From the Champions League final with Juventus to the Serie C with Catania. Stefano Sturaro, who as a boy managed to make the big leap from D to A in just a few years, moving from Sanremese to Modena and then ending up at Genoa before being picked up, at the age of 21, by Juventus, is completing a bitter downward trajectory. At almost 31 years of age, after having ended his spell of a few months in the Turkish championship with Fatih Karagumruk without shining, the former Juventus midfielder has decided to start again from C, albeit in an important place, to find the stimuli that he probably lost .
The golden period with Juve and the bitter European Championship with Italy in 2016
It is sad to see how Sturaro has deteriorated in the last 6 years after having touched the stars. For him the road to a bright future seemed clear. Juventus also strongly believed this and, not surprisingly, invested 9 million in 2014 to snatch him from Genoa. In Juventus, under the guidance of Allegri, the Sanremo player experienced the happiest moments of his career: 90 appearances and 3 goals, 4 league titles, 4 Italian Cups and one Super Cup, his presence in the unfortunate final lost against Barcelona. His dynamism and good propensity to do well in both phases were also liked by the national coach Antonio Conte who, after calling him up for the first time in 2014, at the age of 21, decided to include him in the group that participated in Euro 2016: a a small appearance in the match against Sweden then his appearance as a starter in the bitter matches against Ireland (0-1) and in the direct elimination match, in the quarter-finals, against Germany, in which Italy ended up being eliminated on penalties.
A parable that began its descent in 2018, thanks to injuries
Sturaro’s career, also due to injuries, began its downward spiral in the summer of 2018 when Juventus, after limited playing time in the previous year, decided to loan him to Sporting Lisbon. A heel injury prevented him from making a single appearance for the Portuguese side. So much so that in the end, after 7 months of ordeal, it was filmed in Genoa where he returned after 4 years. With the rossoblù, who he has never denied having always supported, he made a second dream debut, scoring the opening goal against Juventus. Having just been purchased by Grifone outright for 18 million, he was stopped by a new injury, this time to the anterior cruciate ligament of his right knee, which forced him to stop for another 7 months. Despite another brilliant return with goals at Spal, he never found continuity of performance, due to various muscular problems.
Joys and sorrows with Genoa: a relegation, a promotion and another knockout
After having made just 25 appearances over the course of a season and a half, Genoa gave him away to Verona in the January 2021 transfer market with the loan formula with right of redemption for 10 million. Even with only 10 appearances, he helped save the Scala team who, however, decided to send him back to the Ligurian club. With Genoa he found continuity of performance (25 games) but his performances did not help the rossoblù to avoid relegation. A new tendon problem forced him to undergo another surgery in the summer of 2022. Confirmed in Serie B and appointed captain, Sturaro returned to the pitch after 5 months, contributing to the team’s immediate return to Serie A .
After the bitter parenthesis in Turkey, the desire to relaunch with Catania
Despite this, in June he did not reach an agreement with the club for the renewal of his contract and remained released. Fatih Karagumruk signed him last August. With the Turks, due to other physical problems, love never blossomed. So much so that they separated after just 5 months in which he managed just 386 minutes in 12 games (an average of 32 minutes per game). Now here is Catania which, injuries permitting, probably represents the last chance to try to get back into the spotlight: in Sicily, where he will reunite with his former teammate ‘Ciccio’ Lodi, who has become the club’s brand ambassador, he will have the task, with the his experience, of taking a team that is sailing in mid-table and aiming to at least get a place in the playoffs. The road to B is arduous but, after all, dreaming costs nothing.
2024-01-17 21:29:29
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