Umberto Improta

Umberto Improta

Personal information
Date of birth	(1984-02-29) 29 February 1984 (age 39)
Place of birth	Naples, Italy
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2000–2002	Marcianise	21	(3)
2002–2003	Salernitana	3	(0)
2003	Sangiuseppese	11	(4)
2003–2005	Salernitana	5	(1)
2004–2005	→ Bellaria (loan)	36	(8)
2005–2007	Triestina	0	(0)
2005–2006	→ Ravenna (loan)	23	(4)
2006–2007	→ Salernitana (loan)	14	(0)
2007	→ Lanciano (loan)	11	(1)
2007–2008	South Tyrol	22	(1)
2008	Lumezzane	7	(1)
2008–2009	Giulianova	32	(7)
2009–2011	Lanciano	50	(7)
2011–2015	L'Aquila	73	(23)
2013–2014	→ Arzanese (loan)	32	(7)
2014–2015	→ Lamezia (loan)	33	(5)
2015	Taranto	12	(2)
2015–2016	Cavese	10	(0)
2016–2017	Campobasso	29	(7)
2017–2018	Turris	29	(6)
2018	Frattese
2018–2019	Vis Afragolese 1944
2020	SSD Portici 1906	4	(0)
2020–2021	Nocerina	11	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Umberto Improta (born 29 February 1984) is an Italian former footballer who played as a forward. ^[1]

His younger brothers Giancarlo and Riccardo Improta were also professional footballers. ^[2]

Club career

Born in Naples, Campania, Southern Italy, Improta started his senior career at Serie D club Marcianise. In 2002 Improta left for Serie B club Salernitana. He played 8 games for the first team and also played for its reserve. ^{[3] [4] [5]}

In 2004 Improta left for Romagna club Bellaria, his first club outside Campania. He scored 8 goals in 2004–05 Serie C2.

Triestina

After the bankruptcy of Salernitana, Improta was signed by Serie B club, North-eastern Italy club Triestina in August 2005. Improta spent 2 seasons on loan at Serie C1 clubs, namely Romagna club Ravenna (2005–06 Serie C1), the rebirth Salernitana and Lanciano (2006–07 Serie C1). Improta left for another northern Italy team South Tyrol in August 2007. ^[6] In January 2008 Improta was signed by Lumezzane. In the whole 2007–08 Serie C2, he only scored 2 times.

Improta left for southern Italy club Giulianova in 2008, and spent rest of his career in southern Italy. He played alongside Giancarlo Improta. Umberto scored 7 goals in 2008–09 Lega Pro Seconda Divisione (ex- Serie C2). He also scored 2 goals in promotion playoffs.

Lanciano return

Improta was transferred to fellow Lega Pro Prima Divisione (ex- Serie C1) and Abruzzo club S.S. Virtus Lanciano 1924 in 2009 (the heir of SS Lanciano, bankrupted in 2008). Improta started two-fifths of the league matches (14 games), and scored 6 goals. In the next season Improta was one of the striking partner of Ilyos Zeytulayev and Luís Gabriel Sacilotto in 4–3–3 formation, with 14 starts. ^{[7] [8] [9]} Improta was the backup of Francesco Di Gennaro in the latter half of the season. ^{[10] [11]}

L'Aquila

On 24 August 2011 Improta left for his third Abruzzo club L'Aquila ^[12] after the emerge of his brother Riccardo. Umberto scored 12 goals in 2011–12 Lega Pro Seconda Divisione as team top-scorer. L'Aquila promoted to the third division in 2013, however Improta was ruled out from the club plan.

Arzanese

Improta joined Italian fourth division club Arzanese on 27 August 2013, ^[13] re-joining Francesco Ripa who left L'Aquila on 22 August.

Lamezia

In summer 2014 he was signed by Vigor Lamezia. ^[14]

International career

Improta received a call-up to the Italy U21 B team specially for the 2005 Mediterranean Games. However, he later received a call-up for the last friendly match before the tournament (against the Serie D Best XI). ^{[15] [16]} He was dropped from the final squad along with Adriano D'Astolfo, Alex Gibbs, Alessandro Moro and Simone Rota.

References

1. Colpo Frattese: arriva Improta, sport.ilmattino.it, 4 October 2018
2. "Improta: a Lanciano sarei tornato volentieri". Il Centro (in Italian). 7 November 2012. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 4 May 2013.
3. "Torneo "Beppe Viola" 2004". Archived from the original on 24 April 2005. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
4. "Coppa Italia Primavera 2003/2004". Archived from the original on 9 June 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
5. "Campionato_Primavera_ 2003/2004". Archived from the original on 8 June 2009. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
6. http://www.lega-calcio-serie-c.it/it/visti/TRASFpagina38.html%5B%5D
7. "TIM CUP: Virtus Lanciano-Carpi 2-1" (in Italian). SS Virtus Lanciano 1924. 8 August 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
8. "Virtus Lanciano-Benevento 1-0" (in Italian). SS Virtus Lanciano 1924. 29 August 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
9. "VirtuuuussssssSI' – Battuto il Foggia 5-3" (in Italian). SS Virtus Lanciano 1924. 5 September 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
10. "Improta da "tre punti" – Virtus Lanciano-Gela 1-0" (in Italian). SS Virtus Lanciano 1924. 19 September 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
11. "Andria-Virtus Lanciano 0-0" (in Italian). SS Virtus Lanciano 1924. 10 October 2010. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
12. "Umberto Improta a L'Aquila" (in Italian). SS Virtus Lanciano 1924. 24 August 2011. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
13. "MERCATO: Improta ceduto all'Arzanese" (in Italian). L'Aquila Calcio 1927. 27 August 2013. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
14. "Mercato: Raffaele Perna in Rossoblù. Improta, a Lamezia" (in Italian). L'Aquila Calcio 1927. 2014. Retrieved 9 April 2015.
15. "Convocazione Rappresentativa Nazionale Giochi Del Mediterraneo 2005" (PDF) (in Italian). FIGC. 26 May 2005. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
16. "TOP 11 SERIE D: i convocati delle squadre partecipanti all'evento di Macerata". Serie D News (in Italian). 27 May 2005. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 22 August 2010.

External links

• L'Aquila Profile (in Italian)
• Football.it Profile (in Italian)
• Full Soccer (in Italian)
• Umberto Improta at TuttoCalciatori.net (in Italian)