Guido Marilungo

2.1. Birth and Early Development

Guido Marilungo was born on August 9, 1989, in Montegranaro, a municipality located in the Province of Fermo within the Marche region of Italy. He took his initial steps in football with his hometown club, Montegranaro, playing there until he was 14 years old. At this age, his talent was recognized by FIFA agent Silvio Pagliari, who facilitated his move to Sampdoria.

2.2. Sampdoria Youth Teams

Upon joining Sampdoria, Marilungo was integrated into their Giovanissimi Nazionali (under-15) squad for the 2003-04 season. He progressed through the club's youth system, becoming a key player in the Sampdoria under-20 team during the 2007-08 season. His contributions were instrumental in helping the team achieve a significant "double" by winning both the Campionato Nazionale Primavera and the Coppa Italia Primavera titles. In 2008, he also contributed to winning the Supercoppa Primavera.

3.1. Sampdoria (2008-2011)

Marilungo made his Serie A debut for Sampdoria on January 11, 2009, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 2-0 home league loss against Palermo. Just over three months later, on April 26, 2009, he made his first senior start in a match against Cagliari, scoring two goals in a thrilling 3-3 draw, marking his first professional goals. On September 12, 2010, he signed a new five-year contract with Sampdoria. However, at the end of the 2010-11 season, Sampdoria was relegated from Serie A.

3.2. Lecce Loan (2009-2010)

On August 27, 2009, Marilungo joined Serie B club Lecce on a one-year loan deal. During his time there, he proved to be a significant asset, scoring 13 goals in 35 appearances. His impactful performances contributed to Lecce's success, as the club won the Serie B title in the 2009-10 season.

3.3. Atalanta (2011-2018)

In January 2011, approximately four months after signing his new contract with Sampdoria, Marilungo moved to Atalanta in a deal worth 4.70 M EUR for a four-and-a-half-year contract. This transfer coincided with Atalanta's promotion to Serie A at the end of the 2010-11 season. In the subsequent 2011-12 Serie A season, he made 18 appearances and scored 4 goals. However, his tenure at Atalanta was marked by significant knee injuries, which led to long periods of absence, notably during the 2011-12 and 2012-13 seasons. Despite these setbacks, he signed a new contract with Atalanta in 2013, extending his commitment until 2017. Atalanta also won the Serie B title in the 2010-11 season, just as Sampdoria was relegated.

3.4. Subsequent Loans and Transfers (2014-present)

After his initial period at Atalanta, Guido Marilungo embarked on several loan spells and permanent transfers, seeking consistent playing time.

On January 17, 2014, Marilungo was loaned to Serie B club Cesena, where he made 32 appearances and scored 6 goals. The following year, on August 28, 2015, he left Atalanta again for Virtus Lanciano on loan, playing 34 matches and netting 7 goals. His third successive loan spell came on August 26, 2016, when he joined Empoli, where he made 20 appearances but did not score. On August 31, 2017, he was loaned to Spezia in Serie B, making 39 appearances and scoring 10 goals during his season there.

On September 18, 2018, Marilungo signed a two-year permanent contract with Serie C side Ternana. During his time at Ternana, he accumulated 66 appearances and scored 13 goals across various periods. His subsequent career involved a series of further loan moves:

• On October 3, 2020, he moved to Monopoli on loan, where he played 13 matches.
• On January 13, 2021, he was loaned to Carrarese, making 20 appearances and scoring 5 goals.
• On August 4, 2021, he joined Pescara on loan, appearing in 9 matches.
• On January 28, 2022, he moved on a new loan to Pro Sesto, playing 14 matches.
• On July 13, 2022, Marilungo was loaned to Recanatese, where he made 23 appearances.
• In 2023, he joined Barletta on a permanent deal, playing 14 matches and scoring 2 goals.
• Most recently, in 2024, he joined Montegranaro, making 0 appearances and scoring 0 goals as of early 2024.

4.1. Italy U-20 and U-21 National Teams

Marilungo earned one cap for the Italy U-20 team, though he did not score. He made his debut for the Italy U-21 team on September 8, 2009, in a match against the Luxembourg U-21 team. During his time with the Italy U-21 squad, he made 7 appearances and scored 2 goals.

5.1. Key Attributes and Playing Style

A diminutive, creative, and versatile player, Marilungo initially began his career as an attacking midfielder. However, his skills allowed him to adapt to several offensive positions, including a main striker, second striker, or winger. He is particularly noted for his impressive pace, refined technique, powerful striking ability with his right foot, and keen eye for goal. His overall effectiveness stems from his ability to both score goals and create opportunities for his teammates. At his peak, Marilungo's height was recorded at 69 in ^{(176 cm)} and his weight at 152 lb ^{(69 kg)}.

5.2. Career Assessment

Early in his career, Guido Marilungo was widely regarded as a highly promising young player. His potential was recognized internationally when, in 2010, the Spanish football magazine Don Balón named him as one of the 100 best young footballers in the world born after 1989. Despite his considerable talent and early promise, his professional career was significantly challenged by recurring knee injuries, which led to multiple periods of long-term absence from play.

6.1. Club

• Campionato Nazionale Primavera: 2007-08 (with Sampdoria)
• Coppa Italia Primavera: 2007-08 (with Sampdoria)
• Supercoppa Primavera: 2008 (with Sampdoria)
• Serie B: 2009-10 (with Lecce)
• Serie B: 2010-11 (with Atalanta)

6.2. Individual

• Torneo di Viareggio Golden Boy: 2009