Andrea Natali
{{short description|Italian footballer (born 2008)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Andrea Natali
| image =
| fullname = Andrea Natali
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|2008|1|28|df=y}}
| birth_place = Milan, Italy
| height = 1.86 m
| position = Defender
| currentclub = Bayer Leverkusen
| clubnumber = 5
| youthyears1 = 2013–2014
| youthclubs1 = Bologna
| youthyears2 = 2014–2016
| youthclubs2 = Brera
| youthyears3 = 2016–2017
| youthclubs3 = Pont Marina - Almogàvers
| youthyears4 = 2017–2018
| youthclubs4 = Cañada Blanch
| youthyears5 = 2018–2019
| youthclubs5 = Udinese
| youthyears6 = 2019–2020
| youthclubs6 = AC Milan
| youthyears7 = 2020–2021
| youthclubs7 = Espanyol
| youthyears8 = 2021–2024
| youthclubs8 = Barcelona
| youthyears9 = 2024–
| youthclubs9 = Bayer Leverkusen
| years1 = 2024–
| clubs1 = Bayer Leverkusen
| caps1 = 0
| goals1 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 2022–2023
| nationalteam1 = Italy U15
| nationalcaps1 = 13
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2022–2023
| nationalteam2 = Italy U16
| nationalcaps2 = 4
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 2024–
| nationalteam3 = Italy U17
| nationalcaps3 = 9
| nationalgoals3 = 0
| club-update = 26 June 2024 (UTC)
| nationalteam-update = 22 March 2025 (UTC)
| medaltemplates = {{Medal|Sport|Men's football}}
{{Medal|Country|{{fb|ITA}}}}
{{Medal|Comp|UEFA European Under-17 Championship}}
{{Medal|W|2024 Cyprus|}}
| nationalyears4 = 2024–
| nationalteam4 = Italy U19
| nationalcaps4 = 8
| nationalgoals4 = 0
}}
Andrea Natali (born 28 January 2008) is an Italian footballer who plays as a defender for Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen.
Early life
Natali moved with his family to Spain as a child.{{Cite web|url=https://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/il-talento-del-giorno/i-un-talento-al-giorno-i-andrea-natali-un-centrale-di-grande-fisico-e-tecnica-per-il-barca-1913683|title=Andrea Natali: un centrale di grande fisico e tecnica per il Barça|publisher=tuttomercatoweb.com}}
Club career
He started playing football at the age of six when he joined the youth academy of Bologna, the club where his father played from 2012 to 2014. In the summer of 2014, he joined Brera and after a few seasons with the neroverdi, he moved abroad, first to Spain and then to England.{{Cite web|url=https://www.figc.it/it/nazionali/news/un-cl%C3%A1sico-allitaliana-natali-ed-emanuel-oltre-ogni-rivalit%C3%A0-siamo-diventati-amici-grazie-alla-nazionale/|title=Un Clásico all'italiana, Natali ed Emanuel oltre ogni rivalità: "Siamo diventati amici grazie alla Nazionale"|date=29 May 2024|access-date=26 June 2024|language=it}}
Natali joined the youth academy of La Liga side Barcelona at the age of thirteen,{{Cite web|url=https://momentidicalcio.com/2023/01/22/andrea-natali/|title=Andrea Natali - un italiano nella cantera blaugrana|date=22 January 2023|access-date=26 June 2024|language=it}} after playing in Udinese{{Cite web|url=https://www.udineseblog.it/calcio/andrea-natali-dalle-giovanili-delludinese-al-tetto-deuropa-con-lunder17/|title= Andrea Natali, dalle giovanili dell'Udinese al tetto d'Europa con l'Under17|author=Monica Tosolini|date=5 June 2024|access-date=26 June 2024|language=it}} and AC Milan's youth academies.
He has been described as "one of the most promising defenders in the Blaugrana youth team".{{Cite web|url=https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/futbol-base/andrea-natali-joven-central-barca-75407329|title=Andrea Natali, el joven central del Barça que ya lidera la selección italiana|author=Jordi Carné|date=14 September 2022|access-date=26 June 2024|language=es}}
On 26 June 2024, Natali joined German club Bayer Leverkusen.{{cite press release |title=Bayer 04 sign rising star Natali from Barcelona |url=https://www.bayer04.de/en-us/news/bayer04/bayer-04-sign-rising-star-natali-from-barcelona |date=26 June 2024 |access-date=26 June 2024 |publisher=Bayer 04 Leverkusen}}
International career
Style of play
Natali mainly operates as a defender and has been described as "stood out for his driving and quality in passing".{{Cite web|url=https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/futbol-base/central-italiano-gran-clase-gran-95757192|title=Andrea Natali - Sport.es article|date=12 December 2023 }}
Personal life
Natali is the son of Italian footballer Cesare Natali.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Liga/23-11-2022/figlio-d-arte-ma-coi-piedi-barca-andrea-natali-14-anni-sogna-gia-nou-camp-4501225157525_preview.shtml?reason=unauthenticated&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gazzetta.it%2FCalcio%2FLiga%2F23-11-2022%2Ffiglio-d-arte-ma-coi-piedi-barca-andrea-natali-14-anni-sogna-gia-nou-camp-4501225157525.shtml|title=Figlio d'arte coi piedi da Barça: Andrea Natali|date=23 November 2022 |publisher=gazzetta.it}} He has four siblings.{{Cite web|url=https://www.calciomercato.com/news/dal-milan-al-barcellona-un-italiano-nella-masia-la-storia-di-nat-55764|title=Natali: dal Milan al Barcellona, un italiano nella Masìa|date=29 April 2023 |publisher=calciomercato.com}}
Honours
Italy U17
References
{{Reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Natali, Andrea}}
Category:Italian men's footballers
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:Italian expatriate men's footballers
Category:Italian expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain
Category:Italian expatriate sportspeople in Germany