Giacomo Vrioni

Giacomo Vrioni

Vrioni with the New England Revolution in 2022
Personal information
Date of birth	(1998-10-15) 15 October 1998 (age 25)
Place of birth	San Severino Marche, Italy
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) [1]
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	New England Revolution
Number	9
Youth career
2015–2017	Sampdoria
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2014–2015	Matelica	4	(0)
2017–2020	Sampdoria	0	(0)
2017–2018	→ Pistoiese (loan)	27	(8)
2018–2019	→ Venezia (loan)	24	(1)
2019–2020	→ Cittadella (loan)	4	(0)
2020–2022	Juventus	2	(0)
2020–2021	→ Juventus U23	9	(2)
2021–2022	→ WSG Tirol (loan)	28	(19)
2022–	New England Revolution	30	(7)
International career‡
2016	Italy U18	2	(0)
2016	Italy U19	4	(1)
2018–2020	Albania U21	8	(2)
2018–	Albania	6	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 13 July 2023 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 13 June 2022

Giacomo Vrioni (Albanian : Xhakomo Vrioni; born 15 October 1998) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for Major League Soccer club New England Revolution. Born in Italy, he represents the Albania national team.

Club career

Sampdoria

Born in San Severino Marche, Macerata, before Vrioni joined Sampdoria, he played in Serie D side Matelica where he made four appearances. In January 2015, Vrioni joined the Sampdoria youth system where he played a total of 58 matches, scoring 20 goals and making 6 assists. In the 2016–17 season he was also an unused substitute two times: once in Serie A against Palermo and once in Coppa Italia against Cagliari. ^{[2] [3]}

Loan to Pistoiese

On 20 July 2017, Vrioni was signed by Serie C club Pistoiese on a season-long loan deal. ^[4] On 17 September he made his Serie C debut for Pistoiese as a substitute replacing Devis Nossa in the 67th minute and in the 74th minute he scored his first professional goal in a 1–1 away draw against Pro Piacenza. ^[5] On 4 October, Vrioni played his first match for the club as a starter, a 0–0 away draw against Olbia, and was replaced by Claudio Zappa in the 69th minute. ^[6] On 23 October he scored his second goal in the 8th minute of a 2–2 away draw against Pontedera. ^[7] On 17 December he played his first entire match for Pistoiese and recorded his first career hat-trick in a 3–1 home win over Gavorrano. ^[8] Vrioni ended his loan to Pistoiese with 27 appearances, 8 goals and 4 assists. ^[9]

Loan to Venezia

On 9 July 2018, Vrioni was loaned to Serie B side Venezia on a season-long loan deal. ^[10] On 5 August he made his debut in a 1–0 home defeat against Südtirol  in the second round of Coppa Italia. ^[11] On 26 August he made his Serie B debut in a 1–0 home win over Spezia, he was replaced by Alexandre Geijo after 76 minutes. ^[12] Four months later, on 3 December, Vrioni scored his first goal in Serie B for the club in the 46th minute of a 1–1 away draw against Foggia. ^[13] Vrioni ended his season-long loan to Venezia with 25 appearances, including 11 as a starter, 1 goal and 2 assists, but he played only 4 entire matches. ^[9]

Loan to Cittadella

On 19 July 2019, Vrioni joined Serie B side Cittadella on loan until 30 June 2020. ^[14] On 18 August, he made his debut for Cittadella as a substitute replacing Davide Diaw in the 84th minute of a match won at penalties in the third round of Coppa Italia against Carpi. ^[15] Six days later, on 24 August, he made his league debut for the club as a substitute replacing Giuseppe Panico in the 81st minute of a 3–0 home defeat against Spezia. ^[16] On 31 August he played his first match as a starter for Cittadella, a 4–1 away defeat against Benevento, and was replaced by Alberto Paleari after 46 minutes. ^[17] In January 2020, Vrioni was re-called from Sampdoria leaving Cittadella with only 5 appearances. ^[9]

Juventus

On 30 January 2020, Vrioni joined Juventus for an undisclosed fee; they moved him to their reserve team Juventus U23 in the Serie C. ^[18] He made his professional debut, and Serie A debut, with the first team on 1 August 2020, in a 3–1 home defeat against Roma, coming on as a second–half substitute for Gonzalo Higuaín. ^{[19] [20]} On 27 November 2020, he injured his fibula, forcing him on the sidelines for five months. ^[21] Vrioni returned from injury on 25 April 2021, playing in a home 1–0 win against Carrarese; he also scored the winning goal from the penalty spot. ^[22]

Loan to WSG Tirol

On 5 July 2021, Vrioni was loaned to WSG Tirol in the Austrian Bundesliga. ^[23] On 17 July, Vrioni made his debut for WSG Tirol in a 3–0 away win against Leobendorf in the first round of the Austrian Cup, scoring his first goal for the club. ^[24]

