Italian footballer (born 2002)
Mattia Viti Date of birth
(2002-01-24 ) 24 January 2002 (age 22) Place of birth
Borgo San Lorenzo , Italy Height
1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[ 1] Position(s)
Centre-back , left-back Current team
Empoli (on loan from Nice ) Number
21 2006–2009
Ponte a Greve 2009–2010
Audace Legnaia 2010–2020
Empoli Years
Team
Apps
(Gls ) 2020–2022
Empoli
22
(0) 2022–
Nice
9
(1) 2023–2024
→ Sassuolo (loan)
15
(1) 2024–
→ Empoli (loan)
0
(0) 2017
Italy U15
2
(0) 2018
Italy U16
3
(0) 2020
Italy U18
2
(0) 2021
Italy U20
4
(0) 2022–
Italy U21
6
(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:53, 23 July 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 March 2023
Mattia Viti (born 24 January 2002) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or left-back for Serie A club Empoli , on loan from Ligue 1 club Nice .
Born in Borgo San Lorenzo ,[ 2] [ 3] [ 4] [ 5] in the province of Florence , Mattia Viti already played football at the age of 4, with the club of Ponte a Greve—that would later merge with Rondinella Marzocco —in the Tuscan capital .[ 3] [ 6] Having moved to the nearby Audace Legnaia, he joined the Empoli academy as a 8-year-old, in 2010.[ 3] [ 5] [ 7]
After a full 2019–20 season with the Primavera , Viti made his professional debut on the 30 September 2020, starting a 2–1 Coppa Italia win against Renate .[ 8] He played his first Serie B game with Empoli on the 9 April 2021, replacing Nedim Bajrami in a 1–0 away win to Reggina , already proving to be decisive with a late minute goal line clearance.[ 6] [ 9] [ 10] His side eventually won the championship, making their come-back in Italy's top flight , while the Primavera squad also won their championship.[ 11]
On 22 September 2021 he made his Serie A debut in a 2–0 away victory against Cagliari , with Aurelio Andreazzoli making him start and finish the game, as the youngster proved to be instrumental in keeping a clean sheet for the Azzurri .[ 12] [ 13] [ 14]
During the following months—despite having to face the loss of his mother in November 2021[ 15] —he became a regular with the first team, alternating with Sebastiano Luperto or the veterans Tonelli and Romagnoli . He was a starter for several important Serie A wins, against the likes of Bologna ,[ 16] Sassuolo [ 17] or Udinese ,[ 18] appearing as one of the Italian championship most promising young defenders.[ 2] [ 5] [ 13] [ 14] [ 19] [ 20]
On 3 August 2022, Viti joined Ligue 1 side Nice on a permanent deal for an undisclosed fee, believed to be in the region of €13 million.[ 21] [ 22]
On 12 July 2023, Serie A side Sassuolo announced the signing of Viti on a season-long loan with a future option to buy.[ 23]
Return to Empoli on loan [ edit ] On 22 July 2024, Viti returned to Empoli, signing on loan until the end of the 2024–25 season, with an option to make the deal permanent.[ 24]
International career [ edit ] Viti is a youth international for Italy,[ 4] having played at under-15 ,[ 25] under-16 [ 26] and under-18 levels.[ 27]
In September 2021, he was selected with the under-20 ,[ 28] making his debut during a 1–0 away friendly win against Serbia on the 6 September and becoming a regular starter for the team in November,[ 29] [ 30] [ 31] before being promoted to the under-21 side,[ 32] where he was however forced to withdraw due to injury.[ 33] [ 34]
A left-footed centre-back with a good physical presence, he is seen as a technically gifted defender, able to launch offensive movements from the back, who doesn't hesitate to take risks and dribble to move froward.[ 11] [ 13] [ 14] [ 20]
Proactive in putting pressure on the opponent, he has a good discipline—not having received a single card during his first six months in Serie A—but still does his far share of defensive tasks, as he was for example among the top 1% of centre-backs in the top 5 European leagues in therms of blocks , halfway through his first Serie A season .[ 13]
Very soon compared to former Empoli star Daniele Rugani ,[ 3] [ 4] [ 6] his profile is often associated with the one of Alessandro Bastoni .[ 13] [ 14] He cites Sergio Ramos and Paolo Maldini as his main inspirations as a player.[ 3] [ 6] [ 5]
As of match played 26 May 2024 [ 35]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club
Season
League
National cup[ a]
Europe
Total
Division
Apps
Goals
Apps
Goals
Apps
Goals
Apps
Goals
Empoli
2020–21
Serie B
2
0
3
0
—
5
0
2021–22
Serie A
20
0
1
0
—
21
0
Total
22
0
4
0
—
26
0
Nice
2022–23
Ligue 1
9
1
0
0
3
0
12
1
Sassuolo (loan)
2023–24
Serie A
15
1
3
0
0
0
18
1
Empoli (loan)
2024–25
Serie A
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Career total
46
2
7
0
3
0
56
2
Empoli
^ "Mattia Viti" . OGC Nice. Retrieved 5 August 2022 .
^ a b "Personalità e movenze da 'veterano', così Mattia Viti ha convinto mister Andreazzoli" . La Nazione (in Italian). 12 November 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2022 .
^ a b c d e Giacometti, Emanuele (2 July 2020). "Mattia Viti, il gioiellino classe 2002 blindato dall'Empoli" . MondoPrimavera (in Italian). Retrieved 1 April 2021 .
^ a b c Ferraioli, Filippo (4 March 2021). "Mattia Viti, il volto nuovo dell'Empoli segue le orme di Rugani" . TUTTOmercatoWEB.com (in Italian). Retrieved 1 April 2021 .
