Tommaso Bianchi

Tommaso Bianchi
Personal information
Date of birthNovember 1, 1988
Place of birthPiombino, Italy
Height1.82 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing positionCentre Midfielder
Club information
Current team
Leeds United
Number14
Youth career
Follonica
–Piacenza
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2005–2011Piacenza81(6)
2010→ Chievo (loan)0(0)
2011–2014Sassuolo59(4)
2013–2014→ Modena (loan)41(3)
2014–Leeds United23(0)
National team‡
2006Italy U191(0)
2007–2008Italy U206(0)
2009Italy U211(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 00:59, 4 January 2015 (UTC).

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 00:59, 4 January 2015 (UTC)

Tommaso Bianchi (born 1 November 1988 in Piombino) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for English Championship club Leeds United. He is a former Italy Under 21 international.

Career

Piacenza

After starting his career at Follonica, his hometown team. The following year he arrived in the youth team of Piacenza with whom he made his debut in Serie B, on 19 March 2006 against Ternana. On 29 August 2009 scored the first two goals in a 3-2 defeat to Lecce.

On 1 February 2010, he joined Serie A side Chievo on loan, with the option to buy half of his ownership at the end of the deal, however he failed to play a single game for Chievo and returned to Piacenza at the end of the season.

In the first match after returning to Piacenza, the second round of the Italian Cup against Virtus Lanciano, he scored the 4th goal in a 5-3 victory. At the end of the season, he'd made 37 appearances in the league, 2 in the play-off and 2 in the Italian Cup with 4 goals in the league and 1 in the Italian Cup, making him the most picked player, along with Mario Cassano in the season, however the season ended with Piacenza being relegated to Lega Pro Prima Divisione. Playing the next season as a starter in the cup matches against Pontedera and Empoli.

Sassuolo

On 31 August, the last day before the end of the transfer window, he was sold in co-ownership to Sassuolo. Making his debut on September in a 2-0 win against the Citadella. After a season as a starter, with 29 league appearances, he helped Sassuolo to a 3rd place finish in Serie B, however Sassuolo missed out on promotion via the Serie B playoff's after being knocked out 3-2 on aggregate by the eventual winners Sampdoria.

On 20 June 2012, after impressing in his first season, his ownership was made permanent at Sassuolo. His first goal came on 15 December 2012, in a 3-1 win away to Calcio Padova. On 18 May 2013, Sassuolo won promotion from Serie B as Champions, which saw them reach an extraordinary feat in that this would be the first time that Sassuolo were in the top tier of Italian football Serie A in the team led by Eusebio Di Francesco.

Modena loan

In the last market day he went on loan to Modena, returning to Serie B. He made his debut with the canaries on 8 September in a 2-0 win over the Citadella. He scored his first goal with gialloblù on October 19 in the 3-0 home win against Reggina. Bianchi impressed and finished the season with 38 appearances and 3 goals in the league and 3 appearances in the playoffs, Modena finished the season in the playoff's in 5th, after beating Spezia 1-0 in the prelimary round of the Serie B playoff's, Bianchi's side were eliminated in the semi-finals by eventual playoff winners A.C. Cesena after losing 2-1 on aggregate in two legs of the semi finals of the Serie B promotion playoff's.

Leeds United

On 8 July 2014, Bianchi started training with Leeds United ahead of a proposed three-year deal with the option of an additional year.[1][2] His signing was confirmed via the Leeds United Official Twitter Page on July 12.[3][4] On 1st August, Bianchi was assigned the Leeds number 14 shirt for the 2014/15 season.[5]

His league debut was delayed as he was forced to miss the opening game of the season, away to Millwall, due to suspension carried over from the previous season in Italy.[6] Bianchi made his Leeds United debut on 12 August 2014, starting the League Cup match against Accrington Stanley.[7] Bianchi made his league debut on 16 August in Leeds' 1-0 victory against Middlesbrough F.C. after a goal by Billy Sharp.[8] After being a regular starter for Leeds, after 23 league appearance, Bianchi picked up a serious knee injury in a 2-0 victory against Reading on 10 February and had to be substituted.[9] The injury was set to rule Bianchi out for the rest of the 2014/15 season, with Bianchi requiring knee surgery after suffering medial ligament damage.[10]

International career

Bianchi has played with the Italian national Under-19's and six appearances with the ' Under-20.

On 4 September 2009, he played his only game for the Under-21 team coached by Pierluigi Casiraghi, playing as a starter in the Wales-Italy (2-1) qualifier for 2011 European Championship. During the game Bianchi played with future Italy internationals Mario Balotelli and Andrea Ranocchia.[11]

Style Of Play

Bianchi is primarily a centre midfielder but can play as a winger on both flanks, or in the 'number 10' role.[12]

Honours

References

  1. ↑ "Leeds United complete Silvestri and Bianchi signings". Yorkshire Evening Post. 8 July 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "Leeds United President Massimo Cellino on new signings, McCormack, Elland Road & buying a bus". BBC Sport. 11 July 2014. Retrieved 11 July 2014.
  3. ↑ "COMPLETE: We can now confirm the signing of Tommaso Bianchi, who arrives for an undisclosed fee from Sassuolo". Leeds United Official Twitter Page. 12 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  4. ↑ "UNITED COMPLETE BIANCHI SIGNING". Leeds United Official Site. 12 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  5. ↑ "SQUAD NUMBERS RELEASED". Leeds United. 1 August 2014. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  6. ↑ "Millwall v Leeds". BBC Sport. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  7. ↑ "Leeds V Accrington". Leeds United. Retrieved 12 August 2014.
  8. ↑ "DEBUTANT SHARP BLUNTS BORO". Leeds United Official Site. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  9. ↑ "Reading 0 Leeds 2". BBC Sport. 10 February 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  10. ↑ "Midfielder Bianchi out for the season as he awaits knee operation". Yorkshire Evening Post. 13 February 2015. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
  11. ↑ "Wales u21 2-1 Italy u21". S4C (in Welsh). 4 September 2009. Retrieved 4 September 2009.
  12. ↑ "UNITED COMPLETE BIANCHI SIGNING". Leeds United Official Site. 12 July 2014. Retrieved 12 July 2014.

External links