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Samuele Ricci

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Samuele Ricci
Ricci with Torino in 2023
Personal information
Date of birth (2001-08-21) 21 August 2001 (age 25)
Place of birth Pontedera, Italy
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position Defensive midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Como
(on loan from AC Milan)
Number 14
Youth career
2011–2019 Empoli
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2019–2022 Empoli 83 (3)
2022 → Torino (loan) 12 (0)
2022–2025 Torino 94 (4)
2025– AC Milan 31 (1)
2026– → Como (loan) 3 (0)
International career‡
2017–2018 Italy U17 12 (3)
2018–2019 Italy U18 6 (1)
2019–2020 Italy U19 11 (0)
2020–2023 Italy U21 17 (1)
2022– Italy 11 (0)
Medal record
Representing  Italy
UEFA European Under-17 Championship
Runner-upEngland 2018U-17 Team
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 12:12, 20 September 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 16 November 2025

Samuele Ricci (Italian pronunciation: [samuˈɛːle ˈrittʃi]; born 21 August 2001) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for the Serie A club Como, on loan from AC Milan, and the Italy national team.

Club career

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Empoli

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Ricci came through the Empoli youth teams and started playing for their under-19 squad in the 2018–19 season.[2] He was called up to the senior squad for the first time in April 2019, but remained on the bench on that occasion. Ricci made his professional debut for Empoli on 21 September 2019, at the age of 18, replacing Leo Štulac in a 1–0 win against Cittadella.[3] The following season, coach Alessio Dionisi mainly used him as a mezzala. On 18 January 2021, RIcci scored his first goal as a professional in the 5–0 victory against Salernitana. Empoli finished the season in first place in the league standing and were promoted to Serie A, with Ricci winning the Manlio Scopigno award as the best player of the season.[4]

Torino

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On 30 January 2022, Ricci was loaned to Torino with a conditional obligation to purchase.[5] On 28 January 2023, he scored his first goal for Torino in a 2–2 draw away against former club Empoli.[6]

AC Milan

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On 3 July 2025, Ricci completed his transfer to AC Milan from Torino for a fee of €23 million + €1.5 million in bonuses. He signed a contract until 30 June 2029, with an option in the club's favour for an extension until 30 June 2030, and chose to wear the shirt number 4.[7][8] Before his transfer eventually happened, he had already been linked with the move to Milan since April 2020, his debut season in senior football, with the club's numerous offers to sign the player turned down by both Empoli and Torino.[9]

Loan to Como

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On 29 August 2026, Ricci moved to fellow Serie A club Como, on loan for the 2026–27 season, for an estimated €2 million fee and the option to make the move permanent at the end of the season.[10][11]

International career

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Ricci was first called up to the Italy under-17 team in December 2017 for a friendly against France.[12]

Ricci was selected in the senior Italy squad for the 2022 Finalissima against Argentina on 1 June 2022 – as well as 2022–23 UEFA Nations League group stage matches against Germany (twice), Hungary, England – between 4 and 14 June 2022.[13] He debuted against Germany in the latter tournament on 4 June.[14]

Style of play

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Ricci is a right-footed player, mainly deployed as a playmaker in front of the defence or as a box-to-box midfielder, also known as a mezzala in his native Italy.[15] Gifted with excellent individual technique and sense of positioning, he is regarded as one of the most important prospects in Italian football. His reference model is Andrea Pirlo.[16]

Personal life

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On 9 September 2020, Ricci tested positive for COVID-19.[17]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 20 September 2026[18]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Coppa Italia Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Empoli 2019–20 Serie B 29010—300
2020–21 Serie B 33230—362
2021–22 Serie A 21130—241
Total 83370—903
Torino (loan) 2021–22 Serie A 120——120
Torino 2022–23 Serie A 28240—322
2023–24 Serie A 32110—331
2024–25 Serie A 34120—361
Torino total 106470—1134
AC Milan 2025–26 Serie A 3113000341
Como (loan) 2026–27 Serie A 30001[a]040
Career total 2238170102418
  1. ↑ Appearance in UEFA Champions League

International

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As of match played 16 November 2025[19]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Italy 202220
202300
202440
202550
Total110

Honours

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Empoli

Individual

References

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  1. ↑ "Samuele Ricci". AC Milan. Archived from the original on 18 August 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
  2. ↑ Samuele Ricci at TuttoCalciatori.net (in Italian)
  3. ↑ "Empoli v Cittadella game report". Soccerway. Soccerway. 21 September 2019.
  4. ↑ "Samuele Ricci ha vinto il premio Manlio Scopigno come miglior calciatore dell'ultimo campionato di Serie B". 3 August 2021. Archived from the original on 30 January 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  5. ↑ "Ricci al Toro" (Press release) (in Italian). Torino. 30 January 2022. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
  6. ↑ Lazzerini, Pietro (28 January 2023). "Le pagelle del Torino - Ricci conferma il cliché dell'ex. Lukic saluta con la sua qualità". TuttoMercatoWeb (in Italian). Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  7. ↑ "Official Statement: Samuele Ricci". AC Milan. 3 July 2025. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  8. ↑ "Milan, completate le visite mediche per Ricci: "Sono prontissimo"". Sportmediaset.it (in Italian). 3 July 2025.
  9. ↑ "Tuttosport - Milan, non solo Tonali: per il centrocampo piacciono anche Koopmeiners e Ricci". Milan News.
  10. ↑ "IL COMO 1907 INGAGGIA L'AZZURRO SAMUELE RICCI" (in Italian). Como 1907. 29 August 2025.
  11. ↑ "UFFICIALE: Como, ecco Samuele Ricci dal Milan: prestito con diritto di riscatto" (in Italian). tuttomercatoweb.com. 29 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "Ricci Italy U17 profile" (in Italian). Italian Football Federation. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  13. ↑ "Una 'Finalissima' per salutare l'azzurro. Chiellini: "Lascio senza rimpianti, l'Europeo il ricordo più bello"" (in Italian). Italian Football Federation. 30 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  14. ↑ Ramazzotti, Andrea (4 June 2022). "L'Italia scopre Ricci, regista totale: "Grazie Toro, non poteva esserci inizio migliore"". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 24 June 2025.
  15. ↑ "Ricci, il talento dell'Empoli che studia da campione. In campo e sui libri". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 31 August 2021.
  16. ↑ "Empoli, gli occhi di mezza Serie a sul gioiello Samuele Ricci". Serie B (in Italian). 24 March 2020.
  17. ↑ "Empoli calcio, Samuele Ricci positivo al COVID-19". Il Tirreno (in Italian). 12 October 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  18. ↑ "S. Ricci". Soccerway.
  19. ↑ "Ricci, Samuele" (in Italian). Italian Football Federation. Retrieved 16 October 2019.
  20. ↑ "Lukaku, Ronaldo and Conte win Serie A awards for 2020-21". Football Italia. 21 March 2022. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
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