Matteo Pessina facts for kids
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Pessina in 2018
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date of birth | 21 April 1997 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Monza, Italy | ||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.87 m | ||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||
| Club information | |||||||||||||||||||
| Current club | Monza | ||||||||||||||||||
| Number | 32 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2007 | La Dominante | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2014 | Monza | ||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Monza | 22 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2017 | AC Milan | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | → Lecce (loan) | 3 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | → Catania (loan) | 1 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | → Como (loan) | 36 | (9) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2023 | Atalanta | 67 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | → Spezia (loan) | 38 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2019–2020 | → Hellas Verona (loan) | 35 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | → Monza (loan) | 35 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2023– | Monza | 47 | (6) | ||||||||||||||||
| National team‡ | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Italy U19 | 4 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2016–2017 | Italy U20 | 12 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2018 | Italy U21 | 7 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||
| 2020– | Italy | 16 | (5) | ||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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† Appearances (Goals). |
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Matteo Pessina (born April 21, 1997) is an Italian professional footballer. He plays as a midfielder for the club Monza, where he is the team captain. Matteo also plays for the Italy national team. He is known for his skill and hard work on the field.
Matteo started his football journey in his hometown club, Monza. He later joined big clubs like AC Milan and Atalanta. He also played for several other teams on loan, gaining valuable experience. In 2022, he returned to Monza, the club where he began.
Pessina has represented Italy at different youth levels. He made his debut for the senior national team in 2020. He was a key player in Italy's squad that won the UEFA Euro 2020 tournament, scoring two important goals.
Club Career
Matteo's Early Football Journey
Matteo Pessina started playing football when he was just five years old. He joined a local club called La Dominante in his hometown of Monza, Italy. In 2007, when he was 10, Matteo moved to the youth team of Monza.
He made his first appearance for Monza's senior team on October 2, 2013. This was in a cup game called the Coppa Italia Lega Pro. By the 2014–15 season, Matteo became a regular player for Monza. He scored his first league goal on January 6, 2015. He finished that season with three goals in 20 league games.
Moving to AC Milan
After Monza faced financial problems, Matteo became a free agent. On June 30, 2015, he signed with AC Milan, one of Italy's biggest clubs.
Loan Spells and Gaining Experience
AC Milan decided to send Matteo on loan to other clubs to help him get more playing time.
- In August 2015, he was loaned to Lecce in the Lega Pro league. He played a few games there.
- In January 2016, he moved to Catania on another loan. He played only one league game for them.
- In summer 2016, Matteo was loaned to Como. This was a very successful loan spell for him. He became a regular starter and scored nine goals in 35 league appearances during the 2016–17 season.
Joining Atalanta
On July 7, 2017, Matteo Pessina signed with Atalanta. This was part of a player exchange deal.
Loan to Spezia
Soon after joining Atalanta, Matteo was loaned to Spezia in Serie B on August 25, 2017. He scored his first Serie B goal in February 2018. He played very well for Spezia, scoring two goals in 38 games. Because of his great performances, he was named the Best Young Player in Serie B.
Returning to Atalanta
Matteo returned to Atalanta in summer 2018. He made his debut for Atalanta on July 26, 2018, in a UEFA Europa League match. This was his first time playing in a UEFA club competition. He also made his Serie A debut on August 20, 2018, when he was 21 years old. He played 19 games in total for Atalanta that season.
Loan to Hellas Verona
In August 2019, Pessina joined Hellas Verona on loan. He scored his first Serie A goal for them in his very first game. He had a strong season with Hellas Verona, scoring seven goals in 35 league games during the 2019–20 season.
Becoming a Starter at Atalanta
After his loan, Matteo came back to Atalanta in summer 2020. He made his UEFA Champions League debut on October 21, 2020. From November onwards, he started playing much more often for Atalanta. On January 3, 2021, he scored his first goal for the club. He also scored two goals in a Coppa Italia semi-final match, helping Atalanta reach the final. On September 29, 2021, he scored his first goal in a UEFA competition.
Back to Monza
On July 6, 2022, Matteo Pessina made an exciting return to his childhood club, Monza. Monza had just been promoted to Serie A for the first time ever! He joined on a one-year loan and was immediately made the team captain. He made his debut for Monza on August 26. On October 2, he scored his first Serie A goal for Monza in a 3–0 win.
International Career
Youth National Teams
Matteo Pessina played for Italy's youth national teams. He was part of the Italy U20 team that finished third at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He also played for the U21 team, making his debut in October 2017.
Senior National Team
Matteo was called up to the Italy senior squad in November 2020. He made his first appearance for Italy on November 11, 2020, in a friendly match. On May 28, 2021, Matteo scored his first two goals for Italy in a friendly game.
In June 2021, he was chosen for Italy's squad for UEFA Euro 2020. He made his first appearance in the tournament on June 16. He then started against Wales on June 20, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 victory. This win helped Italy finish first in their group. On June 26, Matteo scored the winning goal in extra-time against Austria, helping Italy reach the quarter-finals. On July 11, Matteo and his team won the European Championship! They beat England in a penalty shootout in the final at Wembley Stadium.
On November 20, 2022, Matteo became the first Monza player ever to play for the Italy national team. He also became the first Monza player to score for the national team on March 26, 2023, in a UEFA Euro 2024 qualifier match.
Style of Play
Matteo Pessina is mainly a central midfielder. This role is sometimes called a mezzala in Italian football. He can also play as an attacking midfielder or even a winger. He is left-footed and has good technique. Matteo is known for creating chances for his teammates. He also makes smart runs into the penalty area to score goals. He is also good at defending and works very hard on the field. People have compared his playing style to famous midfielders like Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard.
Personal life
Matteo Pessina studied economics at the LUISS Business School in Rome, Italy.
Honours
Italy U20
- FIFA U-20 World Cup third place: 2017
Italy
Orders
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5th Class / Knight: Cavaliere Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana: 2021 (This is a special award given by the Italian government for his achievements.)
See also
In Spanish: Matteo Pessina para niños