^ a b c d Razzolini, Filippo (10 November 2021). "Ecco chi è Viti, il talento empolese che piace alla Fiorentina" . Fiorentina News (in Italian). Corriere della Sera . Retrieved 7 January 2022 – via quinews.net.
^ a b c d Giannattasio, Andrea (25 September 2021). "Viti, e adesso non chiamatelo predestinato" . La Nazione (in Italian). Retrieved 7 January 2022 .
^ Fioravanti, Fabrizio (29 October 2021). "Ludovico Ferrara: Mattia Viti e gli altri...lo scouting nel calcio giovanile" . PianetaEmpoli (in Italian). Retrieved 7 January 2022 .
^ Montano, Alessandro (23 December 2020). "Mattia Viti, il baby-Rugani che studia per diventare titolare nell'Empoli" . SerieBnews (in Italian). Retrieved 1 April 2021 .
^ "Le parole di Mattia Viti al termine di Reggiana-Empoli" . Empoli FC (in Italian). 10 April 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022 .
^ Lotti, Gianmarco (13 May 2021). "Mattia Viti ha conquistato tutti in tre minuti" . Empoli Channel (in Italian). Retrieved 7 January 2022 .
^ a b c Lamia, Paolo Lora (23 September 2021). "Chi è Mattia Viti dell'Empoli: talento all'esordio in A" . Minuti Di Recupero (in Italian). Retrieved 7 January 2022 .
^ "Serie A - Le pagelle di Cagliari-Empoli 0-2: Nandez non basta a Mazzarri, Toscani promossi in blocco" . Eurosport (in Italian). 22 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021 .
^ a b c d e Murgida, Alessio (10 December 2021). "L'Inter punta il nuovo Bastoni: chi è Mattia Viti, giovane promessa dell'Empoli" . Passioneinter.com (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport . Retrieved 6 January 2022 .
^ a b c d Ianuario, Enrico (4 January 2022). "Milan, chi è Mattia Viti: ruolo, stipendio e skills" . Pianeta Milan (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport . Retrieved 6 January 2022 .
^ "Un altro lutto per l'Empoli: è morta la madre di Mattia Viti" . Il Tirreno (in Italian). 28 November 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2022 .
^ Fonsato, Stefano (26 September 2021). "Serie A - Le pagelle di Empoli-Bologna 4-2: Henderson fa l'highlander, super Bajrami; disatro Bonifazi" . Eurosport (in Italian). Retrieved 6 January 2022 .
^ "Serie A, Le pagelle di Sassuolo-Empoli 1-2: Scamacca delude, bene Henderson" . Eurosport (in Italian). 31 October 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2022 .
^ Martina, Giulio (6 December 2021). "Serie A - Empoli-Udinese 3-1, le pagelle: Pinamonti e Bajrami brillano. L'Udinese affonda nella ripresa" . Eurosport (in Italian). Retrieved 6 January 2022 .
^ Colla, Claudio (29 December 2021). "Serie A - Three clubs after Empoli young backliner Viti" . TRANSFERmarketWEB.com . Retrieved 6 January 2022 .
^ a b "40 giovani da seguire nel 2022 - Prima parte" . L'Ultimo Uomo (in Italian). Sky Sport . 3 January 2022. Retrieved 6 January 2022 .
^ "Bienvenue Mattia Viti" . OGC Nice (in French). 3 August 2022.
^ "OGC Nice sign defender Mattia Viti from Empoli" . Get Football News . 3 August 2022.
^ "Dal Nizza arriva in neroverde il difensore Mattia Viti" [Defender Mattia Viti joins the neroverde team from Nice] (in Italian). U.S. Sassuolo Calcio. 12 July 2023. Retrieved 12 July 2023 .
^ "Mattia Viti prêté avec OA à Empoli" (in French). OGC Nice . 22 July 2024. Retrieved 24 July 2024 .
^ "Convocazioni e presenze in campo | Viti Mattia U15" . FIGC (in Italian). Retrieved 1 April 2021 .
^ "Convocazioni e presenze in campo | Viti Mattia U16" . FIGC (in Italian). Retrieved 1 April 2021 .
^ "Convocazioni e presenze in campo | Viti Mattia U18" . FIGC (in Italian). Retrieved 1 April 2021 .
^ Angrisani, Biagio (29 August 2021). "L'Italia U.20 torna in campo per il Torneo 8 Nazioni" . Corriere dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 6 January 2022 .
^ "Nazionale Under 20: al Patini Italia-Serbia finisce 0-1" . News Della Valle (in Italian). 6 September 2021. Retrieved 6 January 2022 .
^ "Convocazioni e presenze in campo | Viti Matia U20" . FIGC . 5 August 2020. Retrieved 6 January 2022 .
^ Cioni, Simone (7 November 2021). "L'Empoli torna a fare i conti con le Nazionali" . La Nazione (in Italian). Retrieved 6 January 2022 .
^ Piras, Andrea; Lorini, Simone. "Italia U21, Nicolato chiama Mattia Viti per l'amichevole di martedì contro la Romania" . TUTTOmercatoWEB.com (in Italian). Retrieved 7 January 2022 .
^ "Under21: trauma contusivo, Mattia Viti lascia il ritiro azzurro - Rai Sport" . Rai Sport . 15 November 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022 .
^ "Viti, l'infortunio non preoccupa Canestrelli in Under 21 ne fa tre" . La Nazione (in Italian). 17 November 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022 .
^ Mattia Viti at Soccerway. Retrieved 8 January 2022.