Luca Cigarini
{{Short description|Italian footballer (born 1986)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Luca Cigarini
| image = LucaCigarini (cropped).JPG
| image_size =
| caption = Cigarini with Atalanta in 2012
| alt =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1986|6|20}}
| birth_place = Montecchio Emilia, Italy
| height = 1.75 m
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = Reggiana
| clubnumber = 8
| youthyears1 = 1997–2004 | youthclubs1 = Parma
| years1 = 2004–2008 | clubs1 = Parma | caps1 = 70 | goals1 = 4
| years2 = 2004–2005 | clubs2 = → Sambenedettese (loan) | caps2 = 33 | goals2 = 4
| years3 = 2008–2009 | clubs3 = Atalanta | caps3 = 23 | goals3 = 3
| years4 = 2009–2011 | clubs4 = Napoli | caps4 = 28 | goals4 = 2
| years5 = 2010–2011 | clubs5 = → Sevilla (loan) | caps5 = 6 | goals5 = 0
| years6 = 2011–2016 | clubs6 = Atalanta | caps6 = 150 | goals6 = 7
| years7 = 2016–2017 | clubs7 = Sampdoria | caps7 = 4 | goals7 = 0
| years8 = 2017–2020 | clubs8 = Cagliari | caps8 = 73 | goals8 = 2
| years9 = 2020–2021 | clubs9 = Crotone | caps9 = 14 | goals9 = 0
| years10= 2021– | clubs10= Reggiana | caps10 = 78 | goals10 = 2
| nationalyears1 = 2004 | nationalteam1 = Italy U18 | nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2005 | nationalteam2 = Italy U19 | nationalcaps2 = 1 | nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 2005–2007 | nationalteam3 = Italy U20 | nationalcaps3 = 5 | nationalgoals3 = 0
| nationalyears4 = 2005–2009 | nationalteam4 = Italy U21 | nationalcaps4 = 20| nationalgoals4 = 1
| nationalyears5 = 2008 | nationalteam5 = Italy Olympic Team | nationalcaps5 = 8| nationalgoals5 = 0
| club-update = 24 February 2025
| nationalteam-update = 00:00, 12 October 2011 (UTC)
}}
Luca Cigarini ({{IPA|it|ˈluːka tʃiɡaˈriːni}}; born 20 June 1986) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for {{Italian football updater|Reggiana}} club Reggiana.
Club career
=Parma=
Cigarini was one of the notable youth products in the 2005 Parma squad, alongside Daniele Dessena.{{Citation needed|date=July 2016}}
=Atalanta=
After Parma was relegated to Serie B in June 2008, Cigarini was sold to Atalanta in join-ownership bid, for €4.5 million on 11 July.{{cite news|url=http://www.atalanta.it/atalanta/news.do?dispatch=read&id=717|publisher=Atalanta BC|title=Cigarini all'Atalanta|date=11 July 2008|access-date=1 August 2008|language=it|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120718144855/http://www.atalanta.it/atalanta/news.do?dispatch=read&id=717|archive-date=18 July 2012}}Parma FC SpA bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2009 {{in lang|it}}, [http://www.registroimprese.it PDF purchased from Italian CCIAA]
=Napoli=
On 3 July 2009, Cigarini signed for Napoli from Atalanta on a five-year deal for €10.5 million.SSC Napoli FC SpA bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2010 {{in lang|it}}, [http://www.registroimprese.it PDF purchased from Italian CCIAA] Atalanta paid Parma €3.5 million plus half the registration rights of Alessio Manzoni to sign Cigarini outright.Parma FC SpA bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2010 {{in lang|it}}, [http://www.registroimprese.it PDF purchased from Italian CCIAA]
On 2 August 2010, Cigarini joined Sevilla FC on a loan deal for the 2010–11 season who paid €292,500 for the loan and,SSC Napoli FC SpA bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2011 {{in lang|it}}, [http://www.registroimprese.it PDF purchased from Italian CCIAA] upon conclusion of the season, had the option to purchase the midfielder for €7 million.{{citation needed|date=June 2011}}
=Return to Atalanta=
