Nicola Leali

Nicola Leali

File:Leali1.png
Personal information
Full name	Nicola Leali
Date of birth	(1993-02-17) 17 February 1993
Place of birth	Castiglione delle Stiviere, Italy
Height
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Frosinone (on loan from Juventus)
Number	33
Youth career
	Brescia
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2010–2012	Brescia	17	(0)
2012–	Juventus	0	(0)
2012–2013	→ Virtus Lanciano (loan)	37	(0)
2013–2014	→ Spezia (loan)	38	(0)
2014–2015	→ Cesena (loan)	28	(0)
2015–	→ Frosinone (loan)	22	(0)
International career‡
2008–2009	Italy U16	6	(0)
2009	Italy U17	3	(0)
2010–2011	Italy U18	2	(0)
2010–2012	Italy U19	12	(0)
2012–2013	Italy U20	4	(0)
2012–	Italy U21	1	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13:06, 08 February 2016 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 1 July 2014

Nicola Leali (born 17 February 1993) is an Italian professional footballer who currently plays as a goalkeeper for newly promoted Frosinone on loan from Juventus.

Club career

Brescia

Born in Castiglione delle Stiviere, Italy, Leali began his youth career with Brescia Calcio and played for the Brescia Primavera from 2009 to 2011. During the 2009-10 Serie B season, Sergio Viotti trained with first team instead and did not played for the reserve, but in the 2010–11 season, it was Leali who earned promotion to the first team. Michal Hrivňák was the first choice of the reserve (12 games) while Leali played 9 games. He also began his professional career with Brescia, after being called up to the first team for the first time in 2010. Initially, Leali was the club's third-choice goalkeeper for the 2010-11 Serie A season, behind veterans Matteo Sereni, and Michele Arcari, and was called up to the bench 17 times following an injury to Sereni, who terminated his contract with Bresica after failing to regain his place in the team following his return from injury. Leali made his Serie A debut for the club on 15 May 2011 in a 1–0 loss versus A.C. Cesena. He officially was promoted to the first team in July 2011, ahead of the 2011-12 Serie B campaign after the club's relegation from Serie A in 2011. He began the new season as the club's first choice goalkeeper, ahead of the aforementioned Arcari and fellow Brescia youth product Andrea Caroppo, although he eventually lost his place. In the second half of season Michele Arcari became the first choice after Leali was heavily linked with a transfer to other Italian teams.

Juventus

In June 2012 Leali traveled to Turin to have a medical in Clinica Fornaca di Sessant and Istituto di Medicina dello Sport in order to formalize a possible transfer to Juventus. The deal was officially completed on 3 July 2012.

Virtus Lanciano

On 30 August 2012, Leali was sent out on loan to Serie B side, Virtus Lanciano on a one-year loan agreement. During his loan stint at the second tier club, Leali appeared in 37 league matches. Leali returned to Juventus on 30 June 2013.

Spezia

Upon his Juventus return, he was once again loaned out, to Serie B side Spezia Calcio on 30 July 2013. He joined the second-tier outfit on a one-season loan deal with an option to purchase half of the player's contract at the conclusion of the 2013-14 Serie B season. He made his debut for Spezia on 25 August 2013 in a 0–0 home draw against Cittadella, and finished the season with 39 league appearances. He returned to Juventus on 30 June 2014 upon the expiration of the loan agreement.

Cesena

On 7 July 2014, Leali officially joined newly promoted Serie A side Cesena on a season-long loan deal that expired on 30 June 2015.

Frosinone

On 13 July 2015, Leali officially joined newly promoted Serie A side Frosinone on a season-long loan deal that expires on 30 June 2016.

International career

Leali has represented Italy at the U-17, U-18, U-19, U-20, and U-21 levels. He also notably represented Italy at the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship in Israel.