Francesco Lodi
Encyclopedia
Francesco Lodi is an Italian
footballer, who plays for Calcio Catania
in the Italian Serie A. He is a free-kick and penalty specialist.
youth system, being later promoted to the first team in 2003. His senior debut came during the 2003-2004 Serie A season. During the winter transfer market, Empoli opted to loan the player out to Vicenza Calcio
, In the Italian Serie B
, for the player to gain regular playing time. Lodi went on to make 11 appreances for the biancorossi, before returning to Empoli for the 2004-2005 Serie B
season, following their relegation. In his first full season with the Tuscan
side, Lodi made 27 league appearances, scoring 6 goals, helping earn instant promotion back to the Serie A
. Lodi remained with Empoli, his first full season in the Serie A
. The midfielder made just 17 appearances however, and failed to hold down first team football. He scored no goals.
side Frosinone Calcio
. Lodi instantly earned a starting role with the club, making 40 appearances, out of a possible 42, scoring 11 goals during the season. Despite his form, Empoli opted to keep the player at the Latium
-based club, where Lodi would continue his form. Lodi went on to make 41 appearances for the second division side and scored a very impressive 20 goals as a midfielder.
, the loan was not re-newed and the player spent the 2008-2009 Serie B
season with Empoli. He again performed with high standards, making 41 appearances and scoring 13 goals in league play. His form over 3 seasons, led to interest from a host of Serie A
clubs, including Udinese Calcio
, Atalanta B.C.
, and Chievo Verona. At the start of the 2009-10 season, Lodi scored 3 goals in the first 3 games of Empoli's season, and finally, he joined Udinese Calcio
on loan for the remainder of the 2009-10 Serie A
season.
on loan from Empoli. During the season, Lodi found first team football hard to come by, do to the presences of established midfielders such as Alexis Sanchez
, Mauricio Isla
, Gokhan Inler
, and Kwadwo Asamoah
. Lodi went on to make 19 league appearances, scoring 1 goal. Udinese did not use the option to purchase the player outright, and hence he returned to Empoli on June 30, 2010.
, and then immediately sold him on a co-ownership deal to Catania Calcio for the remainder of the 2010–11 season
. Catania was also given the option to buy the player's contract on a full basis and can exercise this deal in June 2011. His first two appearances for the Sicilian
side were very low key, however on February 13, 2011, Lodi scored two fantastic freekicks in a comeback 3-2 victory for Catania
, against U.S. Lecce
. Lodi was also the scorer of a stunning freeckick against Juventus in the 96th minute of play, ending the game in a draw for Catania. In June 2011, Catania
utilized their option to buy out Lodi's contract on a full basis.
debut against Croatia
in a friendly match, August 15, 2006, at age of 22. He missed major events like the UEFA U-21 Championship 2006.
His late call-up to U-21 side was due to competition from highly talented players such as Palladino
, Pazzini
and Bianchi
, Pepe
.
Due to the UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 age limit change, new coach Pierluigi Casiraghi called him up as senior member of the squad.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
footballer, who plays for Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and based in Catania, Sicily. The club has spent much of its history in Serie B, gaining promotion to Italy's top league Serie A five times...
in the Italian Serie A. He is a free-kick and penalty specialist.
Empoli F.C.
He started his career as part of EmpoliEmpoli F.C.
Empoli Football Club is an Italian association football club located in Empoli, Tuscany, founded in 1920 and played its first official match in 1921.In recent years, the club has all too often been bouncing between Italy's two top divisions...
youth system, being later promoted to the first team in 2003. His senior debut came during the 2003-2004 Serie A season. During the winter transfer market, Empoli opted to loan the player out to Vicenza Calcio
Vicenza Calcio
Vicenza Calcio is an Italian football club based in Vicenza, Veneto. The club was formed in 1902 and currently plays in Italy's Serie B, having spent the entire 1960s and a large part of the 1990s in Serie A...
, In the Italian Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
, for the player to gain regular playing time. Lodi went on to make 11 appreances for the biancorossi, before returning to Empoli for the 2004-2005 Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
season, following their relegation. In his first full season with the Tuscan
Tuscan
-Linguistic phenomena:* Tuscan dialect, the ancestor of the modern Italian language* Tuscan gorgia, a sound-Creative works:* Under the Tuscan Sun * Under the Tuscan Sun -Sports cars:...
side, Lodi made 27 league appearances, scoring 6 goals, helping earn instant promotion back to the Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
. Lodi remained with Empoli, his first full season in the Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
. The midfielder made just 17 appearances however, and failed to hold down first team football. He scored no goals.
Loan to Frosinone
For the 2006-2007 Lega Calcio season, Empoli loaned the 22 year old to Serie BSerie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
side Frosinone Calcio
Frosinone Calcio
Frosinone Calcio is an Italian association football club, based in Frosinone, Lazio. The club was founded in 1928 and refounded in 1991, following cancellation by the Italian Football Federation.It in the season 2011-12 plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione/B....
. Lodi instantly earned a starting role with the club, making 40 appearances, out of a possible 42, scoring 11 goals during the season. Despite his form, Empoli opted to keep the player at the Latium
Latium
Lazio is one of the 20 administrative regions of Italy, situated in the central peninsular section of the country. With about 5.7 million residents and a GDP of more than 170 billion euros, Lazio is the third most populated and the second richest region of Italy...
-based club, where Lodi would continue his form. Lodi went on to make 41 appearances for the second division side and scored a very impressive 20 goals as a midfielder.
