Salvatore Sirigu

Early career Born in Nuoro, Sardinia, Italy, Sirigu started his football career in Venezia's youth system playing as a midfielder. He was known for his powerful back heels, which he used to take penalty kicks. He had been training as an attacker for a local amateur side, Puri e Forti, at 11 years old when coaches concluded that his asthma condition would hinder him too much as an outfield player. Instead, observing Sirigu's extensive hands, they told him to have a go at the goal. Palermo In 2002, he joined Palermo's youth system. In the 2006–07 season, he made his debut as a starter in a Coppa Italia match against Sampdoria and a UEFA Cup match against Fenerbahçe. Palermo loaned him to Serie C1 club Cremonese on 12 July 2007 to gain some first team experience. He spent the 2008–09 season on loan to Serie B side Ancona, but only played 15 games with his club, as Ancona managers Francesco Monaco, and later Sandro Salvioni preferred Brazilian Da Costa over him. Sirigu successively returned to Palermo as a second-choice keeper, behind new signing Rubinho, for the 2009–10 season. Following a string of unimpressive performances by Rubinho, Palermo coach Walter Zenga, himself a former goalkeeper who was noted for his ability, elevated Sirigu to the starting role for the Week 6 game, an away match against Davide Ballardini's Lazio on 27 September 2009. The game, which also represented Sirigu's official debut in the Italian Serie A, ended in a 1–1 draw, with the young goalkeeper being nominated Man of the Match due to his numerous saves throughout the match. He was subsequently confirmed for the following game, where Sirigu managed to keep a clean sheet in a 2–0 win against Serie A giants Juventus. Since then, Sirigu was regularly featured in the starting line-up and permanently confirmed as the first-choice goalkeeper, leading the club to send Rubinho out on loan to Livorno later in January. Due to his performance during his time at Palermo, Sirigu earned the nickname "Walterino," a reference to his coach, Walter Zenga, who is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time. On 21 October 2009, Palermo announced to have agreed a contract extension with him, the new contract would have expired in June 2014. His final appearance for Palermo came in the 2011 Coppa Italia Final against Internazionale at Rome's Stadio Olimpico, a 3–1 loss. Paris Saint-Germain in January 2015 On 28 July 2011, Sirigu signed a four-year contract with French club Paris Saint-Germain for a transfer fee of €3.895 million. Although initially signed as a reserve for Nicolas Douchez, Sirigu started all 38 Ligue 1 matches during his first season at the club as PSG finished as runners-up to Montpellier HSC. On 27 January 2013, Sirigu broke Bernard Lama's clean-sheet record for a PSG goalkeeper in Ligue 1 (697 minutes). He became the first foreign player to be named UNFP's goalkeeper of the season as PSG won the 2012–13 Ligue 1 championship. Sirigu won the award for the second consecutive year in 2014, with PSG defending their league title and winning the Coupe de la Ligue. On 2 August 2014, as PSG won the Trophée des Champions 2–0 against Guingamp at the Workers Stadium in Beijing, Sirigu saved a 32nd-minute penalty kick from Mustapha Yatabaré. He signed a contract extension on 10 September of the same year, lasting until 2018. Sirigu remained PSG's first choice goalkeeper in the 2014–15 season for Ligue 1 and UEFA Champions League matches, as the capital club won a domestic treble of the league championship, Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue, as well as reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League. After PSG completed the signing of German goalkeeper Kevin Trapp from Eintracht Frankfurt in July 2015, deputy sporting director Olivier Letang announced that the club "would not stand in [Sirigu's] way" if he wished to leave Paris. However, the player's agent denied that the player would leave the club. Sirigu remained PSG's first choice goalkeeper in the Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue, winning both titles, with Trapp taking his place as the preferred choice in Ligue 1 and UEFA Champions League matches. On 12 February 2016, he announced that he would have left PSG during the previous winter transfer window if "an important proposal had arrived", but ultimately remained with the club for the remainder of the season. Loans to Sevilla and Osasuna On 26 August 2016, Sirigu joined La Liga club Sevilla FC on a season-long loan. He made his debut with the club in a 1–1 away draw against Eibar on 17 September. A week later, away to Athletic Bilbao, he was sent off for elbowing Aritz Aduriz, leaving midfielder Vicente Iborra to unsuccessfully face the former's penalty in a 3–1 loss. Having made only three appearances for the Andalusians, Sirigu moved to fellow league club, strugglers CA Osasuna on 31 January 2017 for the remainder of the season. Torino On 27 June 2017, Torino announced they had signed Sirigu on a free transfer. He made his debut for Torino on 12 August, in a 7–1 home win against Trapani in the Coppa Italia third round, and eight days later made a first Serie A appearance in a 1–1 draw away to Bologna. In July 2018, when Sirigu had a year left on his contract, he extended it until June 2022. On 3 March 2019, he recorded his sixth consecutive Serie A clean sheet, thereby surpassing Luciano Castellini's club record of 517 minutes without conceding a goal in Serie A. On 15 July 2021, his contract with Torino was terminated by mutual consent. Later career On 3 August 2021, Sirigu joined Genoa, stating that his aim was to be chosen by Italy for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Having missed only the last game of his one season at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris, he then joined Napoli on a free transfer. Having not played at all for Napoli, Sirigu transferred to Fiorentina on 25 January 2023. After playing two games – one in the UEFA Europa Conference League – he suffered an Achilles tendon injury in March, ruling him out for an estimated six months; his contract was set to expire in June, but included a one-year extension option. On 15 September 2023, Sirigu joined Ligue 1 side OGC Nice on a one-year deal. On 16 January 2024, after failing to make an appearance during 124 days at Nice, Sirigu left the club and joined Turkish Süper Lig club Fatih Karagümrük. He left the club by the end of the season following the expiration of his contract. On 24 August 2024, Sirigu signed a one-year deal with Serie B club Palermo, thus returning to the Rosanero thirteen years after his departure. ==International career==

