Alex Meret

Alex Meret (Italian pronunciation: [ˈaleks meˈret]; born 22 March 1997) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Napoli and the Italy national team.

Alex Meret
Meret in 2017
Personal information
Full name Alex Meret[1]
Date of birth (1997-03-22) 22 March 1997
Place of birth Udine, Italy[2]
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[3]
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Napoli
Number 1
Youth career
2007–2012 Donatello Calcio[4]
2012–2015 Udinese
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2018 Udinese 0 (0)
2016–2017 → SPAL (loan) 30 (0)
2017–2018 → SPAL (loan) 13 (0)
2018– Napoli 40 (0)
National team‡
2012–2013 Italy U16 4 (0)
2013–2014 Italy U17 13 (0)
2014 Italy U18 2 (0)
2014–2016 Italy U19 19 (0)
2018–2019 Italy U21 5 (0)
2019– Italy 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15:40, 13 December 2020 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 21:44, 18 November 2019 (UTC)

Born in Udine, Meret began his career at an early age with amateur club Donatello Calcio before making a switch to the famous Udinese youth system in 2012. After rising through the academy system at the club, he made his senior debut in 2015. He later had spells on loan with SPAL, whom he helped win the Serie B title in 2017, and achieve promotion to Serie A. He joined Napoli in 2018.

At international level, Meret has represented Italy at U16, U17, U18, U19 and U21 levels, and made his senior debut for Italy in 2019.

Club career

Udinese

An Udinese youth product, Meret was promoted to the first team as second-choice goalkeeper behind Orestis Karnezis during the 2015–16 season. He made his senior professional debut on 2 December 2015 in the Coppa Italia against Atalanta.[5]

In July 2016, Meret was sent on loan to Serie B club SPAL.[6] He returned to SPAL on loan for the 2017–18 season.[7]

Napoli

On 5 July 2018, Meret signed with Napoli until 30 June 2023. The transfer fee agreed with Udinese was reported as €35 million.[8][9] He made his European debut on 14 February 2019, in a 3–1 away win over FC Zürich in the first leg of the round of 32 of the Europa League.[10][11]

He was initially often used in a rotational role along with David Ospina during his first two seasons with Napoli; however, under the club's new manager Gennaro Gattuso, he was relegated to the bench up until the season break due to the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020, as the coach favoured the Colombian shot-stopper due to his superior ability with the ball at his feet.[12][13] Due to a suspension to Ospina, however, Meret started in the 2020 Coppa Italia Final against Juventus on 17 June; following a goalless draw after regulation time, Meret saved Paulo Dybala's spot kick, helping his team earn a 4–2 penalty shoot-out victory.[14] Subsequently, Meret ended up in the rotation with Ospina again, starting every second match on average until the end of the season. This rotational role was maintained in the following 2020–21 season, with Ospina and Meret taking turns every other match in the Europa League and Serie A.[15]

International career

Meret was a crucial member in the Italian U19 national team which took part in the 2016 UEFA European Under-19 Championship, finishing as runner-up after losing in the final; he was named in the team of the tournament alongside Kylian Mbappé of France.[16][17]

In March 2017, following impressive performances for SPAL in Serie B, he was called up to the Italy squad for the World Cup qualification for a match against Albania and a friendly against the Netherlands.[18]

On 22 March 2018, he made his debut with the Italy U21 team, playing as starter in a friendly match against Norway.[19]

He took part in the 2019 UEFA European Under-21 Championship under manager Luigi Di Biagio,[20] as the team's first-choice goalkeeper.

