Armando Izzo
Personal information
Date of birth (1992-03-02) 2 March 1992 (age 31)
Place of birth Naples, Italy
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Monza
Number 4
Youth career
Napoli
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2012 Napoli 0 (0)
2011–2012 → Triestina (loan) 13 (1)
2012–2014 Avellino 58 (2)
2014–2018 Genoa 98 (2)
2018–2023 Torino 104 (7)
2022–2023 → Monza (loan) 30 (1)
2023– Monza 1 (0)
International career‡
2019 Italy 3 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 30 August 2023 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:45, 18 November 2019 (UTC)

Armando Izzo (Italian pronunciation: [arˈmando ˈittso]; born 2 March 1992) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Serie A club Monza. He previously played for the Italy national team.

Club career

Early career

Izzo started playing football at the age of 13 with ARCI Scampia, before moving Napoli, where he also won a Campionato Nazionale Dante Berretti. In the 2011–12 season he went on loan to Triestina in Lega Pro Prima Divisione, with whom he played 13 games and scored his first professional career goal.[1]

On 31 January 2012, Izzo joined Avellino in a co-ownership deal,[2] with whom he played 6 games. The following season, Izzo made 22 appearances and scored a goal, as Avellino won the league and were promoted to Serie B. Izzo debuted in Serie B in the 2013–14 season, ending the season with a goal in 30 appearances.

Genoa

During the summer he was sold to Genoa, with whom he debuted in Serie A on 5 October 2014, in a 2–1 win away against Parma.[3] He scored his first goal in the top flight on 11 January 2015, at San Siro against Inter Milan. On 1 April 2015, he renewed his contract with Genoa until 2019. Izzo ended the season with 20 appearances and one goal.

The following season makes his first league appearance of the season in a 2–0 win against Verona. He made 33 appearances for Genoa during the season.

In the 2016–17 he was a starter in defence for the Ligurian team, while the following season, he made only 16 appearances due to injuries and disqualifications. He scored his only goal of the season on 25 October 2017, opening the scoring in 2–3 home defeat against Napoli. On 12 May 2018, in an away game against Benevento, he made his hundredth appearance for Genoa.

Torino

On 4 July 2018, Izzo signed a four-year contract with Torino.[4] He made his debut with Torino on 12 August during a 4–0 win over against Cosenza in the Coppa Italia. On 4 November he scored his first goal in Serie A with Torino, in 1–4 away victory against Sampdoria.[citation needed]

Monza

On 1 September 2022, Izzo joined newly-promoted Serie A side Monza on a one-year loan.[5] He made his debut on 5 September, as a second-half substitute in a 2–0 league defeat to Atalanta.[6] Following the end of the loan spell, on 5 July 2023, Monza signed Izzo permanently on a three-year deal.[7]

International career

On 5 November 2016, Izzo was called up to the senior squad for the first time by Gian Piero Ventura for Italy's 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualification match against Liechtenstein and a friendly match against Germany.[8]

On 15 March 2019, Izzo received a call up from Roberto Mancini for Italy's UEFA Euro 2020 qualifying matches against Finland and Liechtenstein later that month.[9] On 26 March, he made his senior international debut in a 6–0 home win over Liechtenstein.[10]

Match-fixing

On 23 May 2016, Izzo, along with midfielders Luca Pini and Francesco Millesi, was put under investigation by the anti-mafia police department in Naples (DDA) after being accused of being directly involved with a Camorra clan based in Secondigliano in altering the results of the Serie B matches Modena–Avellino (1–0) from 17 March 2014, and Avellino–Reggina (3–0) from 25 May 2014. On 3 March 2017, the Italian Football Federation's prosecutor asked for Izzo to be suspended for six years, also requesting that collateral estoppel be applied, and demanded that he should receive a €20,000 fine. On 12 April, he received an 18-month ban from football and was also fined €50,000.[11][12][13][14][15] On 19 May, his ban was reduced to six months.[16] On 4 May 2023, Izzo was found guilty of associating with the Camorra and sporting fraud, and sentenced to five years in prison.[17]

