Antonio Candreva

Born in Rome on 28 February 1987 to a family of part Arbëreshe descent, Antonio Candreva came up through the youth ranks at local club Lodigiani before joining Serie C1 side Ternana in 2003. He featured for the first team as they won promotion to Serie B in the 2004–05 season, and his promise soon drew attention from Italy’s biggest clubs.

In June 2007, Udinese signed the young winger, and he made his Serie A debut against Inter on 27 January 2008. A loan to Livorno followed, where he helped the Tuscan club win promotion through the playoffs, and further spells at Juventus, Parma, and Cesena broadened his experience. A transfer to Lazio proved the defining move: he won the Coppa Italia in his first season, and his low cross set up Senad Lulić’s winner in the 2013 Coppa Italia final against Roma at the Stadio Olimpico. In 2016 he joined Inter Milan, making over 150 appearances across four seasons.

On the international stage, Candreva earned his senior Italy debut on 14 November 2009 in a friendly against the Netherlands. He represented his country at the 2008 Summer Olympics, the 2014 FIFA World Cup — where he assisted Mario Balotelli’s match-winning goal against England in Manaus — and UEFA Euro 2016, and won a bronze medal at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, scoring a Panenka-style penalty past Iker Casillas in the semi-final against Spain.

Across a career spanning Ternana, Udinese, Lazio, and Inter, Candreva built a reputation as a tireless right midfielder and winger, combining work rate with an eye for the decisive assist on the biggest stages in Italian and international football.