Underrated Episode 5: Giovanni Di Lorenzo

Written by Umberto Pelà (02.02.2023)

From Castelnuovo di Garfagnana to Glory

I’ll give you a few seconds to name a player who stands out when you hear about the fullback position.

Now, chances are Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s name did not spring to mind.

This week, I’m here to tell you why it should have.

Giovanni Di Lorenzo, born on the 4th of August 1993, is now 29 years old. Considered to be a ‘late bloomer’ by many, Captain of Serie A leaders SSC Napoli, he is now fully immersed in the prime seasons of his career. A career full of ‘gavetta’ – “apprenticeship years” – in the lower leagues of Italian football, Di Lorenzo’s story is one for the kids.

Di Lorenzo emerged through the ranks of Italian clubs Lucchese (who now competes in the Serie C, third tier of Italian professional football) and Reggina (Serie B). Crucial player in Reggina’s Primavera (U19) side, Di Lorenzo was rewarded with his professional debut on the 29th of May 2011 against Sassuolo. Unlike many other talented Italian youngsters, Di Lorenzo seemed to have found a way into first team football. He had gotten the chance to display his talents, and Reggina had wanted to keep him around for at least another year with the big boys, who were fighting to stay up in what turned out to be a rollercoaster of a season (2012/2013).

However, regardless of how disciplined and intelligent a player he was, Di Lorenzo did not manage to find his space in that side. Not standing out for particular physical or technical characteristics, he had eventually been sentenced to the ‘gavetta’.

This time,he was doomed to spend many years in the lower leagues of Italian football, with unlikely chances of ever making it to the top.

However, this is where Di Lorenzo’s story differs.

In a period of 7 seasons between 2012/2013 and 2017/2018, Di Lorenzo put together 121 Lega Pro (Old name for ‘Serie C’) and 56 Serie B appearances. Reggina, Cuneo, Reggina again, Matera, and finally Empoli. More than 2500 days of apprenticeship, until he finally saw the light.

That same light that millions of children around Italy dream of: Serie A.

During the 2018/2019 Season Di Lorenzo played his first of many – 159 to be exact – games in the top flight of Italian football. All the hard work he had put in – testimony to his perseverance which many youngsters lack nowadays – had finally paid off.

Under manager Giuseppe Iachini first, and Aurelio Andreazzoli, Di Lorenzo shone like the star he had never gotten the chance to show he was.

In a team full of talented players – Provedel, Dragowski, Bennacer, Krunic, and Caputo to name a few – Di Lorenzo emerged as one of the top performers. Testimony to this is the fact that after Empoli was relegated that season, after just one season in Serie A, Di Lorenzo had already received attention from the top clubs in Italy. He was linked with the prestigious Inter Milan during the summer of 2019, but eventually signed with the Partenopei: SSC Napoli.

Here, Di Lorenzo found his second home away from his original town of 6000 habitants – Castelnuovo di Garfagnana. His ascent to SSC Napoli’s captaincy, over the years, was characterized by performances noteworthy of grit and determination. It is over the past year however, that I would say he has shown his ability to the fullest extent.

Let me explain why.

Amongst his other traits, watching Di Lorenzo play immediately transmits the awareness he has on the ball. More specifically, you can see he has transformed into a fullback who is solid in both phases of the game: offensive and defensive. Unlike the notion that coming from lower leagues carries, Di Lorenzo does much more than his ‘compitino’ (“just enough”).

At the center of the argument is undoubtedly his ability in posession. Di Lorenzo, midway through the season, has now produced 4 assists and 2 goals in all competitions. For comparison, at the time of writing, he is one of two Serie A defenders (the other one being Atalanta’s Soppy) with 3+ assists for the season. Further, Di Lorenzo leads a variety of on-the-ball statistics which tie together to highlight why he is crucial to Luciano Spalletti’s ball-dominant playing style.

A leader on the field, Di Lorenzo is in the 94th percentile for progressive passes (“pass that moves the ball 10 yards closer to the goal than it’s been recently, or any completed pass into the opponent’s penalty area”) with 4.68 per 90. Moreover, from live action (no set pieces), Di Lorenzo creates 2.50 Shot-Creating Actions (SCA) per 90. Just these two alone are crucial statistics in highlighting his offensive production.

His passing shines even brighter amongst his characteristics if we consider how he’s in the top 7% of fullbacks when it comes to pass completion (with 65 passes attempted per 90 – 86th percentile), top 3% for through balls (0.22 per 90), and in the top 9% for passes into penalty area (1.82 per 90).

That was a lot to take, I know. Here’s something to help you visualize that:

Not amongst these statistics, it is also worth noticing that Di Lorenzo not only provides, but also likes to get involved in the opponent’s box. Whether that is with headers from crosses, or touches on the ground, Di Lorenzo is in the top 10% of fullbacks with touches in the opponent’s penalty box (2.61 per 90).

On another note, let’s talk about his defensive abilities. Something that is perhaps noticed more visually than statistically, is that he defends with leadership. His frame (6 ‘0’, 174 lbs) helps with that, but it is the emotional attachment towards the club that gives him the grit and determination he has. The fans truly love him and respect him – something not exactly granted in a city like Naples and at SSC Napoli – and he shows that love back with elite performances when he takes the field.

Whilst statistically, his defensive abilities are generally average-to-good, he shines in two specific categories: “Dribbled Past” and % of dribblers tackled. In these categories, he stands in the top 28% and 24% of fullbacks,which shows how he is able to defend strongly once he engages in a defensive duel.

Nevertheless, in keeping the analysis balanced, it is clear that Di Lorenzo does still have some evident flaws in his game in general and defensive numbers specifically. He lacks for tackles, interceptions, blocks, clearances, and aerial duels won, falling in the bottom 55% for all these categories. Whilst you might not pick that up visually because Di Lorenzo is a committed, hardworking defender, it is statistically evident that he needs to improve this side of his game in order to become a next-level player.

Over the past 6 years, Di Lorenzo’s value has multiplied by approximately 63 times. Worth €400 000 in 2017, he is now worth €25 000 000 according to estimates by TransferMarkt. This is a testimony to his growth, which has been noticeable to many fans who watch Serie A and SSC Napoli games in particular. With the victory of the European Championship during the summer of 2021, it is also fair to say that Di Lorenzo has put together an impressive footballing resume. He consistently plays (20 starts in 20 games) and does so at a high level.

Now, Neapolitans may wish bad on me for making this claim so soon, but if Napoli win the league – like they’re set to do – I think it is fair to say that a good portion of that also comes from its Captain: Giovanni Di Lorenzo.