Daniele Rugani facts for kids
_(4)_(Daniele_Rugani).jpg)
Rugani lining up for Ajax in 2024
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 29 July 1994 | ||
| Place of birth | Lucca, Tuscany, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.90 m | ||
| Playing position | Centre-back, full-back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Ajax (on loan from Juventus) |
||
| Number | 24 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2000–2013 | Empoli | ||
| 2012–2013 | → Juventus (loan) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2013– | Juventus | 117 | (8) |
| 2013–2015 | → Empoli (loan) | 78 | (5) |
| 2020–2021 | → Rennes (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2021 | → Cagliari (loan) | 16 | (1) |
| 2024– | → Ajax (loan) | 7 | (1) |
| National team | |||
| 2010–2011 | Italy U17 | 13 | (3) |
| 2011–2012 | Italy U18 | 9 | (0) |
| 2012–2013 | Italy U19 | 11 | (0) |
| 2013 | Italy U20 | 2 | (0) |
| 2014–2017 | Italy U21 | 19 | (2) |
| 2016–2018 | Italy | 7 | (0) |
|
|||
Daniele Rugani is an Italian professional footballer born on July 29, 1994. He plays as a centre-back or full-back for the Dutch club Ajax. He is currently on loan from the Italian club Juventus.
Daniele started his professional career with Empoli in 2013. He quickly helped them get promoted to Serie A, which is Italy's top football league. He was even named the best player in Serie B in 2014. His strong defense the next season earned him a spot in the 2015 Serie A Team of the Year.
After his success at Empoli, Daniele moved to Juventus. There, he won five Serie A titles in a row! He also won two Coppa Italia titles and two Supercoppa Italiana titles.
Daniele has also played for Italy's national teams. He represented the Italy U21 team in the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 2015 and 2017. He made his first appearance for the senior Italian national team in 2016.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Empoli
Daniele Rugani was born in Lucca, Italy. He began playing football at the age of 6 with a team called Empoli in 2000. He stayed in their youth academy for twelve years.
In August 2012, when he was 18, Daniele was loaned to Serie A giants Juventus. He played for Juventus's youth team (under-19 squad) and helped them win the Coppa Italia Primavera.
After his successful first season, Juventus bought part of his player rights in July 2013. They then sent him back to Empoli on loan for the 2013–14 Serie B season.
Rising Star at Empoli
At just 20 years old, Daniele became a key defender for Empoli. He played in 40 games and scored 2 goals that season. His first goal came on March 22, 2014, in a 4–0 win against Reggina. Empoli finished second in the league, which meant they were promoted to Serie A.
In June 2014, Daniele stayed with Empoli for their first season back in Serie A. He made his Serie A debut on August 31, 2014. He scored his first Serie A goal on September 20, in a 2–2 draw against Cesena.
In February 2015, Juventus bought Daniele's full player rights from Empoli. He was a very important player for Empoli that season. He played in all 38 league matches without being substituted or getting a yellow card! He also scored 3 goals.
Playing for Juventus
_(cropped).jpg)
In the summer of 2015, Daniele officially joined Juventus. He played his first game for the club on September 30, 2015. This was in a UEFA Champions League match against Sevilla. This was also his first time playing in a European club competition.
He made his first start for Juventus in December 2015, in a 4–0 win against Torino in the Coppa Italia. His first league start for Juventus was in January 2016, in a 2–1 win against Sampdoria.
On April 24, 2016, Daniele received his first yellow card in his 53rd Serie A game. Juventus went on to win the league title that season.
Continued Success and Loans
On September 21, 2016, Daniele scored his first goal for Juventus in a 4–0 win against Cagliari. In December, he scored his first UEFA Champions League goal. He also signed a new contract with Juventus that would last until 2021.
After another player left Juventus in 2017, Daniele started getting more playing time as a central defender. He played in 22 Serie A games and scored two goals. Juventus won both the Serie A and Coppa Italia titles again that season.
On March 30, 2019, Daniele extended his contract with Juventus until June 2023. He played his 100th game for Juventus on July 29, 2020.
Loan to Rennes
On October 3, 2020, Daniele was loaned to Rennes in France for the season.
Loan to Cagliari
On February 1, 2021, Daniele joined Cagliari on a six-month loan. He scored his first goal for Cagliari on March 3, 2021, in a 1–0 win against Bologna.
Return to Juventus
On February 25, 2024, Daniele scored an important goal for Juventus, helping them win 3–2 against Frosinone. This win ended his team's four-game streak without a victory. Later that year, in May, he signed a new contract with Juventus until 2026.
Loan to Ajax
On August 21, 2024, Daniele moved on loan to Ajax in the Netherlands for the 2024–25 season.
International Career
Daniele Rugani has played for different Italian national youth teams since 2010. His first game for the under-21 team was on March 5, 2014. He scored the first goal in a 2–0 win against Northern Ireland.
In November 2014, he was called up to the senior Italy squad for the first time. This was for a qualifying match against Croatia and a friendly game against Albania.
He played for the Italy U-21 team in the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
On May 31, 2016, Daniele was named as one of three reserve players for Italy's senior team for Euro 2016.
He made his official debut for the senior Italian national team on September 1, 2016. He came on as a substitute in a friendly game against France.
In June 2017, he was part of the Italy under-21 squad for the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. Italy reached the semifinals but lost to Spain.
Playing Style
Daniele Rugani is a tall and strong central defender. He is good at heading the ball, both when defending and when trying to score. He is known for being smart about where he positions himself and for marking opponents closely. Even though he isn't super fast, he uses his good judgment to stop opposing players.
He is also good at passing the ball from the back of the field because he is confident with it. Many people consider him one of the most promising young Italian players of his time. In 2015, a magazine called Don Balón named him one of the best players in the world born after 1994.
Personal Life
Daniele Rugani has been in a relationship with Italian journalist Michela Persico since 2015. They have a son who was born in September 2020.
On March 11, 2020, it was announced that Daniele tested positive for COVID-19. He did not show any symptoms, but he was the first player in Serie A to test positive during the pandemic in Italy.
Honours
Juventus
- Serie A: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20
- Coppa Italia: 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2023–24
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2015, 2018
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2016–17
Individual
- Serie B Footballer of the Year: 2014
- Serie A Team of the Year: 2014–15
See also
In Spanish: Daniele Rugani para niños