Meret made his senior international debut for Italy under manager Roberto Mancini, on 18 November 2019, coming on as a substitute for Salvatore Sirigu in a 9–1 home win over Armenia, in Italy's final Euro 2020 qualifier.[21]

Style of play

Considered to be a talented and highly promising young goalkeeper in the Italian media,[22] Meret is an agile goalkeeper, who possesses good reactions and shot-stopping abilities, despite his height and imposing physique, and who is known for his handling and ability to rush off his line. He has also drawn praise in the media for his decision–making, maturity, and calm composure under pressure, as well as his discipline and work ethic, despite his youth; moreover, he is capable of organising his defence effectively. Although he is competent with his feet, his distribution has been cited as an area in need of improvement.[22][23][24][25] He has also struggled with physical problems and injuries throughout his career.[12]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 27 September 2020[26][27]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Udinese 2015–16 Serie A 0020——20
SPAL (loan) 2016–17 Serie B 30020——320
2017–18 Serie A 13000——130
Total 430200000450
Napoli 2018–19 Serie A 1401060—210
2019–20 2201060—290
2020–21 1000000010
Total 3702012000510
Career total 8006012000980

International
As of 18 November 2019[27]
National teamYearAppsGoals
Italy
201910
Total10

Honours

Club

SPAL[28]

Napoli[27]

International

Italy U19

Individual

References
  1. "Comunicato Ufficiale N. 175" [Official Press Release No. 175] (PDF) (in Italian). Lega Serie A. 5 March 2019. p. 3. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
  2. "La Juventus segue da vicino Alex Meret: sarà lui l'erede di Buffon?" (in Italian). Eurosport. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  3. "player summary:alex meret". Worldfootball. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
  4. "Alex Meret(In Italian)". calcionapoli24. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  5. "Udinese vs. Atalanta - 2 December 2015 - Soccerway". soccerway.com. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  6. Stefano Manfredini (6 July 2016). "Meret loaned to Spal" (in Italian). Il Resto del Carlino. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
  7. "Meret return to Ferrara". goal.com. 1 August 2017. Retrieved 1 August 2017.
  8. Gladwell, Ben (5 July 2018). "Napoli sign Fabian Ruiz from Real Betis and Alex Meret from Udinese". ESPN FC. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  9. "Meret arrives for Napoli". Football Italia. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  10. "EL: Napoli dominate in Zurich". Football Italia. 14 February 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  11. Nicita, Maurizio (15 February 2019). "Napoli, Meret: parate europee. Un debutto che vale oro" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  12. Malfitano, Mimmo (7 March 2020). "Fragile e poco funzionale al gioco di Gattuso: al Napoli c'è un caso Meret". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  13. "New deal for Meret?". Football Italia. 25 May 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  14. "Coppa: Napoli beat Juventus on penalties". Football Italia. 17 June 2020.
  15. https://colombia.as.com/colombia/2020/11/09/futbol/1604885027_952922.html
  16. "France cruise past Italy to win European Under-19 final". ESPN. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  17. "The UEFA technical team Team of the Tournament". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  18. "Italy: New faces for Albania and Holland". Football Italia. 18 March 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  19. "A piece of magic from Vido as Norway friendly ends 1-1". Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio. Archived from the original on 24 July 2018. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  20. "Parte l'avventura europea: Di Biagio ufficializza la lista dei 23 Azzurrini" (in Italian). FIGC.it. 6 June 2019. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  21. "Italy: Armenia annihilated 9-1!". Football Italia. 18 November 2019. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
  22. Nicita, Maurizio (16 January 2020). "Ospina, il prescelto di Gattuso: "Meret sarà un grande portiere"". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  23. Fazzini, Luca (25 March 2016). "Italia U19, i ragazzi di Vanoli ai raggi X: obiettivo Europeo" (in Italian). www.mondoprimavera.com. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  24. D'Amato, Claudio (16 January 2020). "Dualismo Meret-Ospina in casa Napoli: coi piedi meglio il colombiano" (in Italian). Goal.com. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  25. Hall, Richard (21 June 2017). "Scouting Report: Alex Meret - the big-time awaits for this confident young custodian". www.calciomercato.com. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  26. "Alex Meret » Club matches". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
  27. "A. Meret". Soccerway. Retrieved 15 February 2019.
  28. "SPAL promoted to Serie A". Football Italia. 13 May 2017. Retrieved 25 March 2018.
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