Francesco Caputo
{{short description|Italian footballer (born 1987)}}
{{for|the Italian illuminator and miniaturist painter|Francesco Caputo (painter)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2020}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Francesco Caputo
| image = Caputo (crop).jpg
| image_size =
| caption = Caputo with Virtus Entella in 2016
| fullname =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|8|6|df=y}}
| birth_place = Altamura, Italy
| position = forward
| currentclub =
| clubnumber =
| years1 = 2005–2006 | clubs1 = Toritto | caps1 = 20 | goals1 = 14
| years2 = 2006–2007 | clubs2 = Altamura | caps2 = 30 | goals2 = 12
| years3 = 2007–2008 | clubs3 = Noicattaro | caps3 = 29 | goals3 = 11
| years4 = 2008–2015 | clubs4 = Bari | caps4 = 142 | goals4 = 48
| years5 = 2009–2010 | clubs5 = → Salernitana (loan) | caps5 = 36 | goals5 = 6
| years6 = 2010–2011 | clubs6 = → Siena (loan) | caps6 = 14 | goals6 = 3
| years7 = 2015–2017 | clubs7 = Virtus Entella | caps7 = 80 | goals7 = 35
| years8 = 2017–2019 | clubs8 = Empoli | caps8 = 79 | goals8 = 42
| years9 = 2019–2022 | clubs9 = Sassuolo | caps9 = 63 | goals9 = 32
| years10 = 2021–2022 | clubs10 = → Sampdoria (loan) | caps10 = 36 | goals10 = 11
| years11 = 2022–2023 | clubs11 = Sampdoria | caps11 = 15 | goals11 = 1
| years12 = 2023 | clubs12 = → Empoli (loan) | caps12 = 21 | goals12 = 5
| years13 = 2023–2024 | clubs13 = Empoli | caps13 = 21 | goals13 = 3
| nationalyears1 = 2020 | nationalteam1 = Italy | nationalcaps1 = 2 | nationalgoals1 = 1
| club-update = 25 August 2024
| nationalteam-update = 11 October 2020
}}
Francesco Caputo (born 6 August 1987), commonly known as Ciccio, is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a forward. He has also represented the Italy national team.
Club career
Caputo started his career in the Pugliesi amateur divisions, first with Toritto and then with Real Altamura, before joining Bari in the summer of 2008. With the club, Caputo won the Serie B title during the 2008–09 season, but he was excluded from Bari's Serie A plans the following season. In mid-2009, he was loaned to Salernitana, along with his teammates Giuseppe Statella and Gianluca Galasso. The following season he was loaned out to Siena. He returned to Bari in 2011, and remained at the club for four seasons.
In 2015, he joined Entella on loan with an option to buy;{{cite web |url=http://www.entella.it/news.aspx?NewsID=8086 |title=Colpo in attacco: Caputo in biancoceleste |publisher=Entella |language=it |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924001246/http://www.entella.it/news.aspx?NewsID=8086 |archive-date=24 September 2015 |date=31 August 2015 |access-date=25 September 2019 }} at the end of the season, he was signed outright by the club.{{cite web|url=http://www.picenotime.it/articoli/15859.html|title=Virtus Entella, acquistati a titolo definitivo bomber Caputo e Pellizzer|website=Picenotime|language=it|date=23 June 2016|access-date=25 September 2019}} He remained with Entella for two seasons, scoring 35 goals.