Return to Empoli
Following Empoli's relegation from Serie ASerie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, the loan was not re-newed and the player spent the 2008-2009 Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
season with Empoli. He again performed with high standards, making 41 appearances and scoring 13 goals in league play. His form over 3 seasons, led to interest from a host of Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
clubs, including Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa....
, Atalanta B.C.
Atalanta B.C.
Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy.They are nicknamed the Nerazzurri and the orobici...
, and Chievo Verona. At the start of the 2009-10 season, Lodi scored 3 goals in the first 3 games of Empoli's season, and finally, he joined Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa....
on loan for the remainder of the 2009-10 Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
season.
Udinese Calcio
On August 28, 2010, Lodi officially joined Udinese CalcioUdinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa....
on loan from Empoli. During the season, Lodi found first team football hard to come by, do to the presences of established midfielders such as Alexis Sanchez
Alexis Sánchez
Alexis Alejandro Sánchez Sánchez , is a Chilean footballer who plays as a forward for FC Barcelona and for the Chilean national team. He is well known for his excellent dribbling ability, great speed and his unusual strength for a fast winger....
, Mauricio Isla
Mauricio Isla
Mauricio Aníbal Isla Isla is a Chilean footballer who plays for Italian Serie A team Udinese and for the Chilean national team. He can play in numerous positions, including right, centre, and left back as well as a winger or centre midfielder...
, Gokhan Inler
Gökhan Inler
Gökhan İnler is a Turkish-Swiss football player who plays as a central midfielder for Serie A side Napoli.-Early career:İnler started his career at FC Basel, but was later loaned out to FC Schaffhausen...
, and Kwadwo Asamoah
Kwadwo Asamoah
Kojo "Kwadwo" Asamoah is a Ghanaian professional footballer, who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Udinese in Italy and the Ghana national team.- Early career:...
. Lodi went on to make 19 league appearances, scoring 1 goal. Udinese did not use the option to purchase the player outright, and hence he returned to Empoli on June 30, 2010.
Return to Frosinone
Following his Serie A|top flight experience with Udinese, Lodi returned to Empoli but was instantly sold to Frosinone Calcio on a co-ownership deal. In his return to Frosinone, Lodi returned immediately to first team football, making 23 appearances (out of a possible 23), and scoring 7 goals prior to the January transfer market, in which he again transferred clubs.Calcio Catania
On January 31, 2011, Empoli bought Lodi's contract outright from FrosinoneFrosinone
Frosinone is a town and comune in Lazio, central Italy, the administrative seat of the Province of Frosinone. It is located about 75 km south-east of Rome close to the Rome-Naples Autostrada A1...
, and then immediately sold him on a co-ownership deal to Catania Calcio for the remainder of the 2010–11 season
2010–11 Serie A
The 2010–11 Serie A was the 79th season since its establishment, the first under a league committee separate from Serie B. It began on 28 August 2010 and ended on 22 May 2011...
. Catania was also given the option to buy the player's contract on a full basis and can exercise this deal in June 2011. His first two appearances for the Sicilian
Sicilian
Sicily is an autonomous Italian island. The adjectival form Sicilian can also refer to:* Sicilian language* Sicilian Baroque, baroque architecture in 17th & 18th centuries on Sicily...
side were very low key, however on February 13, 2011, Lodi scored two fantastic freekicks in a comeback 3-2 victory for Catania
Catania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
, against U.S. Lecce
U.S. Lecce
Unione Sportiva Lecce or simply U.S. Lecce is an Italian football club based in Lecce, Apulia who play in the Italian Serie A. After being crowned Serie B champions in 2009–10, the team successfully managed to avoid relegation in 2010-11....
. Lodi was also the scorer of a stunning freeckick against Juventus in the 96th minute of play, ending the game in a draw for Catania. In June 2011, Catania
Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and based in Catania, Sicily. The club has spent much of its history in Serie B, gaining promotion to Italy's top league Serie A five times...
utilized their option to buy out Lodi's contract on a full basis.
International Career
Although he played well for the Italian U-19 team, Lodi made his Italy U-21Italy national under-21 football team
The Italy national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Italy and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation.The team competes in the UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years...
debut against Croatia
Croatia national under-21 football team
The Croatia national under-21 football team, also known as Croatia under-21 or Croatia U21 is a youth association football national team which represents Croatia at this age level and is a feeder team for the Croatia national football team....
in a friendly match, August 15, 2006, at age of 22. He missed major events like the UEFA U-21 Championship 2006.
His late call-up to U-21 side was due to competition from highly talented players such as Palladino
Raffaele Palladino
Raffaele Palladino is an Italian soccer player who plays as a striker for Serie A club Parma.-Club career:The first team career of Palladino started in his native region of Campania where he played for Benevento in Serie C1...
, Pazzini
Gianpaolo Pazzini
Giampaolo Pazzini is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Internazionale and the Italian national team. Fans call him Il Pazzo .-Early career:...
and Bianchi
Rolando Bianchi
Rolando Bianchi is an Italian footballer, currently playing for Torino F.C.. His position is centre forward. He was widely considered as one of the brightest promises of Italian football, notably scoring 19 goals in the 2006–2007 season playing with Calabrian club Reggina.-Career:Bianchi began his...
, Pepe
Simone Pepe
Simone Pepe is an Italian footballer who plays as a right winger for Serie A club Juventus. He is known for his high versatility and can play on either side of the pitch and even as a right fullback-Club career:...
.
Due to the UEFA U-21 Championship 2007 age limit change, new coach Pierluigi Casiraghi called him up as senior member of the squad.