New England Revolution

On 5 July 2022, Vrioni signed a three-year deal with Major League Soccer side New England Revolution. ^[25] His transfer fee was reportedly close to $4 million. ^{[26] [27]} Vrioni made his league debut on July 23, 2022. Coming on as a 67th minute substitute for Arnór Ingvi Traustason in a 0-0 draw against Columbus Crew. ^[28] Vrioni admittedly had a difficult start to his inaugural Revolution campaign due to struggles with injury. ^[29] He would miss the a substantial portion of the 2022 season due to a knee injury, missing over a month of league play, ultimately making only 2 starts in 7 total appearances, tallying 248 minutes. ^[30] On October 1, 2022, in the Revolution's final home game of the season, Vrioni made his first start as a member of the Revolution, and also scored his first goal for the club when he drew, and converted, a penalty past Atlanta United's Goalkeeper Raúl Gudiño. ^[31]

2023 Season

Vrioni scored his first goal of the 2023 New England Revolution season on April 9, 2023, the team's fourth goal in a 4-0 home win over CF Montréal. ^[32] Two weeks later, on April 23, 2023, he scored a brace in the Revolution's 2-1 win over Sporting Kansas City. ^[33] On June 25, 2023 he scored the team's game-winning goal in their 2-1 comeback victory over Toronto FC. ^[34] He would again contribute a game-winning goal on July 13, 2023 in the Revolution's 2-1 victory over Atlanta United FC. ^[35] Vrioni scored his first Hat-trick for the Revolution on July 26, 2023 in a 5-1 victory over Atlético San Luis in the Leagues Cup. ^[36] It was the first time the Revolution had scored a hat trick in an international competition. ^[37] He dedicated the hat trick to the daughter of Brad Knighton, who had passed away earlier in the month. ^[38]

International career

Italy

Vrioni represented Italy at the Under-18 and Under-19 levels. On 9 March 2016 he made his debut at the U-18 level as a substitute replacing Simone Lo Faso in the 61st minute of a 1–1 home draw against Switzerland U-18. On 11 August 2016, Vrioni made his U-19 debut in a 1–0 home defeat against Croatia U-19, where he played the entire match. On 6 September 2016 he scored his first international goal, as a substitute, in the 94th minute of a 3–1 home win over Turkey U-19.

Albania

In September 2018 he switched his allegiance to his country of origin, Albania. He is from the noble Vrioni family of Albania in origin. After being called up to their Under-21 side for a friendly against his country of birth, Italy. ^{[39] [40]} He earned his first cap in this match, netting a last-minute equalizer in an eventual 3–1 defeat, as the Italian side scored two goals in injury time. ^[41]

Vrioni made his senior debut for Albania on 14 October 2018, coming on as a second–half substitute in a 2–0 away defeat to Israel in the UEFA Nations League. ^[42]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 4 April 2024 ^[43]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup [lower-alpha 1]		Continental		Other		Total
		League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Pistoiese (loan)	2017–18	Serie C	27	8	—		—		1 [lower-alpha 2]	0	28	8
Venezia (loan)	2018–19	Serie B	24	1	1	0	—		—		25	1
Cittadella (loan)	2019–20	Serie B	4	0	1	0	—		—		5	0
Juventus U23	2019–20	Serie C	2	0	—		—		1 [lower-alpha 3]	1	3	1
	2020–21	Serie C	6	2	—		—		2 [lower-alpha 3]	0	8	2
	Total		8	2	2	0	0	0	3	1	11	3
Juventus	2019–20	Serie A	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	2020–21	Serie A	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
	Total		2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
WSG Tirol (loan)	2021–22	Austrian Bundesliga	28	19	2	2	—		—		30	21
New England Revolution	2022	MLS	7	1	—		—		—		7	1
	2023	MLS	19	5	1	0	—		2	3	22	8
	2024	MLS	4	1	—		4	1	—		8	2
	Total		30	7	1	0	4	1	2	3	37	11
Career total			123	37	5	2	4	1	6	4	138	44

1. Includes Coppa Italia, Austrian Cup
2. Appearance in Coppa Italia Serie C
3. Appearance(s) Serie C promotion play-offs

International

As of match played 13 June 2022 ^{[43] [44] [45]}

Appearances and goals by national team and year

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Albania	2018	1	0
	2020	1	0
	2022	4	0
Total		6	0

Honours

Juventus U23 ^[43]

• Coppa Italia Serie C: 2019–20

Juventus ^[46]

