Mattia Liberali
Personal information
Date of birth (2007-04-06) 6 April 2007
Place of birth Carate Brianza, Italy
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Winger, attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
 AC Milan U19
Number 21
Youth career
2013–2014 Aquile della Brianza
2014–2015 La Dominante
2015– AC Milan
International career‡
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2022 Italy U15 6 (4)
2022–2023 Italy U16 11 (3)
2023– Italy U17 15 (2)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21 November 2023

Mattia Liberali (born 6 April 2007) is an Italian footballer who plays as a winger for Italian club AC Milan U19.

Early life

Liberali was born in Carate Brianza, Italy.[1]

Club career

In 2013, the manager of local amateur side Rhodense, Alberto Bianchi, spotted Liberali and invited him to play in a youth tournament with a view to later sign him.[2] However, he would participate at the tournament with Aquile della Brianza from Muggiò instead, spending a year with the side before joining La Dominante, who he would train during the week with, while playing with professional side AC Milan on weekends.[2]

After a year of this arrangement, Liberali made the switch to AC Milan permanent.[2] During the 2021–22 under-16 Scudetto tournament, he finished second-top scorer behind Francesco Camarda with nine goals, as AC Milan went on to win the competition.[2] He was called up to train with the first team for the first time, alongside Camarda and Nirash Perera, in December 2022.[3] The following year, in July 2023, he signed his first professional contract with the club through 2027.[4]

International career

Liberali has represented Italy from under-15 to under-17 level.[5]

Style of play

Initially a central defender while playing at 7-a-side level, Liberali was moved up the pitch in the academy of AC Milan, settling at left-wing, with Italy under-17 coach Massimiliano Favo also utilising him as an attacking midfielder.[2] Former AC Milan defender and current football pundit, Alessandro Costacurta, compared him with English international Phil Foden for their similar playing style.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Mattia Liberali". acmilan.com (in Italian). Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Barilaro, Andrea (10 May 2022). "BII nuovo fuoriclasse del Milan dal mancino fatato: Mattia Liberali incanta il Diavolo, e con la Nazionale..." [The new AC Milan champion with the fairy left-handed: Mattia Liberali enchants the Devil, and with the national team...]. sprintesport.it (in Italian). Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  3. ↑ Schettino, Francesco (7 December 2022). "Milan, prosegue la linea giovane: Camarda, Liberali e Perera si allenano con la primavera" [Milan, the young line continues: Camarda, Liberali and Perera train with the spring]. footballnews24.it (in Italian). Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  4. ↑ Antonelli, Michele (19 July 2023). "Il Milan blinda "il mago" Liberali, il 2007 mancino paragonato a Foden" [Milan locks up "the magician" Liberali, the left-handed 2007 compared to Foden]. gazzetta.it (in Italian). Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  5. ↑ Mattia Liberali at WorldFootball.net
  6. ↑ Scapellato, Fabio (20 July 2023). "Mattia Liberali, chi è il "Nuovo Foden" che il Milan ha blindato a soli 16 anni" [Mattia Liberali, who is the "New Foden" that Milan locked up at just 16 years old]. spraynews.it (in Italian). Retrieved 24 August 2023.
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