Aston Villa have a few Italian players in the club’s history with Matteo Ruggeri being the latest one in the team.
Aston Villa snatched an Italian left back last summer from Atletico Madrid. Matteo Ruggeri came to Villa Park to provide competition for Ian Maatsen this season, following the departure of Lucas Digne.
So far, Ruggeri has only featured 23 minutes, eight minutes at the opener versus Brighton and 15 minutes when Villa was in a stalemate against Hull City. However, he is likely to be given a chance as a starter more often due to Maatsen’s lengthy injury. This would be the time for the former Atalanta man to prove his worth.
Ruggeri has made one interceptions, two tackles, two crosses, and one long ball so far. It is high time for the 24-year-old full back to show his boss what he is capable of. The EFL Cup match against Coventry could be a start for him. He surely hopes that he can outshine his four Italian predecessors.
Here are the first four Italiano in the West Midlands.
He was the first Italian in The Clarets and Blue. Ferraresi was signed in the 1998/99 season from Cesena and only made one appearance for the team. It was against Stormsgodsets in the UEFA Cup first round second leg. The ex-midfielder only played for 20 minutes and did not impress the fans and his boss at all. He left soon in January 1999 to join Chievo Verona.
He was probably the most well-known Villans from Italy. Carbone was part of the squad when Aston Villa reached the FA Cup final in 2000. The former attacking midfielder was snatched from Sheffield Wednesday in summer 1999 but only stayed for one season, despite his fine form under John Gregory.
Carbone made 30 appearances, netting eight goals and providing six assists in the process. He was the key figure in Villa’s campaign in the FA Cup, scoring a hattrick in a 3-2 win over Leeds in the round of 16 and a winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Everton in the quarterfinal. He was eventually sold to Bradford City in the following season despite being linked with a return to Fiorentina.
The current AS Roma goalkeeper deputy was playing for The Lions in the 2016/17 season after their first ever relegation during the Premier League era. He was initially the first choice in Bodymoor Heath under Roberto Di Matteo. Yet, his costly errors and inconsistency made him lose his place in the final four games of the campaign.
Gollini only made 20 appearances with five clean sheets. He might have been the nightmare for Villa fans but the 31-year old finally found his spotlight when he became one of the key figures under Gian Gasperini in Atalanta, his team after leaving Villa Park.
He was the last Italian in Villa Park. The current Udinese man was once tipped as the future star of Gli Azzuri. He was signed on loan from Galatasaray in the 2023/24 season.
Zaniolo was expected to revitalise his career after being sold by his former side, AS Roma. Yet, he failed to impress after 39 caps and only scored three goals. To make it even worse, he suffered a broken metatarsal in May 2024, which forced him to end his season early and returned to his parent club.
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