Tommaso Baldanzi

Tommaso Baldanzi

Personal information
Full name	Tommaso Baldanzi[1]
Date of birth	(2003-03-23) 23 March 2003 (age 21)[1]
Place of birth	Poggibonsi, Italy
Height	1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team	Roma
Number	35
Youth career
2011–2022	Empoli
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2020–2024	Empoli	41	(6)
2024–	Roma	26	(1)
International career^‡
2019–2020	Italy U17	3	(1)
2021	Italy U18	1	(2)
2021–2022	Italy U19	12	(2)
2023	Italy U20	7	(2)
2023–	Italy U21	6	(4)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Italy FIFA U-20 World Cup Runner-up 2023 Argentina
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 24 November 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 October 2024

Tommaso Baldanzi (born 23 March 2003) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Serie A club Roma.^[2]

Club career

Born in Poggibonsi and raised in Castelfiorentino, Baldanzi first started playing football at the local grassroots club, aged six; two years later, he joined the youth sector of Empoli,^[3][4] where he came through the youth ranks and won an under-16 national championship in 2019.^[5]

On 28 October 2020, the midfielder made his professional debut for Empoli, coming on as a substitute in a 4–2 Coppa Italia win against Benevento; during the victory, he assisted Leonardo Mancuso's closing goal.^[3][4][6] In the same season, he helped Empoli's under-19 team win the Campionato Primavera,^[7] being also nominated as the league's MVP in the process.^[8]

In the following season, after featuring in the UEFA Youth League,^[9] Baldanzi was officially promoted to the first team, together with teammates Jacopo Fazzini and Duccio Degli Innocenti.^[10] He then made his Serie A debut on 22 May 2022, replacing Patrick Cutrone in the 74th minute of a 1–0 away win against Atalanta.^[11]

On 28 August of the same year, Baldanzi started his first league match against Lecce,^[12] which ended in a 1–1 draw.^[13] Three days after, on 31 August, he scored his first professional goal in a 1–1 league draw against Hellas Verona.^[14] On 23 January 2023, Baldanzi scored the only goal of a 1–0 league victory against Inter Milan.^[15]

On 1 February 2024, Baldanzi signed with Roma.^[16]

International career

Baldanzi has represented Italy at various youth international levels.

In June 2022, he was included in the squad that took part in the 2022 UEFA European Under-19 Championship in Slovakia,^[17] where the Azzurrini reached the semi-finals before losing to eventual winners England.^[18]

Both in May and December 2022, Baldanzi was involved in training camps led by the Italian senior national team's manager, Roberto Mancini, and aimed to the most promising national talents.^[19][20] On 24 March 2023 he made his debut for the Italy U21 squad in a friendly match won 2–0 against Serbia.

In May 2023, he was included in the Italian squad that took part in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Argentina,^[21] where the Azzurrini finished runners-up after losing to Uruguay in the final match.^[22][23]

Style of play

Baldanzi is an attacking midfielder, who mainly operates as a number 10, but can also play as a left winger in an attacking trio.^{[4][24][25][26]} Due to his low center of gravity, he has shown notable quickness, ball control, technique and creativity.^[3][25] Primarily a left-footer, he can also use his weaker right foot as well,^[4][25] and represents a frequent attacking threat, thanks to his vision, his dribbling skills and his shooting (both from short and long range).^[24][25][26]

Rated as one of the best Italian prospects of his generation,^[3] Baldanzi has been compared to Sebastian Giovinco and Papu Gómez,^[4][27] although he cited Paulo Dybala as his biggest source of inspiration.^[24][27]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 18 December 2024^[28]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Coppa Italia		Europe		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Empoli	2020–21	Serie B	0	0	2	0	—		2	0
	2021–22	Serie A	1	0	0	0	—		1	0
	2022–23		26	4	1	0	—		27	4
	2023–24		14	2	0	0	—		14	2
	Total		41	6	3	0	—		44	6
Roma	2023–24	Serie A	13	0	—		5[a]	0	18	0
	2024–25		13	1	1	1	4[a]	0	18	2
	Total		26	1	1	1	9	0	36	2
Career total			67	7	4	1	9	0	80	8

1. Appearances in UEFA Europa League

Honours

Empoli U16

• Campionato Nazionale Under-16 A e B: 2018–19^[5]

Empoli U19

• Campionato Primavera 1: 2020–21^[7]

Italy U20

• FIFA U-20 World Cup runner-up: 2023^[22][23]

Individual

• Campionato Primavera 1 Most Valuable Player: 2020–21^[8]

