1. Early Life and Youth Career
Matteo Politano, whose family originates from Calabria, specifically Fiumefreddo Bruzio, embarked on his football journey through the youth ranks of A.S. Roma. His formative years at the club were marked by significant successes in youth tournaments, laying the groundwork for his eventual professional career. Following his tenure with AS Roma's youth teams, he was loaned to Perugia, where he made his professional debut and began to establish himself as a promising talent.
1.1. AS Roma Youth
Politano joined the youth system of A.S. Roma in 2004. During his time with the club's youth squad, he achieved notable success. He was a part of the team that won the 2010 "Allievi" (Under-17) league. Further accomplishments include winning the 2011 Campionato Nazionale Primavera and the 2012 Coppa Italia Primavera. In the 2011-12 season, Politano was the sixth-highest scorer for Roma's youth team, netting 7 goals. Other prominent youth players alongside him during this period included Junior Tallo, Nicolás López, Gianluca Leonardi, Federico Viviani, and Giammario Piscitella.
1.2. Perugia Loan and Professional Debut
In July 2012, Politano was loaned to Perugia for a one-year spell. This move marked his entry into professional football, as he made his debut in the Coppa Italia competition. During the 2012-13 Lega Pro Prima Divisione season, Politano quickly became a key player, featuring as a starting forward. He demonstrated his attacking prowess early on, scoring 3 goals in his first 5 league matches in September of that season. For Perugia, he made 28 league appearances with 8 goals, 3 Coppa Italia appearances, and 4 other appearances with 2 goals, totaling 35 appearances and 10 goals.
2. Club Career
Matteo Politano's club career has seen him play for several Italian teams, transitioning through various leagues and making a significant impact at each stop. His journey from Pescara to Sassuolo, then to Inter Milan, and finally to Napoli, showcases his growth and adaptability as a professional footballer.
2.1. Pescara
On 30 June 2013, Politano was signed by Pescara for 500.00 K EUR. This transfer was part of a broader agreement that saw Gianluca Caprari return to Roma for 2.00 M EUR, while Politano and Piscitella moved to Pescara. However, the complex deal saw Caprari return to Pescara again for 1.50 M EUR in January 2014, with Piscitella moving in the opposite direction for the same amount. Politano remained with Pescara, playing in Serie B. In the 2013-14 season, he made 31 league appearances, scoring 6 goals, along with 1 Coppa Italia appearance. The following season (2014-15), he played 41 league matches, scoring 5 goals, and participated in 3 Coppa Italia games. He also featured in 5 Serie B promotion play-off matches, scoring 1 goal. Overall, Politano made 72 league appearances for Pescara, scoring 11 goals, with an additional 4 appearances in the Coppa Italia and 5 in play-off matches, bringing his total to 81 appearances and 12 goals for the club. On 27 June 2015, Roma re-acquired Politano for 601.00 K EUR, while Caprari's move to Pescara was made permanent for 125.00 K EUR.
2.2. Sassuolo
Following his return to Roma, Politano was quickly on the move again. On 2 July 2015, Sassuolo, a Serie A club, acquired Politano on a temporary deal that included an option to purchase him permanently. This option was exercised by Sassuolo in June 2016, making his transfer permanent. He made his Serie A debut on 23 August 2015, in a match against Napoli. His first Serie A goal came on 20 September 2015, in a match against his former club, AS Roma, which helped Sassuolo secure a draw.
In the 2015-16 season, Politano made 28 league appearances, scoring 5 goals, and played in 1 Coppa Italia match. He continued to be a key player in the 2016-17 season, with 32 league appearances and 5 goals, along with 1 Coppa Italia appearance. During this season, Sassuolo also participated in European competitions, and Politano featured in 9 UEFA Europa League matches, scoring 3 goals. On 23 August 2017, at the start of the 2017-18 season, Sassuolo extended Politano's contract until 2022, underscoring his importance to the team. That season, he achieved a career-first double-digit goal tally, scoring 10 goals in 36 Serie A appearances and 1 goal in 3 Coppa Italia matches. He notably scored in three consecutive matches from 31 March to 15 April 2018, against Napoli and Benevento. In total for Sassuolo, Politano recorded 96 league appearances with 20 goals, 5 Coppa Italia appearances with 1 goal, and 9 European appearances with 3 goals, accumulating 110 appearances and 24 goals.
