Franco Cervi
{{Short description|Argentine footballer (born 1994)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Franco Cervi
|image = DimK-BenfikaL (cropped).jpg
|image_size =
|caption = Cervi playing for Benfica in 2016
|full_name = Franco Emanuel Cervi
|birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1994|5|26}}
|birth_place = San Lorenzo, Argentina
|height = 1.65 m
|position = Left winger/left wing-back
|currentclub = Celta
|clubnumber = 11
|youthyears1 = 2001–2014
|youthclubs1 = Rosario Central
|years1 = 2014–2016
|clubs1 = Rosario Central
|caps1 = 42
|goals1 = 5
|years2 = 2016–2021
|clubs2 = Benfica
|caps2 = 114
|goals2 = 11
|years3 = 2021–
|clubs3 = Celta
|caps3 = 93
|goals3 = 4
|nationalteam1 = Argentina
|nationalyears1 = 2018
|nationalcaps1 = 4
|nationalgoals1 = 1
|club-update = 27 May 2025
|nationalteam-update = 20 November 2018
}}
Franco Emanuel Cervi ({{IPA|es|ˈfɾaŋko emaˈnwel ˈseɾβi}}; 26 May 1994) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a left winger or left wing-back for La Liga club Celta de Vigo.
Club career
=Rosario Central=
A product of Rosario Central's youth system, Cervi made his league debut on 9 November 2014 against Estudiantes in a 1–0 home win. He replaced Hernán Encina after 66 minutes.{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2014/11/09/argentina/primera-division/estudiantes-de-la-plata/club-atletico-rosario-central/1696259/|title=Estudiantes vs. Rosario Central - 9 November 2014 - Soccerway|publisher=soccerway.com|access-date=28 June 2015}} On 14 February 2015, he scored his first league goal against Racing Club.{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2015/02/14/argentina/primera-division/racing-club-de-avellaneda/club-atletico-rosario-central/1978146/|title=Racing Club vs. Rosario Central - 14 February 2015 - Soccerway|publisher=soccerway.com|access-date=28 June 2015}}
On 25 February 2016, Cervi made his debut in the Copa Libertadores against Nacional. He scored his first international goal in a 3–1 win against River Plate.{{cite web|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2016/03/17/south-america/copa-libertadores/ca-river-plate/club-atletico-rosario-central/2184721/|title=River Plate vs. Rosario 1 - 3|publisher=soccerway.com|access-date=31 December 2015}}
=Benfica=
On 15 September 2015, Cervi signed a six-year contract with Portuguese champions Benfica with a release clause of €60 million.{{cite news|date=23 September 2015|title="I'm very happy to come to such a big club"|url=http://www.slbenfica.pt/30/news/info/qYu04ad1EkmPzCettJX_sQ?language=en-US|website=S.L. Benfica|access-date=6 July 2016}}{{cite news|date=14 September 2015|title=Oficial: Franco Cervi assina pelo Benfica|trans-title=Official: Franco Cervi signs for Benfica|url=http://www.maisfutebol.iol.pt/transferencias/rosario-central/oficial-franco-cervi-assina-pelo-benfica|language=pt|website=Maisfutebol|access-date=29 June 2016}} He continued to play for Rosario Central until May 2016 and joined Benfica on 24 June for the pre-season.{{cite news|date=24 June 2016|title="Muita vontade que esta nova fase arranque"|trans-title=Looking forward for this new phase to start|url=http://www.slbenfica.pt/30/news/info/TD-4StocuUGCt-uUbTN7Hw?language=pt-PT|url-status=dead|language=pt|website=S.L. Benfica|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624193650/http://www.slbenfica.pt/30/news/info/TD-4StocuUGCt-uUbTN7Hw?language=pt-PT|archive-date=24 June 2016|access-date=6 July 2016}} On his debut for Benfica, he scored the opening goal in a 3–0 win over Braga in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira, on 7 August 2016, and was elected best player on pitch.{{cite news|date=7 August 2016|title=Supertaça: Cervi eleito melhor em campo|trans-title=Super Cup: Cervi elected best player on pitch|url=http://www.maisfutebol.iol.pt/benfica/sp-braga/supertaca-cervi-eleito-melhor-em-campo|language=pt|website=Maisfutebol|access-date=19 October 2016}}
On 29 December, Cervi became the first Benfica player to score in all Portuguese competitions in the same season – Supertaça, Primeira Liga, Taça de Portugal and Taça da Liga respectively. In addition, he also scored in the UEFA Champions League.{{cite news|date=31 December 2016|title=Cervi conseguiu feito inédito na Luz|trans-title=Cervi achieved unprecedented feat at Luz|url=http://www.abola.pt/clubes/ver.aspx?t=3&id=648365|language=pt|newspaper=A Bola|access-date=31 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170101001506/http://www.abola.pt/clubes/ver.aspx?t=3&id=648365|archive-date=1 January 2017|url-status=dead}}
=Celta de Vigo=
International career
Cervi was selected in Argentina's 35-man provisional squad for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro,[http://www.afa.org.ar/4428/lista-preliminar-para-rio- "Lista preliminar para Río", AFA, 24 May 2016] however he did not make the final 18-man squad for the tournament.