Style of play

Izzo is a right-footed defender who mainly plays as a centre-back. He has often played in a three-man back-line throughout his career, a position which best utilises his dynamism, and which also allows him to contribute offensively as well as defensively. He has also been deployed as a right-sided full-back on occasion. A strong, hard-working, and tenacious defender, he is known for his tackling ability and anticipation.[18][19][20]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 4 March 2023[21]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Coppa Italia Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Triestina (loan) 2011–12 Lega Pro 13 1 3 0 — — 16 1
Avellino 2011–12 Lega Pro 6 0 0 0 — — 6 0
2012–13 Lega Pro 22 1 2 0 — — 24 1
2013–14 Serie B 30 1 4 0 — — 34 1
Total 58 2 6 0 0 0 0 0 64 2
Genoa 2014–15 Serie A 20 1 1 0 — — 21 1
2015–16 Serie A 33 0 1 0 — — 34 0
2016–17 Serie A 29 0 1 0 — — 30 0
2017–18 Serie A 16 1 0 0 — — 16 1
Total 98 2 3 0 0 0 0 0 101 2
Torino 2018–19 Serie A 37 4 2 0 — — 39 4
2019–20 Serie A 31 1 1 0 5 2 — 37 3
2020–21 Serie A 25 2 1 0 — — 26 2
2021–22 Serie A 11 0 2 0 — — 13 0
Total 104 7 6 0 5 2 0 0 115 9
Monza 2022–23 Serie A 18 1 1 0 — — 19 1
Career total 291 13 19 0 5 2 0 0 315 15

International

As of match played 18 November 2019[22]
National team Year Apps Goals
Italy 2019 3 0
Total 3 0

Honours

Avellino

References

  1. ^ "Triestina, in arrivo Izzo e De Vena dal Napoli" [Triestina, arriving Izzo and De Vena from Napoli] (in Italian). Tutto Mercato Web. 14 July 2011. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  2. ^ "Calciomercato: Armando Izzo è dell'Avellino" [Transfer Market: Armando Izzo is from Avellino] (in Italian). Solo Avellino. 31 January 2012. Archived from the original on 11 March 2014. Retrieved 10 March 2014.
  3. ^ "Izzo Alla Corte di Gasperini" [Izzo in Gasperini's court] (in Italian). Genoa's official website. 14 July 2014. Archived from the original on 15 October 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2014.
  4. ^ "Izzo signed with Torino" (in Italian). Archived from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  5. ^ "Armando Izzo è del Monza". A.C. Monza. 1 September 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
  6. ^ "Monza-Atalanta 0-2: Hojlund e Lookman regalano i 3 punti alla Dea, prima da sola in classifica dopo 58 anni". Eurosport (in Italian). Retrieved 10 September 2022.
  7. ^ "Bentornato Armando Izzo". AC Monza (in Italian). 5 July 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  8. ^ "Italia: Marchisio torna a casa, convocati Izzo e Gagliardini" (in Italian). sportnews.eu. 5 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
  9. ^ "Italy: Pavoletti & Quag in, Balotelli out". Football Italia. 15 March 2019.
  10. ^ "Euro 2020: Italy hit Liechtenstein for six". Football Italia. 26 March 2019.
  11. ^ "Izzo six-year ban next week?". Football Italia. 7 April 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  12. ^ "Genoa's Armando Izzo gets 18-month ban in match-fixing investigation". ESPN FC. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  13. ^ "Izzo receives 18-month ban". Football Italia. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  14. ^ "Camorra, Izzo: "Non c'entro niente, vivo un incubo"" (in Italian). Ansa.it. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  15. ^ "Scommesse, la Procura Figc chiede 6 anni per Izzo e -7 punti per l'Avellino" (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. 3 March 2017. Retrieved 25 April 2017.
  16. ^ "Izzo sentence reduced to six months". Football Italia. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
  17. ^ "MONZA DEFENDER IZZO FOUND GUILTY IN BETTING SCANDAL". Football Italia. 4 May 2023.
  18. ^ "Ag. Izzo: "E' abituato alla difesa a tre, in quel ruolo è tra i più forti in Europa"". www.tuttonapoli.net (in Italian). 15 February 2019. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  19. ^ Lisanti, Francesco (4 April 2019). "Il calciatore di marzo: Armando Izzo". www.ultimouomo.com (in Italian). Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  20. ^ "Troppa grazia, finalmente il Genoa ritrova Izzo". www.ilposticipo.it (in Italian). 9 September 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2019.
  21. ^ Armando Izzo at Soccerway. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  22. ^ "Armando Izzo". FIGC profile (in Italian). Retrieved 18 November 2019.

External links

AC Monza – current squad
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