1. Manuel Locatelli was born on 8 January 1998 and is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Serie A club Juventus, whom he captains, and the Italy national team.
19 Facts About Manuel Locatelli
1. 2.
Manuel Locatelli moved to Sassuolo in 2018, before joining Juventus in 2021.
3.
Manuel Locatelli represents Italy in international football, and was part of the country's victorious UEFA Euro 2020 squad.
4.
In March 2015, Manuel Locatelli signed his first professional contract with Milan, effective from 1 July 2015 until 30 June 2018.
5.
Manuel Locatelli received his first ever call-up to Milan's senior team ahead of the away game against Udinese played on 22 September 2015; he remained an unused substitute.
6.
Manuel Locatelli finished the season with only 15 starts and 18 sub-ins.
7.
Manuel Locatelli agreed to depart yet submitted a full transfer request, later citing a perceived lack of trust in him from the club as the main reason for his decision.
8.
On 13 August 2018, Manuel Locatelli transferred to Sassuolo on loan with an obligation to buy.
9.
At Juventus, Manuel Locatelli reunited with Massimiliano Allegri, who had once been the head coach of Milan and called up Manuel Locatelli to train with the senior team in 2013 aged 15.
10.
On 9 November 2023, Manuel Locatelli signed a five-year contract extension with Juventus.
11.
On 22 November 2024, Manuel Locatelli captained Juventus in the Serie A game against Milan at the San Siro, which ended in a scoreless draw.
12.
Manuel Locatelli was part of the Italy U17 team at the 2015 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.
13.
Manuel Locatelli took part in the 2016 Under-19 Championship with the under-19 side, as Italy finished runners-up.
14.
Manuel Locatelli additionally took part in the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
15.
In June 2021, Manuel Locatelli was included in Italy's squad for UEFA Euro 2020 by manager Roberto Mancini.
16.
Manuel Locatelli is primarily deployed as a deep-lying midfielder, usually operating in a defensive role in front of the team's defence, in a position similar to that of his idol Andrea Pirlo, due to his ability to create chances or dictate the tempo of his team's play in midfield with his passing range.
17.
Manuel Locatelli's reading of the game, defensive work-rate, tactical intelligence, and ball-winning abilities are optimal for a defensive midfielder.
18.
Manuel Locatelli's playing style has been compared to that of Argentine midfielder Fernando Redondo, but with more of an offensive mindset, due to his ability to make late attacking runs off the ball from behind; he has been likened to other playmakers such as Xavi, Zinedine Zidane, and Demetrio Albertini.
19.
Not long before Manuel Locatelli signed with Juventus, former long-term club player Alessio Tacchinardi compared him to himself and Antonio Conte, calling Manuel Locatelli a mix of both.