Cervi made his international debut for Argentina in a 3–0 friendly win over Guatemala on 8 September 2018.{{Cite web|url=https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2018/09/08/world/friendlies/argentina/guatemala/2805437/|title = Argentina vs. Guatemala - 8 September 2018 - Soccerway}}
Personal life
Cervi, who is of Italian descent, possesses an Italian passport.{{cite web|url=https://www.sportreview.it/calcio-oggi/franco-cervi-funambolo-argentino|title=Franco Cervi, non il solito funambolo argentino|date=15 September 2015|website=Sportreview|language=it|trans-title=Franco Cervi, not the usual Argentine tightrope walker|access-date=18 February 2019}}
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|match played 15 May 2024}}{{ForaDeJogo|access-date=12 January 2017}}{{Soccerway|accessdate=2 January 2017}}
| 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"|National cup !colspan="2"|League cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="4"|Rosario Central
|2014 |rowspan="3"|Argentine Primera División |3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2015
|27 | 5 | 4 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 31 | 5 | |||
| 2016
|12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 10 | 2 | colspan="2"|— | 22 | 2 | |||
| colspan="2"|Total
!42 | 5 | 4 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 10 | 2 | colspan="2"|—||56 | 7 | ||||
| rowspan="6"|Benfica
|rowspan="5"|Primeira Liga |26 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 1{{efn|name=SOC|Appearance in the Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira}} | 1 | 41 | 7 | |
| 2017–18
|31 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1{{efn|name=SOC}} | 0 | 37 | 4 | |
| 2018–19
|20 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | 38 | 5 | ||
| 2019–20
|16 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 4 | |
| 2020–21
|14 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 21 | 1 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!107 | 11 | 19 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 32 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 164 | 21 | |
| rowspan="4"|Celta
|rowspan="3"|La Liga |33 | 4 | 3 | 2 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 36 | 6 | ||||
| 2022–23
|36 | 0 | 3 | 1 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 39 | 1 | ||||
| 2023–24
|17 | 0 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 19 | 0 | ||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!86 | 4 | 8 | 3 | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | colspan="2"|— | 94 | 7 | ||||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!236 | 20 | 31 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 42 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 311 | 35 |
{{notelist}}
=International=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argentina
|2018 | 4 | 1 | |
| colspan="2"|Total | 4 | 1 |
:Scores and results list Argentina's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Cervi goal.
| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Franco Cervi{{cite web|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/player/71806/Franco_Cervi.html|title=Cervi, Franco|publisher=National Football Teams|access-date=15 October 2018}} | ||||||
| scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date !scope="col"|Venue !scope="col"|Opponent !scope="col"|Score !scope="col"|Result !scope="col"|Competition | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| style="text-align:center"|1 | 11 October 2018 | Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | {{fb|IRQ}} | style="text-align:center"|4–0 | style="text-align:center"|4–0 | Friendly |
Honours
- Primeira Liga: 2016–17, 2018–19
- Taça de Portugal: 2016–17{{cite news |date=28 May 2017|title=Benfica conquista 26.ª Taça de Portugal e 11.ª 'dobradinha'|trans-title=Benfica conquer 26th Taça de Portugal and 11th 'dobradinha'|url=https://www.jornaldenegocios.pt/empresas/desporto/detalhe/benfica-conquista-26-taca-de-portugal-e-11-dobradinha|language=pt|newspaper=Jornal de Negócios|access-date=28 May 2017}}
- Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: 2016, 2017
Individual
- 2016 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira: Best Player
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons category}}
- {{BDFutbol|29002}}
{{Celta de Vigo squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cervi, Franco}}
Category:Argentine sportspeople of Italian descent
Category:Footballers from Santa Fe Province
Category:Argentine men's footballers
Category:Men's association football wingers
Category:Argentina men's international footballers
Category:Rosario Central footballers
Category:Argentine Primera División players
Category:S.L. Benfica footballers
Category:Primeira Liga players
Category:RC Celta de Vigo players
Category:Argentine expatriate men's footballers
Category:Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Portugal
Category:Argentine expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Portugal