Roberto Soriano

Roberto Soriano

Soriano with Italy in 2015
Personal information
Full name	Roberto Soriano
Date of birth	(1991-02-08) 8 February 1991
Place of birth	Darmstadt, Germany
Height	1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current team	Villarreal
Number	20
Youth career
2006–2009	Bayern Munich
2009–2010	Sampdoria
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2010–2016	Sampdoria	136	(18)
2010–2011	→ Empoli (loan)	27	(2)
2016–	Villarreal	8	(2)
National team‡
2007–2008	Italy U17	7	(1)
2009	Italy U18	4	(0)
2008–2010	Italy U19	11	(0)
2009–2011	Italy U21	15	(2)
2014–	Italy	8	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17 October 2016. ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17 November 2015

Roberto Soriano (born 8 February 1991) is an Italian professional footballer who plays for Villarreal CF and the Italy national team as a midfielder. He is the younger brother of Elia Soriano.

Club career

Early career

Soriano was born in the German city of Darmstadt to a family from Sperone, Province of Avellino, Italy.^[1][2] He started his career with Bayern Munich after being spotted by their scouts in the 2007 Champions Youth Cup while playing for Die Roten.

Sampdoria

On 2 February 2009 Soriano moved to Italian club Sampdoria for an undisclosed fee.^[3][4] Soriano immediately entered Sampdoria's Primavera, or youth team, for the 2009 Torneo di Viareggio,^[5] where the Genoa based club finished as the runner-up.^[6] In the 2009–10 season, Sampdoria were eliminated in the semi-finals at the Campionato Nazionale Primavera, in which Soriano played.^[7]

Empoli

In June 2010, he was loaned to Serie B side Empoli. Soriano made his club debut on 15 August 2010 in a friendly against Reggiana. Soriano was substituted by Gianluca Musacci during the second half. Empoli went on to win that match 4–1. He made his Serie B debut in Empoli's first Serie B match of the season as a defensive/holding midfielder along with Davide Moro. He was substituted by Mirko Valdifiori in the 66th minute. Empoli drew that game 1–1 against Frosinone. However, Empoli would win the away match 3–2.^[8] Soriano started from the bench in the next match, losing his starting spot to Gianluca Musacci. Soriano returned to the starting XI in Empoli's 5th Serie B game of the season, and played as central/defensive midfielder, a position he would be utilized in during the next 2 rounds (442 formation and 4312 formation). On 11 December, he scored his first Serie B goal in the game against Portogruaro.

On 31 August 2015, Soriano signed a contract with Napoli worth €13.5m with Juan Camilo Zúñiga set to join Sampdoria as part of the deal, but the transfer fell through because Napoli did not deposit the contract with Lega Serie A before the 23:00 deadline. It is believed the delay was mainly due to disputes about image rights.^[9]

Villarreal

On 2 August 2016, Spanish club Villarreal CF and Sampdoria have reached an agreement for the transfer of Soriano. He signed a five-year contract, for a reported fee of €14 million.^[10] He made his club debut in a 1–1 away draw against Granada in La Liga, on 20 August.^[11]

International career

Youth team

Soriano played all three matches in 2008 UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship elite round. He also received a call-up to 2008 Minsk under-17 International Tournament^[12] He scored a goal in the third place match.^[13] Soriano then received a call-up against Romania in December 2008^[14] from Italy U19 team (born 1991 class). He started that match which Italy won Romania 3–1.^[15] He then received call-up to all upcoming U18/19 matches,^[16] played the friendly against Norway in March, unused member against Ukraine (born 1990 class) in April^[17][18] and a U18 international tournament in Slovakia.^[19] In August 2009, he was promoted to U21 team despite young age, for the match against Wales.^[20] Coach Pierluigi Casiraghi called-up 6 new players in that match, only Mattia Perin and Lorenzo Crisetig younger than Soriano among the new faces.^[21] He made his debut in the first match of U21 qualification, a 1–2 lost to Wales on 4 September 2009.^[22] He also played in the subsequence 2 qualification match in September and October and played one of the two qualifying match in November. He was in the starting XI in the first 3 appearances, and substituted Luca Marrone in the 4th matches in November, which he also scored a goal in that 4–0 won against Luxembourg.^[23] In January 2010 he returned to U19 team^[24] and played in elite qualification and final tournament, which Italy finished the last in Group B (equal 7th). On 3 September 2010, Soriano returned to U21 team and scored the winning goal for Azzurrini in the second last qualifying match.^[25][26] Italy must win the last 2 matches and depends the result of Wales verse Hungary (which Hungary lost eventually, certainly finished second or below). Soriano played the last match of the qualifying, substituted Marrone in the 56th minute. Italy won Wales 1–0 and made Italy ahead Wales as the first of Group 3, qualified directly to play-offs round while Wales eliminated .

In the play-offs round, he received the call-up^[27] but failed to enter the line-up nor on the bench in the first leg.

Senior team

On 9 November 2014, he was called up by Antonio Conte to the senior Italy squad ahead of a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match against Croatia and a friendly against Albania.^[28] He debuted against Croatia at the San Siro on the 16th, replacing Manuel Pasqual in the 28th minute of a 1–1 draw.^[29]

Statistics

Club

As of 14 May 2016^[30]

International

As of match played on 17 November 2015. ^[31]

References

External links

• Roberto Soriano profile at BDFutbol
• Roberto Soriano profile at Soccerway
• FIGC National Team data (Italian)