• Serie A: 2019–20

References

1. "Giacomo Vrioni". New England Revolution. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
2. "Palermo vs. Sampdoria - 26 February 2017 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
3. "Sampdoria vs. Cagliari - 30 November 2016 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
4. "UFFICIALE: Vrioni in prestito alla Pistoiese" . Retrieved 14 July 2018.
5. "Game Report by Soccerway". Soccerway. 17 September 2017.
6. "Olbia vs. Pistoiese - 4 October 2017 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
7. "Pontedera vs. Pistoiese - 23 October 2017 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
8. "Pistoiese vs. Gavorrano - 17 December 2017 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 8 January 2018.
9. "Italy - G. Vrioni - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
10. "UFFICIALE: Vrioni in prestito al Venezia" . Retrieved 14 July 2018.
11. "Venezia vs. Südtirol - 5 August 2018 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
12. "Venezia vs. Spezia - 25 August 2018 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
13. "Foggia vs. Venezia - 3 December 2018 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
14. "UFFICIALE: Cittadella, preso l'attaccante Vrioni dalla Samp" . Retrieved 19 July 2019.
15. "Cittadella vs. Carpi - 18 August 2019 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 5 December 2019.
16. "Cittadella vs. Spezia - 24 August 2019 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
17. "Benevento vs. Cittadella - 31 August 2019 - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
18. "FRANCOFONTE, GERBI E STOPPA SONO BLUCERCHIATI. VRIONI PASSA ALLA JUVENTUS" (Press release) (in Italian). Sampdoria. 30 January 2020.
19. "L'ultimo atto alla Roma" (Press release) (in Italian). Juventus. 1 August 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
20. "Juve-Roma LIVE" (in Italian). sport.sky.it. 1 August 2020. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
21. Beltrami, Marco (27 November 2020). "Infortunio Vrioni, frattura del perone per l'attaccante di scorta della Juventus". Sport Fanpage (in Italian). Retrieved 25 April 2021.
22. "Juventus II - Carrarese 1:0 (Serie C Girone A 2020/2021, 37. Giornata)". calcio.com (in Italian). Retrieved 25 April 2021.
23. "Vrioni lascia la Juventus U23: passa in prestito al WSG Tirol | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
24. JuventusNews24, Redazione (17 July 2021). "Vrioni ancora decisivo col WSG Tirol: primo gol ufficiale per l'attaccante". Juventus News 24 (in Italian). Retrieved 18 July 2021.
25. "New England Revolution acquire forward Giacomo Vrioni from Juventus FC as Designated Player | New England Revolution". revolutionsoccer.net.
26. "Under 23 | Ufficiale la cessione di Giacomo Vrioni" (in Italian). Juventus F.C. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
27. Bird, Hayden (7 July 2022). "3 things to know about Giacomo Vrioni, the Revolution's newly signed goal scorer". www.boston.com. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
28. "Match Summary". www.mlssoccer.com. 23 July 2022. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
29. Lemeiux, Jeff (25 July 2023). "Preseason Notebook : Vrioni sparks comeback as Revs show resilience in preseason finale". www.revolutionsoccer.net. Retrieved 19 February 2023.
30. Lemieux, Jeff (3 February 2023). "Rigorous offseason recovery plan has Vrioni healthy and ready to tackle 2023". www.revolutionsoccer.net. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
31. McAfee, Sandy (1 October 2022). "Atlanta United Falls 2-1 To New England Revolution At Gillette Stadium". www.atlutd.com. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
32. "Carles Gil helps Revolution blow by CF Montreal". www.espn.com. 9 April 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
33. "Revolution defeat Sporting KC behind Giacomo Vrioni's brace". www.espn.com. 23 April 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
34. "Revolution squeak by Toronto FC to stay unbeaten at home". www.espn.com. 24 June 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
35. "Revolution continue home dominance with 2-1 victory over Atlanta United FC". www.cbsnews.com. 13 July 2023. Retrieved 24 July 2023.
36. Hetu, Tyler (26 July 2023). "Vrioni's hat trick sparks Revolution to Leagues Cup rout". www.thesunchronicle.com. Triboro Massachusetts News Media. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
37. "Recap Revs secure place in Leagues Cup Round of 32 with 5-1 win over Liga MX side Atlético de San Luis". www.revolutionsoccer.net. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
38. Bird, Hayden (27 July 2023). "3 takeaways from the Revolution's 5-1 Leagues Cup win over Atlético San Luis". www.boston.com. Boston Globe Media Partners. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
39. "Venezia, Vrioni convocato dall'Albania Under 21: tutti i dettagli | Triveneto Goal" [Venezia. Vrioni called up by Albania U21: all the details] (in Italian). Triveneto Goal. 4 September 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
40. "Venezia, Vrioni convocato dall'Albania Under 21" [Venezia, Vrioni called up by Albania U21] (in Italian). TuttoB.com. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
41. "Vrioni na bën të ëndërrojmë, por italianët na "trullosin" në limite" [Vrioni makes us dream, but Italians stun us at the limits] (in Albanian). Sport Ekspres. 11 September 2018. Retrieved 12 September 2018.
42. "Israel vs. Albania - 14 October 2018 - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. 14 October 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2020.
43. Giacomo Vrioni at Soccerway. Retrieved 11 December 2021.
44. Giacomo Vrioni at EU-Football.info
45. "Giacomo Vrioni". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
46. "Italy - M. Olivieri - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2 July 2020.

External links

• Giacomo Vrioni – UEFA competition record ( archive ) 
• Giacomo Vrioni at Soccerway