On 18 August 2017, Empoli signed Caputo on a four-year contract for €2.8 million plus bonuses.{{cite web |url=https://www.empolicalcio.net/Francesco-Caputo-e-dell-Empoli.htm |title=Francesco Caputo è dell´Empoli |publisher=www.empolicalcio.net |language=it |date=18 August 2017 |access-date=11 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180506021328/https://www.empolicalcio.net/Francesco-Caputo-e-dell-Empoli.htm |archive-date=6 May 2018 |url-status=dead }} He helped Empoli win the Serie B title and achieve promotion to Serie A during the 2017–18 season, forming a prolific attacking partnership with Alfredo Donnarumma; together, the pair scored 49 goals, and Caputo finished as the top scorer in the league, with 26 goals, while Donnarumma finished as the second-highest scorer with 23.{{cite web |url=http://iltirreno.gelocal.it/empoli/sport/2018/06/03/news/una-coppia-da-49-gol-che-scala-la-vetta-europea-1.16918590 |title=Una coppia da 49 gol che scala la vetta europea |publisher=Il Tirreno |language=it |author1=Alessandro Marmugi |date=3 June 2018 |access-date=11 February 2019 }}
On 13 July 2019, Caputo signed to Sassuolo.{{cite web|url=https://m.tuttomercatoweb.com/serie-a/ufficiale-sassuolo-colpo-caputo-per-rinforzare-l-attacco-1268440|title=UFFICIALE: Sassuolo, colpo Caputo per rinforzare l'attacco|publisher=tuttomercatoweb.com|language=it|access-date=24 July 2019}}
On 31 August 2021, Caputo joined Sampdoria on loan with an obligation to buy.{{cite web|publisher=Sampdoria|url=https://www.sampdoria.it/caputo-e-un-calciatore-della-sampdoria-arriva-dal-sassuolo/|title=Caputo è un calciatore della Sampdoria: arriva dal Sassuolo|date=31 August 2021|access-date=2 July 2022|language=it}}
On 2 January 2023, Caputo returned to former club Empoli on loan with an obligation to buy should his new club avoid relegation.{{cite web|url=https://empolifc.com/francesco-caputo-e-un-nuovo-calciatore-azzurro/|title=Francesco Caputo è un nuovo calciatore azzurro|website=empolifc.com|language=Italian|date=2 January 2023|accessdate=2 January 2023}} On 26 August 2024, his contract with Empoli was terminated by mutual consent.{{cite web|publisher=Empoli|url=https://empolifc.com/risolto-consensualmente-il-contratto-con-francesco-caputo/|title=Risolto consensualmente il contratto con Francesco Caputo|trans-title=Contract with Francesco Caputo mutually terminated|date=26 August 2024|access-date=26 August 2024|language=it}}
International career
Caputo was called up to the senior Italy squad for the UEFA Nations League matches against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Netherlands in September 2020.{{Cite web |url=https://www.figc.it/it/nazionali/news/trentasette-convocati-per-le-gare-con-bosnia-e-paesi-bassi-prima-chiamata-per-bastoni-locatelli-e-caputo/|title=Trentasette convocati per le gare con Bosnia e Paesi Bassi, prima chiamata per Bastoni, Locatelli e Caputo |date=27 August 2020 |access-date=6 September 2020}} Caputo made his debut for the national team on 7 October 2020 in a 6–0 home friendly win against Moldova, scoring the match's second goal.{{cite web|url=https://www.football-italia.net/160290/italy-6-0-moldova-caputo-and-el-sha-shine-azzurri|title=Italy 6-0 Moldova: Caputo and El Sha shine for Azzurri|publisher=Football Italia|date=7 October 2020}} In so doing, he became the oldest player in history to score his debut goal for Italy at 33 years and 62 days. This was surpassed by Giacomo Bonaventura, who tallied his inaugural goal at 34 years, one month and 22 days on 14 October 2023 in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Malta.{{Cite web |last=Campanale |first=Susy |date=October 14, 2023 |title=Video: Bonaventura makes history for Italy |url=https://football-italia.net/video-bonaventura-makes-history-for-italy/ |access-date=October 14, 2023 |website=Football Italia}}
Style of play
A technically gifted forward, with an eye for goal, Caputo mainly plays as a striker, although he is capable of playing anywhere along the front line. He is mainly known in the media for his pace, work-rate, movement off the ball, and his powerful and accurate striking ability.{{cite web |url=https://www.tuttomercatoweb.com/serie-b/caputo-non-un-bomber-ma-un-fuoriclasse-di-categoria-1021419 |title=Caputo: non un bomber, ma un fuoriclasse di categoria |publisher=www.tuttomercatoweb.com |language=it |author1=Gianluigi Longari |date=22 September 2017 |access-date=11 February 2019 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.ilmilanista.it/news-milan/milan-empoli-occhio-a-caputo-e-il-bomber-che-non-ti-aspetti/ |title=Milan-Empoli, occhio a Caputo: è il bomber che non ti aspetti |publisher=Il Milanista |language=it |date=22 February 2019 |access-date=9 March 2020 }}{{cite web |url=https://www.ultimouomo.com/retrocesse-serie-a-cosa-ci-manchera/#la-freschezza-di-emanuel-vignato |title=Cosa ci mancherà delle retrocesse |publisher=Ultimo Uomo |language=it |last1=D'Ottavi |first1=Marco |date=4 June 2019 |access-date=9 March 2020 }}
