Generation Erasmus: The italian players who are studying abroad

 When a friend leaves for Erasmus you are sad. Yes, of course you are also happy for him, he’ll have a good experience, he’ll come back different. Yes, he will come back. In the meantime, however, you must wait for at least one season while he is in Granada or Prague or somewhere else. Or you have to wait only half the season, because it is in Granada on loan for only 6 months.

More or less the same thing that happens when we see Italian footballers leaving. Without any patriotic rhetoric: sorry to see someone not finding space here and being forced to migrate abroad. Usually it is so, but not always, mind you. The reasons behind a trip are the most disparate (change the air, have more money, live elsewhere). From the brain drain to that of the feet, good or not good.

If we know exactly what happened to the Verratti (Erasmus in Paris with dad Buffon), the Marchisio (Zenit!), The Zappacosta (London studios with Jorginho), the Pellè (low cost travel in China) the Balotelli (still Nice), the Gabbiadini (Southampton forever), the Pellegri (Monaco, sharing a room with Barreca), some more mystery hovers around names that probably someone will have forgotten. Giovinco is in Toronto, ok, Borriello is dancing in Ibiza, all right, but instead like Marco Motta where is he now? Where are you studying, after playing with Juventus and Roma shirts? Let's go with order (strictly sparse), for a roundup of players with a past in Italy that are now elsewhere:

Cristian Pasquato - Legia Warsaw

Since July 2017 the former Juventus has moved to Legia Warsaw, Poland, and today has fun and scored goals like that.

Daniele Verde - Real Valladolid

The Erasmus in Spain is one of the best, Daniele Verde knows it and in fact this summer has moved to Valladolid. Against Espanyol scored a goal not bad, also ripping the applause of President Ronaldo.

Nicola Sansone - Villarreal

In Spain also the former Sassuolo, who continues to elbow to find space at Villarreal. Today in the game system of De Zerbi would be a wonder, by the way.

Marco Motta - Omonia Nicosia

It has been missing from Italy for a while: Watford, Charlton, Almeria. Today he is a member of the Nicosia Nicosia, a Cypriot team. But in reality it seems that he still has not played a minute.

Stefano Okaka - Watford

You did not forget about one who did these heels, did you? He left Sampdoria for Anderlecht, he has always been a globetrotter (like 21 when he went to Fulham) and now wears the Watford shirt. We miss him a bit.

Angelo Ogbonna - West Ham

In England too, and now has been there for 3 years. A nice Erasmus at West Ham, enough to convince him to stay long.

Alessio Cerci - Ankaragücü

After an unremarkable Erasmus in Madrid, Cerci returned to Italy and did not even leave his mark on Milan. Some improvements to Genoa, the relegation of Verona. Today he left Italy and played at the Ankaragücü in Turkey. Apparently he scored a goal on a penalty. Here is the video-testimony:

Stefano Napoleoni - İstanbul Başakşehir

He plays in Turkey too, in the Istanbul Başakşehir, and his name probably will not tell you anything. He was born in Rome, he played in the Tor di Quinto and then he packed up and never came back. Born in 1986, in 2006 Boniek decided to take him with him to Widzew Łódź, in Poland. In 2009 he moved to Levadiakos, Greece. At the dawn of 2013 he would also do an audition with Siena, without success. Then he remained outside the national borders, passing all'Atromitos. In short, a life in Erasmus. Here you can find his goal together with an idea for the next haircut:

Luca Caldirola - Werder Bremen

The former Inter Primavera captain defender moved to Germany in 2013 and has not moved from there. One year loan to Darmstadt (2015-2016), for the rest all Werder Bremen.

Viviano + Sturaro = 0 appearances at Sporting Lisbon

Goodbye recent, but that have already taken a lot of dust, because neither has ever played a minute with the Portuguese shirt. And the midfielder would seem ready to return to Juventus.

Davide Lanzafame - Ferencváros

He is playing in Hungary! He's scoring so much! Below you can find a recent interview.

Salvatore Bocchetti - Spartak Moscow

Those six months at Milan from January to June 2015 had deluded us: no, Salvatore Bocchetti will not return to Italy. His Erasmus has become a very long transfer. He has been in Russia since 2010, yesterday at Rubin Kazan, today at Spartak Moscow.

Final note: for those wishing to continue to follow the exploits of Italians abroad, here is the Twitter Italians account, very precise and always updated. Stay tuned.