Mattia Caldara joins Venezia FC

Venezia FC is pleased to announce the signing of defender Mattia Caldara, 27, on loan from AC Milan.

Born in Bergamo, Caldara began his career with his hometown club Atalanta. After two early loan spells at Trapani and Cesena, Caldara returned to Atalanta and had a breakout season in 2016/17 under newly appointed manager Gian Piero Gasperini, making 30 league appearances and scoring seven goals, as the nerazzurri earned an impressive fourth-place finish in the table, which was their highest Serie A finish in club history to date.

In January 2017, Juventus acquired Caldara from Atalanta, in a deal that would leave him at Atalanta on loan through the following season. In 2017/18, Caldara made another 24 Serie A appearances plus eight appearances in Atalanta’s UEFA Europa League campaign. Shortly after the season, in June 2018, manager Roberto Mancini handed Caldara his debut for Italy’s senior national team.

In August 2018, Juventus moved Caldara to AC Milan in exchange for Leonardo Bonucci. But a series of injuries would keep Caldara off the pitch in Milan for most of the 2018/19 season and into the 2019/20 season. In January 2020, Caldara returned to Atalanta on loan, and through the rest of the season he would make 11 Serie A appearances plus three appearances in the UEFA Champions League, including a quarter-final match against Paris Saint-Germain. Last season, Caldara made nine total appearances with Atalanta in all competitions.

Welcome, Mattia.