Cigarini returned to Atalanta on loan in summer 2011 for free.SSC Napoli FC SpA bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2012 {{in lang|it}}, [http://www.registroimprese.it PDF purchased from Italian CCIAA] On 4 July 2012, the loan was renewed for €1.25 million loan fee.{{cite news|url=https://www.atalanta.it/site/paginalive/prima-squadra/2013/Cigarini-ancora-in-nerazzurro.html|title=Cigarini ancora in nerazzurro|date=4 July 2013|access-date=4 March 2015|publisher=Atalanta BC|language=it|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150306164646/http://www.atalanta.it/site/paginalive/prima-squadra/2013/Cigarini-ancora-in-nerazzurro.html|archive-date=6 March 2015}}
On 5 July 2013, after spending two seasons on loan with Atalanta, a co-ownership deal was agreed to with Napoli for €2.75 million.SSC Napoli FC SpA bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2013 {{in lang|it}}, [http://www.registroimprese.it PDF purchased from Italian CCIAA] Cigarini continued to play for Atalanta for the upcoming 2013–14 Serie A season.{{cite news|url=http://www.football-italia.net/36128/atalanta-invest-cigarini|publisher=Football Italia|title=Atalanta Invest in Cigarini|date=6 July 2013|access-date=7 June 2013}} Cigarini scored his first goal of the season against Lazio on 20 October. In June 2014 Atalanta acquired Cigarini outright for €2.35 million.{{cite news|url=https://www.atalanta.it/site/paginalive/comunicati-dal-club/Stagione-2013-2014/2014-06/20-06-Mercato-Nerazzurro-le-operazioni-chiuse-venerdi-20-giugno.html|title=Mercato Nerazzurro, le operazioni chiuse venerdì 20 giugno|date=20 June 2014|access-date=4 March 2015|publisher=Atlanta BC|language=it|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150713231308/https://www.atalanta.it/site/paginalive/comunicati-dal-club/Stagione-2013-2014/2014-06/20-06-Mercato-Nerazzurro-le-operazioni-chiuse-venerdi-20-giugno.html|archive-date=13 July 2015}} Atalanta paid €5.75 million transfer fee in total to re-acquire Cigarini.{{Citation needed|date=July 2016}}
=Sampdoria=
After spending five years with Atalanta, Cigarini made the switch from Bergamo to Genoa, signing a permanent deal with Sampdoria.{{Cite web|url=http://www.sampdoria.it/en/samp-strengthen-further-cigarini-arrives-from-atalanta/|title=Samp strengthen further, Cigarini arrives from Atalanta – U.C. Sampdoria|date=20 July 2016|language=en-US|access-date=24 July 2016}}
=Cagliari=
In 2017, Cigarini moved to Serie A rivals Cagliari in an exchange deal with Nicola Murru.{{cite web|title=Official: Cigarini joins Cagliari|url=http://www.football-italia.net/105033/official-cigarini-joins-cagliari|website=Football Italia|access-date=28 July 2017|date=30 June 2017}}
=Crotone=
On 8 September 2020, Cigarini signed with Crotone a 2-years contract.{{cite web|url=https://m.tuttomercatoweb.com/serie-a/ufficiale-crotone-per-il-centrocampo-ecco-cigarini-ha-firmato-fino-al-2022-1429938|title=UFFICIALE: Crotone, per il centrocampo ecco Cigarini. Ha firmato fino al 2022}}
=Reggiana=
On 23 August 2021, he signed a two-year contract with Reggiana in Serie C, returning to the third tier for the first time since his professional debut season with Sambenedettese.{{cite web|publisher=Reggiana|url=https://www.facebook.com/acreggiana1919official/posts/933200604204570|title=GIGA IS BACK IN TOWN|date=23 August 2021|accessdate=19 November 2021|language=it}}
International career
On 7 September 2007, Cigarini scored his first ever goal (which was also the winning goal) with the Italy U-21 squad in a 2–1 victory over the Faroe Islands in a UEFA U-21 Qualifying match. He was also part of Pierluigi Casiraghi's Olympic team that won the 2008 Toulon Tournament. He also played for Italy in the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.