References

1. "FIFA U-20 World Cup Argentina 2023™ SQUAD LIST: Italy (ITA)" (PDF). FIFA. 22 May 2023. p. 14. Retrieved 29 May 2023.
2. Tommaso Baldanzi at Soccerway
3. Luciano, Aniello (11 December 2020). "Tommaso Baldanzi, il gioiellino che può cambiare il futuro dell'Empoli (e non solo)". Transfermarkt (in Italian). Retrieved 30 August 2022.
4. Pedullà, Alfredo (20 June 2022). "BALDANZI, UN'ALTRA PEPITA EMPOLI". Alfredo Pedullà (in Italian). Retrieved 30 August 2022.
5. Carzaniga, Dennis (15 June 2019). "Empoli-Inter, la finale: Gnonto non basta, toscani Campioni". Sprintesport (in Italian). Retrieved 30 August 2022.
6. "Benevento-Empoli 2-4 finale, Coppa Italia 2020/2021: terzo turno". SportFace (in Italian). 28 October 2020. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
7. "Empoli campione d'Italia Primavera, Atalanta battuta 5-3". Sky Sport (in Italian). 30 June 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
8. Zarra, Angelo (30 June 2021). "Primavera 1, Baldanzi nominato MVP del campionato". MondoPrimavera (in Italian). Retrieved 30 August 2022.
9. Brianti, Simone (29 September 2021). "Youth League, Domzale-Empoli 1-2: Baldanzi fa volare gli azzurri, esordio vincente per la banda di Buscè". MondoPrimavera (in Italian). Retrieved 30 August 2022.
10. Zampini, Matteo (20 May 2022). "Empoli, Corsi: "Baldanzi e Fazzini saranno convocati da Mancini. L'anno prossimo aggregati in prima squadra"". MondoPrimavera (in Italian). Retrieved 30 August 2022.
11. Nalesso, Pietro (22 May 2022). "Empoli, esordio per Tommaso Baldanzi in Serie A". MondoPrimavera (in Italian). Retrieved 30 August 2022.
12. Nalesso, Pietro (28 August 2022). "Empoli, prima da titolare per Baldanzi in Serie A contro il Lecce". MondoPrimavera (in Italian). Retrieved 30 August 2022.
13. "Lecce-Empoli 1-1, Strefezza risponde a Parisi". La Repubblica (in Italian). 28 August 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
14. Cioni, Giacomo (31 August 2022). "Kallon risponde a Baldanzi: Empoli e Verona ancora senza vittorie". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 2 September 2022.
15. Kilpatrick, James (23 January 2023). "Inter Milan 0-1 Empoli: Tommaso Baldanzi strikes as 10-man hosts suffer shock defeat at San Siro". Eurosport. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
16. "TOMMASO BALDANZI COMPLETES ROMA MOVE!". Roma. 1 February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
17. "Gli Azzurrini in Slovacchia alla conquista dell'Europa. Ufficializzata la lista dei 20 convocati, non ci sono Gnonto e Scalvini". FIGC (in Italian). 16 June 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
18. "L'Italia perde di misura con l'Inghilterra ma esce a testa alta dall'Europeo". FIGC (in Italian). 28 June 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
19. "Raduno dei giocatori di interesse nazionale, iniziato il lavoro del secondo gruppo azzurro". FIGC (in Italian). 25 May 2022. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
20. "Stage a Coverciano dal 20 al 22 dicembre, convocati due gruppi di calciatori di interesse nazionale". FIGC (in Italian). 15 December 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
21. "Ufficializzata la lista dei 21 convocati per il Mondiale in Argentina" (in Italian). FIGC. 11 May 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
22. "Returning Rodriguez snatches Uruguay maiden title". FIFA. 11 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
23. Di Chiaro, Michael (11 June 2023). "Uruguay-Italia Under 20 1-0: Luciano Rodriguez stende gli Azzurrini, sudamericani Campioni del Mondo". Goal.com (in Italian). Retrieved 12 June 2023.
24. Sorteni, Lorenzo (11 December 2020). "Tommaso Baldanzi, il mancino pronto a incantare Empoli". La Giovane Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 30 August 2022.
25. Abagnale, Valerio (23 February 2021). "Empoli, Baldanzi ai raggi X: rapidità e imprevedibilità sulla trequarti toscana". MondoPrimavera (in Italian). Retrieved 30 August 2022.
26. Ferrio, Edoardo (24 June 2021). "Baldanzi guida l'Empoli Primavera in semifinale". La Giovane Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 30 August 2022.
27. Dafirbillah, Karim (2 December 2020). "FOCUS - Tommaso Baldanzi, il 'nuovo Giovinco' che fa volare l'Empoli". MondoPrimavera (in Italian). Retrieved 30 August 2022.
28. "T. Baldanzi". Soccerway.

External links

• Profile at the AS Roma website
• Tommaso Baldanzi – UEFA competition record (archive)