Salvatore Sirigu

Salvatore Sirigu

Sirigu training with PSG in 2013.
Personal information
Full nameSalvatore Sirigu
Date of birth12 January 1987
Place of birthNuoro, Italy
Height1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing positionGoalkeeper
Club information
Current team
Paris Saint-Germain
Number30
Youth career
Venezia
Palermo
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2006–2011Palermo69(0)
2007–2008→ Cremonese (loan)19(0)
2008–2009→ Ancona (loan)15(0)
2011–Paris Saint-Germain137(0)
National team‡
2005Italy U183(0)
2005Italy U192(0)
2007–2009Italy U213(0)
2010–Italy12(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20 March 2015.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 28 March 2015

Salvatore Sirigu (Italian pronunciation: [salvaˈtore ˈsiriɡu]; born 12 January 1987) is an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and Italy national football team. Since 2010 he has been a regular member of the Italian national team, selected for major tournaments such as UEFA Euro 2012 and 2014 FIFA World Cup. Since his emergence as one of the best and most reliable Italian goalkeepers, he is widely considered as the heir-apparent of Gianluigi Buffon, due to his consistency, strength, composure, mentality, and his reflexes.[1]

Club career

Early career

Born in Nuoro, Sardinia, Italy, Sirigu started his football career in Venezia's youth system playing as a midfielder. He was known for his powerful back heels which he used to take penalty kicks. In 2002, he joined Palermo's youth system. It was at this time that he switched to playing in goal. In the 2006-07 season he has been integrated in the first team squad and made his debut as a starter in a Coppa Italia match against Sampdoria and a UEFA Cup match against Fenerbahçe.

Palermo loaned him to Serie C1 club Cremonese on 12 July 2007 in order to let him achieve some first team experience.[2]

He spent the 2008–09 season on loan to Serie B side Ancona,[3] but only played 15 games with his club, as Ancona managers Francesco Monaco, and later Sandro Salvioni, preferred Brazilian teammate Da Costa over him.

Sirigu successively returned to Palermo as a second-choice keeper, behind new signing Rubinho, for the 2009–10 season. Following a string of unimpressive performances by Rubinho, Palermo coach Walter Zenga, himself a former goalkeeper who was noted for his ability, moved Sirigu in the starting role for the Week 6 game, an away match against Davide Ballardini's Lazio on 27 September 2009. The game, which also represented Sirigu's official debut in the Italian Serie A, ended in a 1–1 draw, with the young goalkeeper being nominated Man of the Match due to his numerous saves throughout the match.[4] He was subsequently confirmed for the following game, where Sirigu managed to keep a clean sheet in a 2–0 win against Serie A giants Juventus. Since then, Sirigu was regularly featured in the starting line-up and permanently confirmed as first-choice goaleeper, leading the club to send Rubinho out on loan to Livorno later in January.

On 21 October 2009, Palermo announced to have agreed a contract extension with Sirigu, the new contract would have expired in June 2014.[5]

Paris Saint-Germain

On 28 July 2011, Sirigu signed a four-year contract with French club Paris Saint-Germain[6][7] for a transfer fee of €3.895 million.[8] In August, his first month at the Parisian club, the shot stopper was named by the club supporters as their third best player of the month after Javier Pastore and Kévin Gameiro, indicating a swift adaptation to his new surroundings. He has quickly seen off competition from fellow new signing Nicolas Douchez to become the number 1 goalkeeper for the ambitious Parisian club, as well as a fan favourite. His name is often chanted during home games by the notoriously demanding Paris Saint-Germain supporters. On 27 January 2013, Sirigu broke Bernard Lama's clean-sheet record for a PSG goalkeeper in Ligue 1 (697 minutes).[9]

On 2 August 2014, as PSG won the Trophée des Champions 2–0 against Guingamp at the Workers Stadium in Beijing, Sirigu saved a 32nd-minute penalty from Mustapha Yatabaré.[10]

On 10 September 2014, PSG announced that Sirigu signed a contract extension until 2018.[11]

International career

Gianluigi Buffon and Sirigu at a press conference during Euro 2012

Sirigu had international experience at the youth level with the Under-18 and Under-19 teams.[12]

On 21 August 2007 he made his debut with the Italy U-21 squad in a friendly match against France. He took part at the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship as the back up of starter Andrea Consigli.