2.3. Inter Milan
On 30 June 2018, Politano made a significant move to Inter Milan, joining the club on a season-long loan deal from Sassuolo, which included an option to buy him permanently in June 2019. He made his official debut for Inter on 19 August 2018, in the opening match of the 2018-19 Serie A season against his parent club Sassuolo, which ended in a 1-0 away loss for Inter. On 15 September, Politano played his 100th Serie A match in a home fixture against Parma, which resulted in a surprising 1-0 defeat. Two weeks later, on 18 September, he made his debut in the UEFA Champions League during a 2-1 comeback victory over Tottenham Hotspur at San Siro in the first group stage match. His first goal for Inter came on 29 September in a league match against Cagliari, where he scored Inter's second goal with a long-range strike in a 2-0 home win. Throughout the 2018-19 Inter Milan season, Politano proved to be an exceptionally active player, making 48 appearances across all competitions, second only to goalkeeper Samir Handanović in terms of playing time among outfield players. Due to his consistent performance, Inter exercised their option to buy Politano from Sassuolo on 19 June 2019, making his transfer permanent.
However, with the arrival of new head coach Antonio Conte and a subsequent tactical shift from a 4-3-3 to a 3-5-2 formation, Politano's role in the team diminished, and he soon found himself out of the regular starting lineup. In January 2020, Politano underwent a medical examination at A.S. Roma, as a transfer deal involving an exchange for Leonardo Spinazzola was being negotiated. Despite initial progress, the transfer ultimately collapsed because Inter was not entirely satisfied with Spinazzola's physical condition and failed to renegotiate the terms of the deal.
2.4. Napoli
On 28 January 2020, following the breakdown of his transfer to Roma, Politano moved to Napoli on a two-year loan agreement that included an obligation for a permanent transfer. He quickly made his mark, scoring the only goal in a crucial 1-0 away victory over Real Sociedad in the 2020-21 UEFA Europa League on 29 October 2020. During his loan spell with Napoli (covering the latter half of the 2019-20 season and the full 2020-21 season), he made a significant impact. In the 2019-20 season, he played 15 league matches, scoring 2 goals, along with 3 Coppa Italia appearances and 2 UEFA Champions League appearances. The 2020-21 season saw him play 37 league matches, scoring 9 goals, 4 Coppa Italia appearances with 1 goal, 8 UEFA Europa League appearances with 1 goal, and 1 Supercoppa Italiana appearance. He achieved 50 appearances and 11 goals in the 2020-21 season.
After his loan spell, Politano's move to Napoli became permanent. In the 2021-22 season, he made 33 league appearances, scoring 3 goals, with 1 Coppa Italia appearance and 5 UEFA Europa League appearances, scoring 2 goals. The 2022-23 season proved to be a historic one for Napoli, as they won the Serie A title for the first time in 33 years. Politano contributed significantly to this success, making 27 league appearances and scoring 3 goals, alongside 1 Coppa Italia appearance and 9 UEFA Champions League appearances, scoring 1 goal. In the 2023-24 season, he continued his strong performance, with 37 league appearances and 8 goals, 1 Coppa Italia appearance, 8 UEFA Champions League appearances with 1 goal, and 2 Supercoppa Italiana appearances, totaling 48 appearances and 9 goals. As of 23 February 2025, in the 2024-25 season, Politano has made 25 league appearances and scored 2 goals, with 2 Coppa Italia appearances. His contributions have made him an integral part of Napoli's success.
3. International Career
Matteo Politano has represented Italy at various youth levels before making his mark on the senior national team.
Politano received his initial call-up to the Italy U19 squad in December 2011 for a match against the Italy U20 "C" side. He subsequently played in two matches during the team's 2012 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship elite qualification campaign, appearing as a substitute for Elio De Silvestro. Additionally, he featured in two friendly matches prior to the elite round of the competition. According to Japanese sources, he made 3 appearances for the U-19 team and 7 appearances for the U-20 team, scoring 3 goals, and 2 appearances for the U-21 team.
