Gianluca Lapadula facts for kids
Lapadula in 2016
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Gianluca Lapadula Vargas | ||
| Birth name | Gianluca Lapadula | ||
| Date of birth | 7 February 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Turin, Italy | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Spezia | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–2004 | Juventus | ||
| 2004–2007 | Collegno Paradiso | ||
| 2006–2007 | → Treviso (loan) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2008 | Pro Vercelli | 4 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | Ivrea | 18 | (0) |
| 2009–2012 | Parma | 0 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | → Atletico Roma (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| 2011 | → Ravenna (loan) | 7 | (1) |
| 2011–2012 | → San Marino Calcio (loan) | 35 | (24) |
| 2012–2013 | Cesena | 9 | (0) |
| 2013 | → Frosinone (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2013–2015 | Parma | 0 | (0) |
| 2013–2014 | → Gorica (loan) | 28 | (11) |
| 2014–2015 | → Teramo (loan) | 38 | (21) |
| 2015–2016 | Pescara | 40 | (27) |
| 2016–2018 | AC Milan | 27 | (8) |
| 2017–2018 | → Genoa (loan) | 28 | (6) |
| 2018–2020 | Genoa | 8 | (1) |
| 2019–2020 | → Lecce (loan) | 25 | (11) |
| 2020–2022 | Benevento | 58 | (19) |
| 2022–2025 | Cagliari | 70 | (24) |
| 2025– | Spezia | 13 | (4) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2017 | Italy B | 1 | (3) |
| 2020– | Peru | 42 | (9) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 17 May 2025 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 03:17, 26 March 2025 (UTC) |
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Gianluca Lapadula Vargas (born on February 7, 1990) is a professional footballer. He plays as a striker for the Italian club Spezia. Even though he was born in Italy, he plays for the Peru national team.
Gianluca has played for many different clubs in his career. He has played over 100 games in both Serie A and Serie B, which are top football leagues in Italy. Some of the famous clubs he played for include Milan, Genoa, and Cagliari. He was the top scorer in Serie B twice, first for Pescara in the 2015–16 season and then for Cagliari in the 2022–23 season.
Lapadula was once called up to play for Italy. However, he made his debut for Peru in 2020. He represented Peru in the Copa América tournaments in 2021 and 2024. In 2021, he helped his team reach fourth place.
About Gianluca Lapadula
Gianluca Lapadula was born in Turin, Italy, on February 7, 1990. His father is Italian, and his mother is Peruvian. He has a brother named Davide, who also played football.
In Italy, people call Gianluca Lapagol. In Peru, his nickname is El Bambino.
Gianluca's Club Career
Starting His Football Journey
Lapadula started playing football at Juventus. He left the club in 2004. After that, he played for several smaller clubs. He was loaned to Treviso in 2006. In 2007, he joined Pro Vercelli.
In 2008, he moved to Ivrea. He even scored a goal for his team in a special tournament. In 2009, he signed with Parma.
Loan Spells and Early Success
In 2010, Lapadula went on loan to Atletico Roma. He played his first game for them in August 2010. In January 2011, he moved to Ravenna. He became the top scorer in his league group in the 2011–12 season, scoring 24 goals.
In 2012, Lapadula joined A.C. Cesena. He then moved to Frosinone in 2013. Later that year, he returned to Parma.
Playing in Slovenia and Promotion Dreams
Lapadula was loaned to ND Gorica in Slovenia in 2013. He helped the club win the Slovenian Football Cup. He scored important goals in the quarter-finals and semi-finals of the cup.
In 2014, he was loaned to Teramo. He scored 21 goals and helped the team get promoted to Serie B. However, this promotion was later cancelled due to match-fixing issues.
Becoming a Star at Pescara
After his time at Parma ended, Lapadula joined Pescara in July 2015. He signed a four-year contract with the Serie B club. In the 2015–16 season, he was amazing. He scored 30 goals in 43 games, becoming the top scorer in Italy's second division.
Playing for AC Milan
On June 24, 2016, Lapadula joined AC Milan, a very famous Italian club. He signed a five-year deal. He made his debut for Milan in August. On November 6, he scored his first goal for Milan in a game against Palermo. He scored two goals in one game against Empoli in November. He finished the 2016–17 season with 8 goals in 27 games.
Time at Genoa and Lecce
In July 2017, Lapadula moved to Genoa. He played 28 games and scored 6 goals in the 2017–18 season. The next season, he played fewer games.
In July 2019, Lapadula was loaned to Lecce. He scored 11 goals in the 2019–20 Serie A season. This included two goals in a 3–2 win against Napoli.
Joining Benevento
On September 2, 2020, Lapadula joined Benevento. He signed a three-year contract. He played almost every game in the 2020–21 Serie A season and scored eight goals. However, his team was relegated to Serie B.
In September 2021, Lapadula scored three goals in one game against Cittadella. Benevento finished 7th in Serie B and made it to the play-offs. He scored important goals in the play-off games.
Success with Cagliari
On July 26, 2022, Lapadula joined Cagliari. He signed a three-year contract. He quickly became a key player for the team. With 21 goals in 36 games, he was the top scorer in the 2022–23 Serie B season. He was also named the Player of the Season.
In the play-offs, he scored crucial goals that helped Cagliari win and get promoted to Serie A. He scored two goals against Venezia. He also scored a penalty against his old club Parma. He scored an early goal in the final win against Bari.
Lapadula had an ankle injury in June 2023. He returned to play in November 2023.
Moving to Spezia
On January 31, 2025, Lapadula returned to the Italian second division. He joined Spezia on a free transfer.
Playing for His Country
Gianluca Lapadula could choose to play for either Italy or Peru. This is because of his family background. Peru called him up for the Copa América Centenario, but he had not decided yet. In November 2016, he was called up to the Italy senior squad for the first time.
On May 31, 2017, Lapadula scored three goals for the Italy B team in a friendly game against San Marino.
On October 30, 2020, Lapadula was called up to the Peru senior team. He made his debut for Peru on November 13, 2020.
Lapadula scored his first goal for Peru on June 23, 2021, in a 2–2 draw against Ecuador in the 2021 Copa América. He also helped set up another goal in that game. On July 2, he scored and helped with an own goal in a thrilling 3–3 draw against Paraguay. Peru won that game in a penalty shootout. On July 9, he scored Peru's second goal in a match against Colombia.
In the qualification games for the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Lapadula scored important goals against Bolivia, Venezuela, and Paraguay. However, his team did not qualify for the World Cup.
How Gianluca Plays Football
Lapadula is a very energetic and strong striker. He works very hard on the field. He can play as a main striker, or even in more creative roles like a second striker or winger. This is because he has good technical skills. He is good at both scoring goals and helping his teammates score. He is known for his accurate and powerful shots, especially with his left foot.
Career Achievements
Gorica
- Slovenian Football Cup: 2013–14
Milan
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2016
Cagliari
- Serie B play-offs: 2023
Individual Awards
- Lega Pro top scorer: 2014–15 (Group A, 24 goals)
- Serie B top scorer: 2015–16 (27 goals), 2022–23 (21 goals)
- Gran Galà Top 11 Serie B: 2015–16
See also
In Spanish: Gianluca Lapadula para niños