On 28 February 2010 he received his first call-up for the Italian national team for a friendly game versus Cameroon to be played at Stade Louis II, Monaco, but did not play. He was in Lippi's 28-man provisional 2010 FIFA World Cup squad, but was not included in the 23-man final squad.

Upon Cesare Prandelli taking the helm as national coach, Sirigu was named in his first squad list for the friendly against Côte d'Ivoire.[13] He made his international debut in that game losing 1–0, on 10 August 2010.[14] On 3 September, on his second cap, he played his first competitive match, a 2–1 away win against Estonia for Euro 2012 qualifying.[15] He was eventually selected to go to UEFA Euro 2012 as the third choice keeper of the Italian team, behind Gianluigi Buffon and Morgan De Sanctis.

For the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup he was selected as the second choice behind Buffon. Shortly before the tournament, on 31 May, he kept his first international clean sheet as Italy beat San Marino 4–0 in a friendly in Bologna.[15]

Sirigu was selected by Cesare Prandelli as his second-choice goalkeeper for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. However, Buffon received an ankle injury during training and Sirigu played the opening group game against England in Manaus on 14 June. He made several decisive saves which contributed to the 2–1 Italian victory.[16] Buffon returned to the team for the remaining two group games, which saw Italy eliminated.

Career statistics

(Correct as of 20 March 2015)
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Palermo 2006–07 00101020
Cremonese (loan) 2007–08 2202000240
Ancona (loan) 2008–09 1500000150
Palermo 2009–10 3201000330
2010–11 3705030450
Total 6907040800
Paris Saint-Germain 2011–12 3802010410
2012–13 33000100430
2013–14 37000110480
2014–15 2901090390
Total 1370303101710
Career total 20601003802510

International appearances

As of match played 28 March 2015.[15]
Italy national team
YearAppsGoals
201020
201100
201220
201331
201441
201510
Total120

Honours

Paris Saint-Germain
Italy
Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Palermo, Sirigu ancora titolare". Retrieved 14 November 2014.
  2. ↑ "Sirigu in prestito alla Cremonese" [Sirigu loaned to Cremonese] (in Italian). US Città di Palermo. 12 July 2007. Retrieved 2007-07-12.
  3. ↑ "CALCIOMERCATO. IL PORTIERE SIRIGU E' DELL'ANCONA" [Transfer market. The goalkeeper Sirigu is Ancona's] (in Italian). AC Ancona. 23 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
  4. ↑ "Palermo, Sirigu: "Contento della mia prestazione e della prova del gruppo"" (in Italian). TuttoMercatoWeb. 27 September 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2009.
  5. ↑ "Palermo, Sirigu rinnova fino al 2014" [Palermo, Sirigu renews until 2014] (in Italian). Corriere dello Sport – Stadio. 21 October 2009. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
  6. ↑ "SIRIGU CEDUTO AL PSG" [SIRIGU SOLD TO PSG] (in Italian). ilpalermocalcio.it. 28 July 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  7. ↑ "Sissoko et Sirigu s’engagent avec le PSG" [Sissoko and Sirigu join PSG] (in French). PSG.fr. 28 July 2011. Retrieved 28 July 2011.
  8. ↑ US Città di Palermo SpA bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2012 (Italian), PDF purchased from Italian CCIAA
  9. ↑ "Record-setting Sirigu". PSG.fr. 28 January 2013. Retrieved 28 January 2013.
  10. ↑ "Paris Saint-Germain beat Guingamp to win the Trophee des Champions". Sky Sports News. 2 August 2014. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  11. ↑ "SALVATORE SIRIGU SIGNS CONTRACT EXTENSION TO 2018". Paris Saint-Germain F.C. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2014.
  12. ↑ "SIRIGU SALVATORE – Convocazioni e presenze in campo" (in Italian). FIGC.it. Retrieved 2008-03-30.
  13. ↑ "Pronta la squadra azzurra: ecco la lista dei 23 per il Mondiale". FIGC (in Italian). 1 June 2010. Retrieved 2010-06-01.
  14. ↑ http://www.goal.com/en/match/49703/ivory-coast-vs-italy/report
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 "Salvatore Sirigu". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 15 June 2014.
  16. ↑ McNulty, Phil (14 June 2014). "Italy 2-1 England". BBC Sport. Retrieved 15 June 2014.

External links

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