Gianluca Gaetano

Gianluca Gaetano (Italian pronunciation: [dʒanˈluːka ɡaeˈtaːno]; born 5 May 2000) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or a left winger for Italian Serie B club Cremonese on loan from Serie A side Napoli. He is an academy graduate of Napoli, having joined the club in 2011, and the youngest ever player in the club's history to have signed a professional contract with the club at the age of 16. On 10 December 2019 he debuts in UEFA Champions League against Belgian side Genk.

Gianluca Gaetano
Gaetano playing for Napoli in 2017
Personal information
Full name Gianluca Gaetano
Date of birth (2000-05-05) 5 May 2000
Place of birth Cimitile, Naples, Italy
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Cremonese
Number 70
Youth career
2005–2011 Future Boys di Cimitile
2011–2019 Napoli
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019– Napoli 2 (0)
2020– → Cremonese (loan) 26 (4)
National team‡
2015 Italy U15 2 (0)
2015 Italy U16 6 (1)
2016 Italy U17 2 (0)
2018 Italy U19 2 (0)
2019 Italy U20 1 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 27 September 2020
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 6 September 2019

Early and personal life

Gianluca Gaetano was born and raised in Cimitile, in the Greater Napoli area. He was born into a family of athletes, his older brother Felice Gaetano is also a professional football player, who also came through the Napoli youth system, he also has 2 cousins Michele Peluso and Felice Raiola both of whom are professional footballers.[1]

A lifelong supporter of Napoli, Gaetano joined the Campania club when he was just eleven years old and dreams of one day becoming their Captain.

Club career

Early youth career

Born in Cimitile in Southern Italy just North-East of Naples, Gaetano got his football start with the local team ASD Future Boys di Cimitile at the age of five. During this time at the club, he played with his older brother Felice. While at ASD Future Boys di Cimitile, he along with his older brother were spotted by a Napoli scout, joining their youth system in 2011. Gaetano joined the youth academy of Napoli in 2010,5, and worked his way up through their youth categories.[2]

In the 2017/18 Season Gaetano went on to score 17 goals with 14 assists in all youth competitions forming a formidable partnership with fellow youth player Ciro Palmieri.

In the 2018/2019 season Gaetano managed to score 5 goals in 6 games in the UEFA Youth League where he stood out against some of the best youth in Europe, his first goal in the competition would come in the 94th minute in a game against Liverpool that ended in a 1-1 draw, he also managed to score a hatrick against Red Star Belgrade in a game Napoli went on to win 5-3.

He went on to Captain the Youth team and scored 22 goals with 8 assists in all competitions which was enough for him to be called up by the Napoli first team by manager Carlo Ancelotti and get his first professional debut for the Napoli first team.

Napoli

In 2016 Gaetano became the youngest ever player to sign a professional contract with Napoli at the age of 16.[3] Gaetano made his professional debut with Napoli in a 2-0 Coppa Italia win over U.S. Sassuolo Calcio on 13 January 2019.[4]

On 12 May 2019, he was called on by Napoli coach Carlo Ancelotti in which he made his first ever Serie A debut in a game against S.P.A.L., which would be marked in tragedy, with his Grandmother Carmela dying of a heart attack after a confrontation with Neighbours during celebrations.[5]

On 10 Dec 2019 Gaetano would make his first Champions League debut in a home game against Belgian side Genk which Napoli went on to win 4-0 a progressed to the last 16 of the competition.[6]

Loan to Cremonese

On 21 January 2020, he joined Serie B club Cremonese on loan.[7] On 16 February 2020 he scored his first goal for the club (and in the professional football) in a 5-0 win against Trapani.[8] On 18 September 2020 the loan was renewed for the 2020–21 season.[9]

International career

Gaetano is a youth international for Italy he has represented Italy at almost every youth level, and most recently represented the Italy U19s in a pair of friendlies in October 2018.[10]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 25 May 2019[11]
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Napoli 2018–19 Serie A 201000–30
2019–20 000010–10
Career total 2010100040

    References
    1. Editorial Staff (5 July 2016). "The Brothers Sign for Napoli - In Italian Language". ilgiornalelocale. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
    2. Andrea Cardone (27 November 2014). "Storie dal Sud: Gianluca Gaetano, la fantasia al potere nei Giovanissimi del Napoli". www.iamnaples.it.
    3. Giacometti, Pasquale (28 November 2018). "Gianluca Gaetano, brilla la stella della Primavera del Napoli!".
    4. "Partita Coppa Italia - napoli-sassuolo - La Gazzetta dello Sport". www.gazzetta.it.
    5. "Napoli starlet loses grandmother". football-italia.net. 14 May 2019.
    6. "Gianluca Gaetano, chi è: ha esordito in Champions in Napoli-Genk". twnews.it (in Italian). Retrieved 6 March 2020.
    7. "GAETANO NUOVO CENTROCAMPISTA GRIGIOROSSO" (Press release) (in Italian). Cremonese. 21 January 2020.
    8. "Gianluca Gaetano, primo gol tra i prof in Cremonese-Trapani". Ilgiornalelocale.it (in Italian). 16 February 2020. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
    9. "GAETANO ANCORA IN GRIGIOROSSO" (Press release) (in Italian). Cremonese. 18 September 2020.
    10. "Gianluca Gaetano". www.calcionapoli24.it. 13 January 2019.
    11. Gianluca Gaetano at Soccerway
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