His first call-up to the senior squad came on 5 November 2016, under manager Gian Piero Ventura, for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Liechtenstein and a friendly match against Germany. Politano made his senior international debut for Italy on 28 May 2018, under manager Roberto Mancini, starting in a 2-1 friendly victory over Saudi Arabia. He scored his first goal for Italy on his second international cap, in the 94th minute of a 1-0 friendly match win against the United States, which was held in Genk on 20 November 2018. He scored two more goals in a friendly against San Marino on 28 May 2021, contributing to Italy's 7-0 victory.
4. Style of Play
Matteo Politano is characterized as a quick and diminutive left-footed player with a keen eye for goal. He possesses excellent pace, vision, and technique, coupled with strong dribbling ability at speed. His close control and capacity for first-time passing in confined spaces further enhance his offensive contributions.
As a versatile player, Politano is typically deployed as a winger, capable of operating effectively on either the right or left flank. His skill set also allows him to play in various other attacking roles across the front line, including that of a second striker. In addition to his on-the-ball abilities, Politano is noted for his powerful long-range shot and poses a significant threat from set-pieces.
5. Personal Life
Matteo Politano's personal life includes his marital status and family. He was married to Silvia Di Vincenzo in June 2018. Later, he became engaged to Ginevra Sozzi, a public relations professional. On 17 June 2021, Politano and Sozzi welcomed their first daughter, Giselle.
In November 2021, Politano tested positive for COVID-19 during the pandemic in Italy. He was reported to be asymptomatic at the time of the announcement on 20 November 2021. He made a full recovery from the infection by 29 November 2021.
6. Career Statistics
This section details Matteo Politano's career statistics, including his appearances and goals for both club and national teams, across various competitions and seasons.
6.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | Coppa Italia | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Perugia | 2012-13 | Lega Pro | 28 | 8 | 3 | 0 | - | 4 | 2 | 35 | 10 | |
| Pescara | 2013-14 | Serie B | 31 | 6 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 32 | 6 | ||
| 2014-15 | 41 | 5 | 3 | 0 | - | 5 | 1 | 49 | 6 | |||
| Total | 72 | 11 | 4 | 0 | - | 5 | 1 | 81 | 12 | |||
| Sassuolo | 2015-16 | Serie A | 28 | 5 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 29 | 5 | ||
| 2016-17 | 32 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 3 | - | 42 | 8 | |||
| 2017-18 | 36 | 10 | 3 | 1 | - | - | 39 | 11 | ||||
| Total | 96 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 3 | - | 110 | 24 | |||
| Inter Milan | 2018-19 | Serie A | 36 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 1 | - | 48 | 6 | |
| 2019-20 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | - | 15 | 0 | |||
| Total | 47 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 1 | - | 63 | 6 | |||
| Napoli (loan) | 2019-20 | Serie A | 15 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 20 | 2 | |
| 2020-21 | 37 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 50 | 11 | ||
| Napoli | 2021-22 | 33 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 2 | - | 39 | 5 | ||
| 2022-23 | 27 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 | - | 37 | 4 | |||
| 2023-24 | 37 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 48 | 9 | ||
| 2024-25 | 25 | 2 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 27 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 174 | 27 | 12 | 1 | 32 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 221 | 33 | ||
| Career total | 417 | 71 | 26 | 2 | 55 | 9 | 12 | 3 | 510 | 85 | ||
6.2. International
Politano's international career statistics, reflecting his appearances and goals for the Italy national team across different years.
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy | 2018 | 2 | 1 |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 1 | 2 | |
| 2022 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2023 | 4 | 0 | |
| Total | 12 | 3 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 20 November 2018 | Luminus Arena, Genk, Belgium | United States | 1-0 | 1-0 | Friendly |
| 2. | 28 May 2021 | Sardegna Arena, Cagliari, Italy | San Marino | 3-0 | 7-0 | |
| 3. | 6-0 |
7. Honours
Matteo Politano has achieved several notable titles and individual accolades throughout his professional career at both club and personal levels.
Napoli
- Serie A: 2022-23
- Coppa Italia: 2019-20
Individual
- Serie A Goal of the Month: April 2024