and Sirigu at a press conference during Euro 2012 Youth Sirigu represented Italy at Under-18 and Under-19 levels. On 21 August 2007, he made his debut with the Italy U-21 squad under manager Pierluigi Casiraghi, in a 2–1 friendly victory against France held in La Spezia, coming on as a second-half substitute for Andrea Consigli. He took part at the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship as the back up of starter Consigli. Senior Debut and UEFA Euro 2012 On 28 February 2010, Sirigu received his first call-up for the Italy national team by manager Marcello Lippi for a friendly match versus Cameroon which was played at Stade Louis II, Monaco, but did not play, as Federico Marchetti was chosen to start. In May, he was included in Lippi's 28-man provisional 2010 FIFA World Cup squad, but was not included in the 23-man final squad for the tournament. With Cesare Prandelli serving as national coach, Sirigu was named in his first squad list for the friendly match against Ivory Coast on 10 August 2010, On 3 September, he made his second appearance for the first competitive match, a 2–1 away victory against Estonia for Euro 2012 qualifying. Sirigu was eventually selected to go to UEFA Euro 2012 as the third choice keeper of the Italian team, behind Gianluigi Buffon and Morgan De Sanctis; he did not feature in the tournament as Italy reached the final, losing out 4–0 to Spain. 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2014 FIFA World Cup For the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, he was selected as the second-choice keeper behind Buffon. Shortly before the tournament, on 31 May, he kept his first international clean sheet as Italy beat San Marino 4–0 in a friendly match in Bologna. Prandelli selected Sirigu as his second-choice goalkeeper for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Due to an injury to starting goalkeeper Buffon, he started in the opening group match, and made several decisive saves which contributed to the 2–1 victory against England; this was his only appearance throughout the tournament. Following consecutive 1–0 defeats to Costa Rica and Uruguay, however, Italy finished in third place in their group, and were eliminated in the group stage for a second consecutive World Cup. Later senior career On 31 May 2016, Sirigu was included in Antonio Conte's 23-man Italy squad for UEFA Euro 2016. Due to a fever suffered by starting goalkeeper Buffon, Sirigu made his only appearance of the tournament on 22 June, in his country's final group match, a 1–0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland. Italy were eliminated from the tournament in the quarter-finals, following a penalty shoot-out loss against Germany. After not featuring under manager Gian Piero Ventura in Italy's unsuccessful qualifying campaign for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Sirigu returned to the national side under his successor Roberto Mancini, appearing in Italy's 3–1 friendly defeat to France in Nice on 1 June 2018; he went on to feature during Italy's Euro 2020 qualification campaign, conceding his only goal in qualifying in Italy's 2–1 home win over Bosnia and Herzegovina on 11 June 2019. On 11 November 2020, Sirigu made his first appearance as Italy captain, starting in a 4–0 friendly win over Estonia in Florence. In June 2021, Sirigu was included in Italy's squad for the rescheduled UEFA Euro 2020 by manager Mancini. He made his only appearance of the tournament in Italy's final group match against Wales on 20 June, coming on as a late substitute for Gianluigi Donnarumma in the team's 1–0 victory in Rome, which saw them top their group. On 11 July, Sirigu won the European Championship with Italy following a 3–2 penalty shoot-out victory over England at Wembley Stadium in the final, after a 1–1 draw in extra-time. Sirigu was once again named Italy's second-choice goalkeeper for the 2021 UEFA Nations League Finals, where they finished in third place, beating out Belgium 2–1 in the bronze medal match. ==Style of play==

Regarded as one of the best Italian goalkeepers of his generation, Sirigu was considered in the 2010s as the possible 'heir-apparent' of Gianluigi Buffon as Italy's first-choice goalkeeper, due to his consistency, physical strength, composure, strong mentality, explosive reflexes, and shot-stopping ability between the posts. Although he was frequently compared to Zenga in his youth, his former manager at Cremonese, Emiliano Mondonico, compared him to Dino Zoff because of his calm character under pressure. Former Italy goalkeeper Angelo Peruzzi has also praised Sirigu for his goalkeeping technique and ability to come off his line quickly to collect the ball. Sirigu is also known for his professionalism and leadership qualities, as well as his ability to motivate his teammates, and is therefore considered to be an influential dressing room personality, which makes him a popular figure with his teams' fans. ==Career statistics==

Club International ==Honours==

Paris Saint-Germain Individual • Ligue 1 Team of the Year: 2012–13, 2013–14 • Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year: 2012–13, ==References==