FeatureFactfile: Seven things to know about Federico Chiesa
Learn all about Federico Chiesa, Liverpool's new No.14, with our handy factfile.
The 26-year-old has completed his switch to the Reds, arriving from Juventus after four seasons in Turin.
Read on as we profile the attack-minded Italian...
He's an incredibly versatile player. Chiesa has the skillset to play across the front line. According to Opta, 34 per cent of his Serie A minutes for Juventus were spent as a striker, while 21 per cent came in left midfield and 16 per cent on the opposite flank. There were even spells as a full-back. But on what he considers to be his position, Chiesa declared in 2021: "I'm a winger. I always play where the coach wants... but, as I demonstrated at the European Championship and with Juve, I'm a winger – right or left."
He arrives following a strong season for Juve. Chiesa racked up his highest number of league appearances (33) in a campaign for Juventus in 2023-24. He appeared 37 times in all competitions, producing 10 goals and three assists. Chiesa believes he's now back to his best after an anterior cruciate ligament injury in January 2022 that sidelined him for just shy of 10 months. The former Fiorentina man told France Football in June: "The injury slowed down my career, but it taught me a lot. Before I was probably a more instinctive, a more impulsive player, and maybe my game has changed a little, but not my speed. Now I'm back to being very close to the level I was before the injury."
Chiesa was a star of Italy's Euro 2020 success. Chiesa added an international element to his trophy haul – which also includes two Coppa Italia titles and the Supercoppa Italiana – by helping his nation to European Championship glory in 2021. He was subsequently named in the Team of the Tournament by UEFA's team of technical observers. Chiesa was ever-present for Roberto Mancini's side, scoring twice and starting the final against England at Wembley.
His English is already excellent. Education was hugely important to Chiesa's parents and, therefore, during his childhood they enrolled him at the International School of Florence, where nearly all of the learning day was conducted in English. He did his first in-depth interview speaking the language with the Telegraph in September 2021 and explained: "My mum always told me that, 'If you have good grades at school you will have good performances in football and if you have good performances in football then you will have good grades at school.' They are complementary."
Football is in his blood. Federico has followed in the footsteps of his father to represent the Azzurri. Enrico Chiesa even scored at Anfield with Italy – netting in a Euro 96 group-stage match against Czech Republic. The goal-hungry striker enjoyed a lengthy career with a host of clubs in his homeland, including Sampdoria, Fiorentina, Siena and Parma. He won the 1999 UEFA Cup with Parma and was the competition's joint-top goalscorer that season with eight goals. Federico's brother, Lorenzo, is currently on the books of Sampdoria.
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His footballing idols. Chiesa has previously stated he had two inspirations in football while growing up. One was a gifted Brazilian playmaker who came up against Liverpool in two Champions League finals and the other is Juventus' all-time top scorer by some considerable distance. "My idols? Kaka, [Alessandro] Del Piero," Chiesa told La Repubblica in 2021.
Liverpool's Italian history. Chiesa will become the seventh player born in Italy to represent the Reds' men's team. He follows on from Daniele Padelli, Andrea Dossena, Alberto Aquilani, Fabio Borini, Mario Balotelli and Thiago Alcantara.
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