Luca Saudati

Infobox Football biography
playername = Luca Saudati


fullname = Luca Saudati
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1978|1|18
cityofbirth = Milan
countryofbirth = Italy
height = Height|m=1.82
position = Left Winger Striker
currentclub = Empoli
clubnumber = 11
youthyears = 1994-1996
youthclubs = A.C. Milan
years = 1996-1997 1997-1998 1998-1999 1999-2000 2000-2001 2001-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-2005 2005-2006 2006-2007 2007-
clubs = A.C. Milan Lugano "(loan)" Monza "(loan)" Lecco "(loan)" Como "(loan)" Como "(loan)" Empoli "(loan)" Perugia "(loan)" Atalanta Empoli "(loan)" Atalanta Atalanta Empoli "(loan)" Atalanta Lecce "(loan)" Empoli Empoli
caps(goals) = 1 (0) 4 (1) 4 (0) 22 (8) 28 (11) 2 (0) 29 (17) 25 (7) 20 (0) 7 (2) 19 (4) 5 (0) 19 (3) 12 (3) 4 (0) 34 (14) 8 (2)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
pcupdate = 07:02, 5 June 2007 (UTC)
ntupdate =

Luca Saudati (born 18 January, 1978 in Milan) is an Italian football player. He currently plays for Empoli.

Football career

Saudati started his career at the A.C. Milan youth system. After relatively unsuccessful loan stints at various clubs - including AC Lugano of the Swiss Super League, Monza of Serie B, Lecco and Como of Serie C1, Empoli of Serie B and Perugia of Serie A - he eventually joined Atalanta of Serie A in the summer of 2001.

However, after scoring no goals in a whole season for Atalanta, he was loaned out again to Empoli of Serie A in the summer of 2002 after poor performance. He broke his leg in November, ruling him out of training and play. [cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/news/kind=2/newsid=41056.html|title=Broken leg rules out Saudati|author=UEFA.com|date=Sunday, 3 November 2002] When he returned to Atalanta in the summer of 2003, they had dropped to Serie B; despite them being promoted that season, he made just 5 appearances and was loaned once again to Empoli of Serie B in January 2005.

He returned to Atalanta once again on summer 2005, again in Serie B. He scored 3 goals in 12 games before loaned out again to Serie A team U.S. Lecce, to join his former coach Silvio Baldini while at Empoli 2002-03, [ [http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/news/kind=2/newsid=382457.html UEFA.com] (Wednesday, 4 January 2006)] but soon Baldini was sacked by the club [cite web|url=http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/news/kind=2/newsid=388073.html|title=Lecce aim for third time lucky|author=UEFA.com|date=Monday, 23 January 2006] and Saudati only made 4 appearances in Serie A.

Fortunes changed for Saudati in the summer of 2006. He joined Empoli of Serie A on free transfer on summer 2006, and signed 3 year contract [ [http://www.uefa.com/footballeurope/news/kind=2/newsid=438207.html uefa.com] (Thursday, 20 July 2006)] , where he became team-topscorer of 2006-07 season with 14 league goals and 4 in the Italian Cup. Saudati's natural position is Left Winger but since arriving at Empoli has enjoyed much success with his goal scoring in a second striker role, similar to that of Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona's Lionel Messi.

Saudati was, not surprisingly, voted into the 2006-07 Italian PFA Giocatori Squadra Di Anno (Italy's PFA player's team of the season) whilst he also became Empoli's player of the year and received an award for most improved player in the 2006-07 season.

Footnotes

External links

*http://www.gazzetta.it/gazzetta/scalcio/ricerca_index.jhtml?PageToLoad=SchedaGiocatore&idAnagrafica=17931

Persondata
NAME=Saudati, Luca
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Serie A footballer
DATE OF BIRTH=1978-01-18
PLACE OF BIRTH=Milan
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=