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|match played 10 August 2024}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Coppa Italia !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rowspan="7"|Bari
|27 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 28 | 10 | |
| 2010–11
|12 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 2 | |
| 2011–12
|Serie B |28 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 31 | 10 | |
| 2012–13
|Serie B |36 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 17 | |
| 2013–14
|Serie B |0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2014–15
|Serie B |38 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 38 | 11 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!141 | 48 | 8 | 2 | 150 | 50 | |
| Salernitana (loan)
|Serie B |36 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 38 | 7 | |
| Siena (loan)
|Serie B |14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 | |
| rowspan="4"|Virtus Entella
|Serie B |40 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 40 | 17 | |
| 2016–17
|Serie B |40 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 41 | 18 | |
| 2017–18
|Serie B |0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!80 | 35 | 2 | 0 | 82 | 35 | |
| rowspan="3"|Empoli
|Serie B |41 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 41 | 26 | |
| 2018–19
|Serie A |38 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 16 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!79 | 42 | 1 | 0 | 80 | 42 | |
| rowspan="4"|Sassuolo
|Serie A |36 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 21 | |
| 2020–21
|Serie A |25 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 11 | |
| 2021–22
|Serie A |2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!63 | 32 | 1 | 0 | 64 | 32 | |
| Sampdoria (loan)
|Serie A |36 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 38 | 11 | |
| Sampdoria
|Serie A |15 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 2 | |
| Empoli (loan)
|Serie A |21 | 5 | colspan="2"|– | 21 | 5 | ||
| rowspan="3"|Empoli
|Serie A |20 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 21 | 4 | |
| 2024–25
|Serie A |0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| colspan="2"|Total
!20 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 22 | 4 | |
| colspan="3"|Career total
!506 | 186 | 20 | 5 | 526 | 191 |
=International=
{{updated|match played 11 October 2020}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy
|2020 | 2 | 1 | |
| colspan="2"|Total | 2 | 1 |
:Scores and results list Italy's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Caputo goal.
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Francesco Caputo{{NFT|id=79665|name=Francesco Caputo|access-date=22 November 2019}} | |||||||
| scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Venue !scope="col"|Cap !scope="col"|Opponent !scope="col"|Score !scope="col"|Result !scope="col"|Competition | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align="center"|1 | 7 October 2020 | Stadio Artemio Franchi, Florence, Italy | align="center"|1 | {{fb|MDA}} | align="center"|2–0 | align=center|6–0 | Friendly |
Honours
- Serie B: 2017–18
Individual
- Serie B top scorer: 2017–18{{cite web|url=http://www.legab.it/match-center/statistiche/|title=Top Scorers Table - Lega Serie B|publisher=Lega Serie B|access-date=3 March 2018|archive-date=2 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191102210006/https://www.legab.it/match-center/statistiche/|url-status=dead}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- {{TuttoCalciatori|Caputo_Francesco}}
- {{Soccerway|francesco-caputo/63727}}
{{Serie B top scorers}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caputo, Francesco}}
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Italian men's footballers
Category:Italy men's international footballers
Category:AS Noicattaro Calcio players
Category:US Salernitana 1919 players
Category:Virtus Entella players
Category:US Sassuolo Calcio players