Cigarini received his first call-up to the senior team on 30 August 2010. New coach Cesare Prandelli named him in the squad for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers as an injury replacement for Claudio Marchisio.{{cite news|title=Cigarini replaces Marchisio in Italy squad|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/news?slug=reu-euroitalycigarini|publisher=Yahoo! News via Reuters|date=30 August 2010}}
Style of play
Luca Cigarini usually plays as a deep-lying playmaker in midfield, although he is also capable of playing as a central midfielder. He is mostly known for his ability to orchestrate his team's attacking moves, courtesy of his technical qualities and precise long passing. As a youngster, he was nicknamed il Professore (The Professor) by Cesare Prandelli, his Parma youth manager at the time, due to his playmaking abilities and intelligent reading of the game. The Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport has also stated that Cigarini has a similar vision of the game to that of fellow Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo.{{cite web|url=http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/SerieA/Bigmatch/22-01-2012/a-pirlo-basta-lampo-accecare-atalanta-8188801073.shtml|title=A Pirlo basta un lampo per accecare l'Atalanta|publisher=La Gazzetta dello Sport|language=it|author1=Andrea Schianchi|date=22 January 2012|access-date=23 August 2017}}[http://www.amonapoli.it/calcio/calciomercato-napoli/video-e-schede-nuovi-acquisti/video-e-scheda-di-luca-cigarini/ Scheda di Luca Cigarini], amonapoli.it[http://www.corrieredellosport.it/Notizie/Calcio/75860/Cigarini%2C+il+nuovo+Pirlo%3A+%C2%ABNapoli+nel+mio+destino%C2%BB Cigarini, il nuovo Pirlo: «Napoli nel mio destino»]{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, corrieredellosport.it[http://www.corrieredellosport.it/Notizie/Calcio/68625/Cigarini:+%C2%ABStregato+dal+Napoli+e+da+Donadoni%C2%BB Cigarini: «Stregato dal Napoli e da Donadoni»]{{Dead link|date=September 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} Corrieredellosport.it
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|match played 30 April 2022}}{{cite web|title=L. Cigarini|url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/luca-cigarini/4295/|website=Soccerway|access-date=31 May 2017}}{{cite web|title=Luca Cigarini » Club matches|url=http://www.worldfootball.net/player_summary/luca-cigarini/2/|website=worldfootball.net|access-date=31 May 2017}}{{Cite web |url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/stats?id=68242&cc=5739 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081003134221/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/stats?id=68242&cc=5739 |url-status=dead |archive-date=3 October 2008 |title=Luca Cigarini Statistics |publisher=ESPNsoccernet |access-date=30 September 2010}}
| 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"|Cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="4"|Parma
|rowspan="3"|Serie A |17 | 0 | 4 | 0 | colspan="2"|–– | 21 | 0 | ||
| 2006–07
|21 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 31 | 2 | |
| 2007–08
|32 | 3 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|— | 32 | 3 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!70 | 4 | 8 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 84 | 5 | |
| Atalanta
|Serie A |23 | 3 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|–– | 24 | 3 | ||
| Napoli
|Serie A |28 | 2 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|–– | 29 | 2 | ||
| Sevilla
|6 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 16 | 3 | |
| rowspan="6"|Atalanta
|rowspan="5"|Serie A |32 | 1 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|–– | 32 | 1 | ||
| 2012–13
|27 | 2 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2"|–– | 29 | 2 | ||
| 2013–14
|33 | 2 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|–– | 36 | 2 | ||
| 2014–15
|33 | 0 | 1 | 1 | colspan="2"|–– | 34 | 1 | ||
| 2015–16
|25 | 2 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|–– | 26 | 2 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!150 | 7 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 157 | 8 | |
| Sampdoria
|Serie A |4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|–– | 7 | 0 | ||
| rowspan="4"|Cagliari
|rowspan="3"|Serie A |26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2"|–– | 27 | 2 | ||
| 2018–19
|25 | 0 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2"|–– | 28 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20
|22 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|–– | 22 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2"|Total
!73 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |77 | 2 | |
| Crotone
|Serie A |5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | colspan="2"|–– | 6 | 1 | ||
| Reggiana
|Serie C |32 | 1 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2"|–– | 32 | 1 | ||
| colspan="3"|Career total
!391 | 19 | 29 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 432 | 25 |
Honours
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.sscnapoli.it/client/render.aspx?root=1130&content=0 Player profile] on Napoli's official website
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070311123404/http://www.figc.it/nazionali/DettaglioConvocato?codiceConvocato=2777 Luca Cigarini National Team Stats] at FIGC.it {{in lang|it}}
{{AC Reggiana 1919 squad}}
{{Italy Squad 2008 Summer Olympics}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cigarini, Luca}}
Category:Footballers from the Province of Reggio Emilia
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Italian men's footballers
Category:Italy men's youth international footballers
Category:Italy men's under-21 international footballers
Category:Italian expatriate men's footballers
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain
Category:Italian expatriate sportspeople in Spain
Category:Olympic footballers for Italy
Category:Footballers at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Category:Parma Calcio 1913 players
Category:US Sambenedettese players
Category:Cagliari Calcio players