Insigne Lorenzo
Lorenzo Insigne is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a forward for the Italy national team. Insigne began his professional career with Napoli in 2009, making his Serie A debut in 2010, but was later sent on consecutive season loan spells to Cavese, Foggia and Pescara, before returning to Napoli in 2012. Insigne is capable of playing on either flank, or through the centre, but is usually deployed as left winger. He is known in particular for his creativity, speed and technical ability, as well as his accuracy from free-kicks. Insigne has represented the Italy national under-21 team, with which he won a runner-up medal at the 2013 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. He made his debut for the senior team in September 2012, and has represented Italy at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro 2016, and UEFA Euro 2020, winning the latter tournament. July 1st.
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This shirt was worn by Lorenzo Insigne during the Euro 2020 game between Italy and Switzerland which took place in Rome, “Stadio Olimpico”, on June 16th 2021. Italy defeated Switzerland 3-0. Again, Italy impressed. After opening this European Championship with one commanding 3-0 win, Roberto Mancini now has a pair of them to point to when asked about the Azzurri’s credentials. This victory over Switzerland – won by two fine Manuel Locatelli goals and a late Ciro Immobile strike – was every bit as impressive as that demolition of Turkey and stretched their unbeaten run under Mancini’s stewardship to 29 games. Insigne was called up for the first time for the Italy senior team in September 2012 at age 21 by coach Cesare Prandelli for Italy’s 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Bulgaria and Malta. He made his senior debut on 11 September 2012 in the World Cup qualifier match against Malta in Modena, coming on as a replacement for Alessandro Diamanti. On 14 August 2013, Insigne scored his first goal in a friendly against Argentina, which ended in a 2–1 loss at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Insigne was named in Cesare Prandelli’s 30-man provisional squad for the 2014 World Cup and was eventually picked in the final 23-man squad. In Italy’s last warm-up match, against Fluminense in Brazil ahead of their World Cup opener against England, Insigne and his teammate Ciro Immobile scored five goals, with Insigne scoring two. On 20 June, Insigne made his debut in the 2014 World Cup in Italy’s second group match, against Costa Rica, replacing Antonio Candreva in the second half of the 1–0 defeat. However, this was Insigne’s only appearance in the tournament, as Italy was eliminated in the group stage. On 31 May 2016, Insigne was named to Antonio Conte’s 23-man Italy squad for UEFA Euro 2016. He made his first appearance of the tournament on 22 June, coming off the bench in Italy’s final group match, which ended in a 1–0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland, striking the post and later receiving a yellow card in injury time. In the round of 16, at the Stade de France in Paris on 27 June, he came off the bench once again to help set-up Graziano Pellè’s 91st minute volley to give the Azzurri a 2–0 win over defending champions Spain. On 2 July, he made a further substitute appearance in the quarter-final fixture against Germany and scored Italy’s first penalty in the resulting shoot-out, which ended in a 6–5 loss to the reigning World Cup champions. In June 2021, Insigne was included in Italy’s squad for UEFA Euro 2020 by manager Roberto Mancini. In the opening match of the tournament on 11 June, he scored Italy’s final goal in a 3–0 win over Turkey. On 2 July, he scored Italy’s second goal of the match in a 2–1 win over Belgium in the quarter-finals of the competition, with a curling right-footed effort from outside the box following an individual run; for his performance, he was named star of the match by UEFA, while the goal later placed second in UEFA’s “2020–21 Goal of the Season,” behind only Mehdi Taremi’s overhead kick goal for Porto against Chelsea in the Champions League quarter-finals. On 11 July, Insigne won the European Championship with Italy following a 3–2 penalty shoot-out victory over England at Wembley Stadium in the final, after a 1–1 draw in extra-time; Insigne started the match, but was replaced by Andrea Belotti late in the second half of regulation time. Throughout the competition, Insigne made more solo runs into the penalty area (16) than any other player.
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These boots were issued for Lorenzo Insigne for the “Euro 2020” competition. They are the “Predator Freak” released by Adidas for his athletes for Euro 2020 and the Copa America. Despite the regular version, the boots worn by the players at “Euro 2020” has an extra flag printed on sides representing the national team they played for. This model was only issued and not used by Lorenzo Insigne because he preferred to play with the second model released by Adidas, called “Copa Sense+”. Several other Italian players, Donnarumma for instance, used this model as visible from the picture below.
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In 2006, at age 15, Insigne was signed by Napoli from Olimpia Sant’Arpino for €1,500. In 2008, he made his debut for the Primavera team, with whom he scored 15 goals in the 2009–10 season. He was first called-up to the first team under Roberto Donadoni, playing some friendlies in the summer of 2009, before making his Serie A debut under Walter Mazzarri, on 24 January 2010, in a 2–0 win away to Livorno. He played the remainder of the season on loan at Cavese in Lega Pro Prima Divisione, where he made 10 appearances. Lorenzo Insigne has three brothers, all of whom are footballers: his younger brother Roberto, as well as Marco and Antonio. Lorenzo married Genoveffa “Jenny” Darone on 31 December 2012; they have two children together: Carmine, born on 4 April 2013, and Christian, born on 13 March 2015. While he was still an S.S.C.Napoli player, on 8 January 2022, Insigne signed a pre-contract to join Canadian Major League Soccer club Toronto FC on a free transfer. The contract is a four-year deal and is set to begin on July 1st.
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Nicknamed “Lorenzo Il Magnifico” (“Lorenzo the Magnificent,” in Italian), Insigne is a fast, talented, skillful and diminutive right footed winger, with an eye for the goal, who is usually deployed on the left in a 4–3–3 or in a 4–2–3–1 formation, which allows him to utilise his acceleration to cut inside and curl shots on goal with his stronger foot, in particular from outside the penalty area. Due to his penchant for scoring goals in his manner, which according to Insigne was inspired by his “idol” Alessandro Del Piero’s trademark goals, in 2021, the neologism “tiraggiro” – derived from “tir a gir” (“tiro a giro,” in Italian, or “curling shot,” in English) in Insigne’s native Neapolitan dialect – was coined and included in the Italian encyclopedia Treccani. Although his preferred role is on the left flank, he is a hard-working, tactically intelligent, and versatile forward, capable of playing in any offensive position on either side of the pitch, or even through the centre; he is also known for his defensive contribution and ability to cover a lot of ground during matches, in addition to his offensive capabilities, despite his lack of physicality. He has often operated in deeper, more creative positions, either in a free role in the centre as an attacking midfield playmaker behind the strikers, or as a supporting forward, due to his passing ability and vision, which enable him to link-up with midfielders, create chances, and provide assists for teammates. He is also capable of playing in a more offensive central role as a false 9. In addition to his ability to set-up goals, he is also capable of scoring them himself, and is an accurate set-piece taker. Insigne’s resulting low centre of gravity, combined with his creativity, quick feet and technical ability, make him extremely quick and agile in possession, and give him excellent balance and control of the ball, which, along with his flair, intelligent movement, speed, and dribbling skills, allows him to beat opponents and create space for his team in attacking areas, or make attacking runs off the ball into the box. Regarded as one of Italy’s most promising prospects in his youth, due to his attributes, skill, pace and small stature, his former Napoli teammate and North Macedonia captain Goran Pandev has referred to him as the “Italian Messi”; he was also compared to former Napoli player Diego Maradona in his youth. Manager Delio Rossi also likened him to compatriots Fabrizio Miccoli – “for his turn of pace and cleverness” – and Gianfranco Zola in 2012. After scoring a goal, Insigne often celebrates by making a “heart” gesture with his hands.