-17 Serie B seasons.
2.5. Later career in Serie C
Paponi's career then transitioned to a more extensive period in Serie C. On January 20, 2017, he left Latina to join Juve Stabia. He renewed his contract with the club on August 11, extending his stay with a reduced wage. He was a consistent part of the first-team squad for the entire 2017 pre-season. With Juve Stabia, he made 69 league appearances, scoring 23 goals, and contributed to their promotion playoffs, where he scored one goal in five appearances.
On August 1, 2019, Paponi signed with Piacenza, where he played 23 league matches and scored 13 goals in the 2019-20 Serie C season. He then moved to Padova on September 1, 2020, signing a two-year contract. With Padova, he made 16 league appearances, participating in six promotion playoff matches.
On September 1, 2021, Paponi joined Bari, another prominent Serie C club. He played 17 league games and scored 3 goals during the 2021-22 Serie C season. He continued his Serie C journey by signing with Imolese on January 6, 2023. Most recently, on September 20, 2023, Paponi signed a one-season contract with Fermana.
3. Career statistics
The following table details Daniele Paponi's professional appearances and goals by club, season, and competition as of April 16, 2022. The 'Other' column includes appearances in MLS Cup Playoffs and promotion playoff matches.
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Other | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Parma | 2005-06 | Serie A | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 6 | 0 | |
| 2006-07 | Serie A | 11 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | 13 | 1 | ||
| 2007-08 | Serie A | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 8 | 0 | ||
| 2008-09 | Serie B | 7 | 2 | 2 | 1 | - | 9 | 3 | ||
| Total | 30 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 4 | ||
| Cesena (loan) | 2007-08 | Serie B | 22 | 2 | - | - | 22 | 2 | ||
| Rimini (loan) | 2008-09 | Serie B | 14 | 1 | - | - | 14 | 1 | ||
| Perugia (loan) | 2009-10 | Lega Pro | 21 | 0 | - | - | 21 | 0 | ||
| Bologna | 2010-11 | Serie A | 14 | 2 | 2 | 0 | - | 16 | 2 | |
| 2011-12 | Serie A | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | - | 4 | 1 | ||
| 2012-13 | Serie A | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 4 | 0 | ||
| 2013-14 | Serie A | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 3 | 0 | ||
| Total | 21 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 3 | ||
| Montreal Impact Reserves | 2013 | MLS Reserve League | 1 | 2 | - | - | 1 | 2 | ||
| Montreal Impact (loan) | 2013 | MLS | 16 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 19 | 3 |
| Ancona (loan) | 2014-15 | Lega Pro | 23 | 5 | 0 | 0 | - | 23 | 5 | |
| Latina | 2015-16 | Serie B | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | - | 12 | 1 | |
| 2016-17 | Serie B | 19 | 3 | 2 | 1 | - | 21 | 4 | ||
| Total | 31 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 33 | 5 | ||
| Juve Stabia | 2016-17 | Lega Pro | 14 | 4 | - | 2 | 0 | 16 | 4 | |
| 2017-18 | Serie C | 24 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 29 | 10 | |
| 2018-19 | Serie C | 31 | 12 | 2 | 1 | - | 33 | 13 | ||
| Total | 69 | 23 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 78 | 27 | ||
| Piacenza | 2019-20 | Serie C | 23 | 13 | 2 | 0 | - | 25 | 13 | |
| Padova | 2020-21 | Serie C | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| 2021-22 | Serie C | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | ||
| Total | 16 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 24 | 0 | ||
| Bari | 2021-22 | Serie C | 17 | 3 | - | - | 17 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 304 | 60 | 24 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 340 | 68 | ||
4. Honours
Daniele Paponi has achieved the following championship titles and significant awards with his clubs:
- Canadian Championship
- Winner: 2013 (with Montreal Impact)
- Serie C
- Group C Winner: 2021-22 (with Bari)