Spotlight On: Alberto Aquilani
Tuesday, 27 October 09, 07:34 AM · Comments (8)
As Alberto Aquilani homes in on his first ever appearance for Liverpool, we tell you all you need to know about the £20m summer signing. From Rejecting Arsenal and Chelsea as a teenager, to completing his switch to Merseyside. We've got it all, right here.
Alberto Aquilani has taken to life at Anfield like a duck to water..quite literally. The £20m summer signing has spent more time in the water than David Blaine. He has been hard at work in the gym, recuperating from a long term ankle injury sustained during his time at Roma. Now, though, it seems he is just weeks away from his début. So without further ado, here's our run-down on the man they call "Il Principino".
Profile
Full Name: Alberto Aquilani
Birth Date: July 7, 1984
Birth Place: Rome, Italy
Height: 6' 1'' (1.85m)
Weight: 12.1st (77 kg)
Age: 25
Position: Midfielder
Squad No: 4
Early Years
In 2001, at the age of 16, Aquilani was already attracting interest from Europe's elite. Arsenal and Chelsea both offered him lucrative contracts in a bid to lure him to the premiership. In an admiral show of allegiance, though, the player turned the offers down to fulfil the ambition of playing for his boyhood club AS Roma.
He was capped for Italy at youth level during the 2001 UEFA European Under-16 Football Championship qualifying rounds.
Aquilani was aged 18 when he made his début for Roma against Torino on may 10, 2003, the same year that he won the UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship with Italy, scoring once in the competition. He was then promoted to the U21's.
The following season then Roma manager Fabio Capello decided to loan him out to Serie B outfit Triestina to gain some first team experience. He had a successful stint there, making 41 appearances and scoring 4 times before returning to Roma for the 2004-05 season.
Breakthrough
Aquilani broke into Roma's starting 11 during the 2004-05 season; appearing 14 times in the league in addition to 15 outings as a sub. He also started 4 times in the Champions League, appearing once from the bench.
The following season he really began to established himself in the side; starting 20 league matches as well as making 4 appearances as a sub and netting 3 times. He also made the starting line up for 6 UEFA Cup games and came on from the bench twice, scoring one goal in the competition
Big things were expected from Aquilani in the 2006-07 season. He was handed Matteo Ferrari's no.8 shirt as a token of the belief the manager had in him. Unfortunately, it was not to be. The first of a succession of long-term injuries stopped him from making the step up from hot prospect to established pro. (We'll take a look at these setbacks later on). He was limited to 21 appearances in all competitions that season, scoring just once and notching two assists. He also made his début for the national side, coming on as a substitute for the Azzuri in a friendly against Turkey.
Aquilani was beginning to show signs of the ability he promised as a youngster. If he could stay fit, Roma fans were confident he would become a key player. However, during the 2008-2009 season he was again injured from October - January, then again in February - the injury that kept him out for the entire season but for one last minute appearance in the Champions League. He did manage to appear for his country six times that season, scoring once. The next time Aquilani will play club football after his latest injury will be for Liverpool.
So as Aquilani edges ever closer to his début, Liverpool fans will want to know exactly what they can expect from the man with a £20m price tag. Let's find out.
Not too Xabi
A pass master he is. Xabi Alonso he is not.
Liverpool fans were crestfallen to see Alonso leave for Real Madrid in the summer. The £30m midfield maestro was arguably The Red's most consistent performer last season. His awesome passing range and uncanny ability to "ping" a ball was easy on the eye, and on his team-mates.
His departure has left a gaping void in the heart of the Liverpool midfield and while Lucas Leiva and Javier Mascherano have done well to hold the fort, they clearly miss the Spaniards positive forward movement and pin-point distribution. Steven Gerrard has also been tried in this role, but the skipper prefers to get forward and work with Fernando Torres up top.
Rafa Benitez moved quickly to ensure the blow of Alonso's departure was softened by snapping up AS Roma's accomplished midfielder Alberto Aquilani for a reported £20m (£17m plus sporting bonuses). Most Liverpool fans will expect the Italian to slot straight into the spot vacated by Alonso. Not quite.
Benitez was quick to highlight the contrasting styles of play between Aquilani and Alonso, emphasising that the new recruit should not be viewed
as a direct replacement for the the departed Spaniard.
"Xabi is a holding midfielder that can play long. He (Aquilani) is a player with more mobility,
playing a little bit higher," said the Liverpool manager.
"He can pass the ball and keep getting into the box."
Benitez is confident that his new no.4 will have no trouble slotting into any of the midfield positions.
