ACADEMY SPOTLIGHT: AS ROMA, Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi, Alessandro Florenzi and Lorenzo Pellegrini are the first few names that come to mind when speaking on AS Roma’s most recent academy graduates to play prominent roles in the club’s first team setup, International Champions Cup. Official website

Francesco Totti, Daniele De Rossi, Alessandro Florenzi and Lorenzo Pellegrini are the first few names that come to mind when speaking on AS Roma’s most recent academy graduates to play prominent roles in the club’s first team setup. Though the goal has been to consistently compete amongst the top clubs in Serie A through some shrewd signings on the transfer front sculpting the current squad, the Giallorossi have been diligent in stockpiling their academy with prospects that aspire to follow in the footsteps of the greats mentioned above.

Alessio Riccardi

Amongst the variety of homegrown talents in the system ranks, the name on the lips of all Roma supporters is Alessio Riccardi.

A son of the capital city of Rome, the teenage midfielder is widely considered to be the next one in line as the club’s torch bearing youth product, not only for his roots but for the upside he brings. Riccardi, who has been with Roma since 8 years old, made his senior debut in the Coppa Italia last season at 17, marveling in the UEFA Youth League by scoring five goals, prompting a call from Italy boss Roberto Mancini for the Azzurri’s training camps last April.

A jack-of-all-trades midfielder, Riccardi meshes positional flexibility with a ranking skill set to support. Smooth and skilled on the ball, and with creative juices flowing through his Roman blood, the youngster’s technical ability opens the playbook for him to slide into various midfield roles. Whether it be his vision to pick a pass, dribbling to create for himself, or the dexterity to evade his man in a 1v1 situation, a firm appraisal of the Roma Primavera star means he projects to play a prominent role as the club’s No. 10 for the future.

William Bianda

Then there is William Bianda, a product of the Paris club Red Star before moving to RC Lens, who completed his switch to the Stadio Olimpico last July with plenty of intrigue upon his arrival. At 19, Bianda fits the mould of a central defender; big, imposing and with a frame expected to withstand the rigors of the sport’s physical demands in the back.

Bianda slots in as a pure LCB in a back four, though adept at drifting into a left-back role where he does not shy away from advancing the ball, either carrying it himself or laying in a pass over the top with his preferred left foot. Strong and combative, the Ivorian born defender has a real admiration of Real Madrid and France star Raphael Varane, who is without question one of the game’s elite modern makes and a fantastic model to emulate. 

Nicola Zalewski

Perhaps one for the more distant future, but certainly a player worth highlighting, is Nicola Zalewski, an Italian-born winger with Polish citizenship who was the youngest player called up for Poland’s U20 World Cup last summer at 17. A hybrid attacking midfielder with winger attributes, the teenage Pole is chock full of talent. Pacey, technical, and creative, Zalewski prefers to operate in a role with freedom to be his expressive self. His ability to rapidly change direction is prevalent in the final third and is where additional space is created for him to be a real playmaking threat. Last season, the class of ‘02 starlet showed tremendous growth, scoring 9 goals and assisting 7 in 20 Italian Championship U17 matches. 

We have only begun to scratch the surface of Roma’s academy talent pool, but there is undoubtedly plenty to like in the lower ranks of the club’s youth ranks for the future.