Seydou Fini

Seydou Fini
Personal information
Date of birth (2006-06-02) 2 June 2006 (age 18)
Place of birth Nuoro, Italy
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Right winger, attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Excelsior
(on loan from Genoa)
Number 7
Youth career
2013–2023 Genoa
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023– Genoa 4 (0)
2024 → Standard Liège (loan) 9 (0)
2024– → Excelsior (loan) 2 (0)
International career‡
2023 Italy U17 3 (0)
2023 Italy U18 7 (1)
2024– Italy U19 1 (1)
2024– Italy U21 4 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 August 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 4 September 2024

Seydou Fini (born 2 June 2006) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a right winger or an attacking midfielder for Eerste Divisie club Excelsior, on loan from Serie A club Genoa.

Club career

Born in Italy to Ivorian parents,[1] Fini first entered the youth sector of Genoa in 2013,[2][3] and subsequently came through the club's ranks:[4] in July 2022, he signed his first professional contract with Genoa and started training with the first team, shortly after joining the under-19 squad on a stable basis.[3][4] During the 2022–23 season, he helped the same formation gain automatic promotion back to the Campionato Primavera 1.[5][6]

At the start of the 2023–24 season, Fini was promoted to Genoa's first team by manager Alberto Gilardino.[7] On 22 October 2023, he made his professional debut for the club, coming on as a substitute for Stefano Sabelli in the 87th minute of a 2–0 league defeat to Atalanta:[8][9] in the process, he became the second 2006-born player to make his Serie A debut, only after Simone Pafundi.[3][9]

On 1 February 2024, Fini was loaned to Belgian Pro League club Standard Liège until the end of the 2023–24 season.[10]

On 22 August of the same year, Fini joined Eerste Divisie side Excelsior on a season-long loan.[11][12]

International career

Fini was born in Italy to Ivorian parents.[1] He has represented Italy at various youth international levels, having played for the under-17[3][13] and under-18 national teams.[3][14]

In May 2023, he was included in the Italian squad that took part in the UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Hungary,[15][16] where the Azzurrini got eliminated in the group stage.[17][13]

On 4 June 2024, two days after his 18th birthday, Fini made his debut for the Italian under-21 national team in the opening game of the 2024 Maurice Revello Tournament, scoring a goal and providing two assists in a 4–3 victory over Japan.[18]

Style of play

Fini mainly plays either as a right winger[3][7] or an attacking midfielder,[17] although he can also cover the centre-forward role.[3][4] He has been regarded for his strength, his shooting power and his dribbling skills.[3][17]

Career statistics

As of match played 31 August 2024[19]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Genoa 2023–24 Serie A 3 0 1 0 – – 4 0
2024–25 0 0 1 0 – – 1 0
Total 3 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 5 0
Standard Liège (loan) 2023–24 Belgian Pro League 4 0 0 0 – 5[a] 0 9 0
Excelsior (loan) 2024–25 Eerste Divisie 2 0 0 0 – 0 0 2 0
Career total 9 0 2 0 0 0 5 0 16 0
  1. ^ Appearance(s) in the Europe play-offs

References

  1. ^ a b "Genoa-Milan apre le Final Four 2018/2019, in serata Napoli-Roma". Italian Football Federation (in Italian). 9 June 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Genoa, il sogno di Fini: dai Pulcini alla Serie A". Primocanale.it (in Italian). 24 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Di Chiaro, Michael (26 October 2023). "Chi è Seydou Fini, l'esterno offensivo classe 2006 del Genoa lanciato da Gilardino". Goal.com (in Italian). Retrieved 26 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b c Moscatelli, Federico (19 July 2022). "Genoa, primo contratto da professionista per Fini". MondoPrimavera (in Italian). Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  5. ^ Gravina, Carlo (6 May 2023). "Il Genoa sconfigge l'Ascoli 2-1 e vola in serie A. La gioia dei tifosi in piazza De Ferrari". Il Secolo XIX (in Italian). Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  6. ^ Andreuccetti, Gianluca (9 May 2023). "[FOCUS] - Genoa, è di nuovo Primavera 1: la stagione perfetta dei ragazzi di Agostini". MondoPrimavera (in Italian). Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  7. ^ a b Dello Russo, Sofia (10 October 2023). "Seydou Fini sfiora l'esordio in Serie A, ma il suo momento sta per arrivare". La Giovane Italia News (in Italian). Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  8. ^ "Atalanta-Genoa LIVE". Sky Sport (in Italian). 22 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  9. ^ a b Andreuccetti, Gianluca (23 October 2023). "Genoa, esordio in Serie A per Seydou Fini". MondoPrimavera (in Italian). Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  10. ^ "SEYDOU FINI CLÔTURE LE MERCATO ROUCHE" [SEYDOU FINI CLOSES THE ROUCHE TRANSFER WINDOW] (in French). Standard Liège. 1 February 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  11. ^ "Excelsior huurt talentvolle aanvaller Seydou Fini" [Excelsior loans talented attacker Seydou Fini] (in Dutch). Excelsior Rotterdam. 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
  12. ^ Fassbender, Wout (22 August 2024). "Excelsior winkelt in Serie A en huurt talentvolle aanvaller van Genoa". ad.nl (in Dutch). Algemeen Dagblad. Retrieved 23 August 2024.
  13. ^ a b "Il 3-0 alla Slovenia non basta: una splendida Italia dice addio all'Europeo. Corradi: "I ragazzi hanno fatto una grande gara"". Italian Football Federation (in Italian). 24 May 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  14. ^ "Buona la prima per gli Azzurrini: battuta 3-0 la Serbia a Tirrenia. Franceschini: "Importante partire con il piede giusto"". Italian Football Federation (in Italian). 7 September 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  15. ^ "I 20 convocati di Corradi per l'Europeo: lunedì partenza per l'Ungheria, il 18 maggio l'esordio contro la Spagna". Italian Football Federation (in Italian). 14 May 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  16. ^ Mancini, Christian (14 May 2023). "Italia, diramata la lista dei convocati per l'Europeo under 17". Numero Diez (in Italian). Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  17. ^ a b c Dello Russo, Sofia (9 August 2023). "Road to Oscar LGI 2022/2023 - I talenti del futuro". La Giovane Italia News (in Italian). Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  18. ^ "Fini, Fabbian e due volte Raimondo: buon esordio degli Azzurrini al 'Tournoi Maurice Revello'. Poker della squadra di Nunziata al Giappone" [Fini, Fabbian and Raimondo twice: good debut for the Azzurrini at the 'Tournoi Maurice Revello'. Poker for Nunziata's team in Japan] (in Italian). Italian Football Federation. 4 June 2024. Retrieved 2 August 2024.
  19. ^ "S. Fini". soccerway.com. Retrieved 23 August 2024.