"We have Mascherano and Lucas Leiva both playing really well, with Gerrard in front. He can play instead of any of them" he said.
"He can play as second striker if necessary, but his best position will be between Gerrard and Mascherano - or between Lucas and Gerrard."
Aquilani, then, is not a straight swap for Alonso. He is a typical Benitez signing with a twist. Versatile yet exciting. Let's learn a bit more about his style of play.
Distribution
Liverpool players and fans alike will certainly appreciate Aquilani's passing range. He has great vision and awareness and can pick a pass as well as
anybody. Well, maybe not Alonso. But then again, who can? Something that he does have over Alonso, though, is that he will tend to follow up his passes with forward movement and try to get
involved in the attack. This should take some of the pressure off of the shoulders of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres, who have been burdened with the responsibility of being Liverpool's
only real creative threat over the last few seasons.
Eye for Goal
Xabi Alonso had a penchant for the spectacular,
something which Aquilani will hope to emulate. The Italian made a name for himself at Roma with his uncanny ability to hit the back of the net from impossible positions, like these two goals
against Palermo and Siena in the first two games of the 2007-08 Serie A season.
Liverpool fans will hope he weighs in with a fair few goals like this for his new club to justify his hefty price tag.
It's worth noting that Aquilani does put a good shift in. OK, he's no Dirk Kuyt, but Rafa would never sign someone who isn't capable of pulling their weight. This will do him no harm in endearing himself to the Liverpool faithful, who love to see a player giving his all for the cause.
Although Aquilani is predominantly right-footed, he has never had any problems using his "weaker" left foot, as demonstrated here with these two sweet strikes for Italy U21's against England U21's in July 2007.
Injuries
Aquilani is currently recovering from a long term ankle injury sustained in February this year. The good news for Liverpool fans is that he is closing in on full fitness. The bad news is that this injury is not the first of it's kind.
against Manchester UTD in October 2007
In the 2006-2007 Serie A season he was expected to be a key player for Roma. However, injury forced him out of the game until the season was
almost over. In the 2007-2008 season he excited Roma fans with his outstanding performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League and excellent long-range goals against Palermo and Siena. However, in October, injury struck again. He did not return to the squad until January 2008.
In the following season he enjoyed a good run of games in the side. Once again, though, he was injured in October while facing
Chelsea in the Champions League. He returned in January 2009 but picked up another injury in February that kept him out of the game for the rest of the season, with the exception of being used
as a last minute substitute in against Arsenal.
To say that Aquilani has been dogged with injuries would be a massive understatement. These setbacks have held back one of Italian footballs brightest prospects from reaching his full
potential. Liverpool fans would be right to worry that their new big money signing could be spending more time on the treatment table than the pitch. However, the Italian has moved quickly to
quash any such talk. Aquilani insists that the level of medical care available at Liverpool will ensure he doesn't endure any recurrences of the injuries that stunted his progress at Roma,
where he found the treatment to be less than satisfactory.
“I realise now that the way things were sometimes done in Italy didn’t do me any favours,” he
said.
“For example, this latest problem with my ankle was initially overlooked by people at the club.
“They thought it was a minor problem and told me to carry on playing and subsequently it needed surgery.
“The problem there was the doctors changing all the time. I am so happy to be here, from a football point of view but also for my well-being, because I have noticed a difference already.
“The doctors here have told me not to rush, because that way we would avoid any recurrence.”
A needle of hope,then, in a haystack of hindrance. However, Liverpool fans will cling to this hope like a limpet... to another limpet. They have to put faith in their managers decision and hope
that Aquilani can put his injuries behind him.
Off the pitch, Aquilani gained a reputation as something of a playboy. He was linked with a number of famous Italian actresses and models including Giulia Gorietti, Francesca Lana, Pamela Camassa and former Miss Italia, Francesca Chillemi. He has also been photographed with other non-famous women on a few occasions, although he has always insisted that his life revolves around his family, including his fiancé, actress Michela Quattrociocche.
Despite the media attention he has received, he is actually rather publicity shy. The Italian insists football has lost it's simple romance, claiming that it has become nothing more than a business. He said:
"Football is only a business nowadays."
"Even if it's the best sport in the world for me, there's too much money - and money can have a polluting power."
So it seems Liverpool have acquired a good professional; a player who will keep his head down as he looks to take his career to the next level.
Played for Both
Roma left-back John Arne Riise enjoyed many years at Liverpool before making the switch to Roma and insists that his former teammate Aquilani will be a shining star in the premier league
Riise had this to say about his former Roma teammate:
"I knew all about Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi and Philippe Mexes, of course, but Aquilani was the player who surprised me the most in my first months with what he could do.
