Mattia Liberali

Mattia Liberali

Personal information
Date of birth	(2007-04-06) 6 April 2007 (age 17)
Place of birth	Carate Brianza, Italy
Height	1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder winger
Team information
Current team	AC Milan
Number	30
Youth career
2013–2014	Aquile della Brianza
2014–2015	La Dominante
2015–	AC Milan
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2024–	Milan Futuro	8	(0)
2024–	AC Milan	1	(0)
International career‡
2022	Italy U15	6	(4)
2022–2023	Italy U16	10	(3)
2023–	Italy U17	28	(6)
2024–	Italy U19	6	(2)
Medal record Men's football Representing   Italy UEFA European Under-17 Championship Winner 2024 Cyprus
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:45, 5 January 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 November 2024

Mattia Liberali (born 6 April 2007) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder and winger for Serie A club AC Milan.

In October 2024, Liberali was included in The Guardian 's list of the 60 best talents in the world born in 2007. ^[1]

Early life

Liberali was born in Carate Brianza, Italy. ^[2]

Club career

In 2013, the manager of local amateur side Rhodense  [ it ], Alberto Bianchi, spotted Liberali and invited him to play in a youth tournament with a view to later sign him. ^[3] However, he would participate at the tournament with Aquile della Brianza from Muggiò instead, spending a year with the side before joining La Dominante, who he would train during the week with, while playing with professional side AC Milan on weekends. ^[3]

After a year of this arrangement, Liberali made the switch to AC Milan permanent. ^[3] During the 2021–22 under-16 Scudetto tournament, he finished second-top scorer behind Francesco Camarda with nine goals, as AC Milan went on to win the competition. ^[3] He was called up to train with the first team for the first time, alongside Camarda and Nirash Perera, in December 2022. ^[4] The following year, in July 2023, he signed his first professional contract with the club through 2027. ^[5]

Liberali joined AC Milan for their 2024–25 pre-season, displaying impressive performances during the friendly matches, including the headlining assist for a 1–0 win against Spanish La Liga club Real Madrid at the Soldier Field in Chicago, Illinois, United States, the club's third friendly match on 31 July 2024. ^[6] He made his professional debut on 10 August 2024, starting for the newly created reserve team Milan Futuro, and scoring the first goal of a 3–0 away win Coppa Italia Serie C first round match against Lecco. ^[7]

Liberali made his debut with AC Milan on 15 December 2024, starting on a 0–0 home draw Serie A match against Genoa, simultaneously celebrating the club's 125th anniversary. ^[8]

International career

Liberali has represented Italy at the under-15, under-16 and under-17 levels. ^[9]

Style of play

Initially a central defender while playing at 7-a-side level, Liberali was moved up the pitch in the academy of AC Milan, settling at left-wing, with Italy under-17 coach Massimiliano Favo  [ it ] also utilising him as an attacking midfielder. ^[3] Former AC Milan defender and current football pundit, Alessandro Costacurta, compared him with English international Phil Foden for their similar playing style. ^[10]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 5 January 2025

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			National cup		Europe		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Milan Futuro	2024–25	Serie C	8	0	2 [a]	1	—		10	1
AC Milan	2024–25	Serie A	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Career total			9	0	2	1	0	0	11	1

Notes

1. Appearances in Coppa Italia Serie C

Honours

Italy U17

• UEFA European Under-17 Championship: 2024 ^[11]

Individual

• UEFA European Under-17 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2024 ^[12]

References

1. Christenson, Marcus; Bloor, Steven; Blight, Garry (15 October 2024). "Next Generation 2024: 60 of the best young talents in world football". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 6 November 2024.
2. "Mattia Liberali". acmilan.com (in Italian). Retrieved 24 August 2023.
3. Barilaro, Andrea (10 May 2022). "BII nuovo fuoriclasse del Milan dal mancino fatato: Mattia Liberali incanta il Diavolo, e con la Nazionale..." [The new AC Milan champion with the fairy left-handed: Mattia Liberali enchants the Devil, and with the national team...]. sprintesport.it (in Italian). Retrieved 24 August 2023.
4. Schettino, Francesco (7 December 2022). "Milan, prosegue la linea giovane: Camarda, Liberali e Perera si allenano con la primavera" [Milan, the young line continues: Camarda, Liberali and Perera train with the spring]. footballnews24.it (in Italian). Retrieved 24 August 2023.
5. Antonelli, Michele (19 July 2023). "Il Milan blinda "il mago" Liberali, il 2007 mancino paragonato a Foden" [Milan locks up "the magician" Liberali, the left-handed 2007 compared to Foden]. gazzetta.it (in Italian). Retrieved 24 August 2023.
6. "AC Milan 1-0 Real Madrid, DIRECTV Soccer Champions Tour 2024: The match report".
7. "Lecco 0-3 Milan Futuro, Coppa Italia Serie C 2024/2025: The match report".
8. https://www.acmilan.com/en/match-center/2024-25-serie-a-ac-milan-genoa-g2456261/lineups
9. Mattia Liberali at WorldFootball.net
10. Scapellato, Fabio (20 July 2023). "Mattia Liberali, chi è il "Nuovo Foden" che il Milan ha blindato a soli 16 anni" [Mattia Liberali, who is the "New Foden" that Milan locked up at just 16 years old]. spraynews.it (in Italian). Retrieved 24 August 2023.
11. "UEFA Under-17 EURO final report: Italy 3-0 Portugal". UEFA.com. 5 June 2024. Retrieved 5 June 2024.
12. "2024 UEFA European Under-17 Championship Team of the Tournament". UEFA.com. 7 June 2024. Retrieved 7 June 2024.

External links

• Mattia Liberali at Soccerway