"He's really good on the ball, with good passing, good movement, he works hard and is a good professional.
"He likes to have the ball at his feet but not because he likes to dribble, he just wants to keep the team moving. He never stands still, he's always on the run.
"He certainly runs more than Xabi and is probably more dangerous in terms of getting in the box and trying to score goals.
"When I came to Rome he was my neighbour and helped me out a lot. He's a good friend. Liverpool will be getting a very good player."
Riise insists that despite the differences in the two leagues, Aquilani will prove to be a hit on Merseyside. However, he knows as well as anyone that the Italian will need time.
View from the Stadio Olympico
Aquilani was very much the darling of the Roma faithful. Dubbed "Il Principino", or "The Little Prince" by the Romanista, he was a home-grown child prodigy that everybody had high hopes for. Despite never even enjoying a full season of football with Roma, the glimpses of brilliance he showed were enough to ensure he formed a strong bond with the fans, who will certainly be sad to see one of their own leave for pastures new.
Pressure
Liverpool fans have been frustrated with the clubs faltering start to the 2009/10 season. Their four early defeats have jerked knees the length and breadth of the country. Still reeling from the loss of Xabi Alonso, they are now putting all their eggs in one basket, charging Aquilani with the responsibility of saving their season. Despite the immense weight on his shoulders the Italian is not phased; insisting the pressure comes with the shirt.
“I’m very well aware of the pressure this club is under and the pressure I will be under.
“If you want to play for a big club then you have to be ready for the pressure.
“Now I hope to grow here and do this shirt proud.”
Aquilani, then, is remaining cool-headed about the task in hand.
Liverpool Début
The question on every Liverpool fans lips is just when they will get to see their new £20m signing in action. Rafa Benitez has always been reluctant to put a time scale on his return, insisting the club are ensuring his comeback is not rushed so as to prevent further complications later on. Now, though, after a series of false dawns it seems Il Principino is finally on the verge of a début.
A few weeks ago he stepped up his rehabilitation when he begun running at the clubs training ground.
But the site every Liverpool fan wants to see is Aquilani getting stuck into a full team training session. Well, your wish is our command. The man himself completed his first full session with the club on the 15th October. Here's some exclusive pics from the club.
Following his return to training, Aquilani was named on the bench for Liverpool's reserve match against Sunderland on the 21st October. The Italian came on for the last 15 minutes, looking keen to get involved at every opportunity. He showed glimpses of his quality with some good through balls and shows of skill.
Although there is still no exact date pencilled in for his first team début, he is expected by many to join in the action against Arsenal in the fourth round of the Carling Cup on the 28th October, or against Fulham in the Premier League the following weekend.
Let's hope Liverpool fans can remain patient as the Italian gets used to life in the Premier League. After all, Rome wasn't built in a day.
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8 Comments · Add yours
LONG.!!!!!
I would like to point out that RedBeachBall is a Manure fan and is still taking the loss hard.
This is a great post. Well thought out, and Liverpool fans everywhere will love it.
Great information. Really thorough. I'm really looking forward to watching him play. I think he'll contribute right away with his movement and liberate the formations we run, even if he isn't sharp right away, or adjusted to the Prem. One thing I noticed right away from watching him at Roma is that he really understands how to manipulate shape and space with his movement, something I think Xabi really gave to us that we don't think about. Benayoun is really effective in this way too, but Aquilani is the best at it that I have seen. Gerrard is brilliant with his feverish runs, but he can leave things open and distort the shape of the team. Aquilani will know how to keep the shape attacking and stable, and give even more freedom to Gerrard to partner Torres.
Liam, you did it again!!! Splendid compilation! I'm now looking forward very anxiously for Aquilani's debut... Now to spread this post!!
Erm... The first of those two left foot strikes is with his right foot.
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mr_chopper Wrote: | 12.15UTC | Oct 28, 2009
Erm... The first of those two left foot strikes is with his right foot."
I know, I put both videos up to demonstrate that he can use both feet.
I love this article!!! :D
It's so great to hear that he's in good health, and playing. He'd be great help on the pitch.
I've been looking on something like this to read about Aquilani.Very insightful read. everything I wanted to know about the player I would otherwise have to search for seperately in one place. I liked it.
I have hope in Benitez and the Club. I have hope that Aquilani will bring what we need to keep us in the game. He'll make it work, I trust benitez knows how to pick 'em.
It's all up to how he blossoms now...