View source for Robert Acquafresca

{{Short description|Italian footballer (born 1987)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name           = Robert Acquafresca
| image          = Acquafresca.png
| caption        = Acquafresca with [[Bologna F.C. 1909|Bologna]] in 2011
| full_name      = 
| birth_date     = {{birth date and age|1987|9|11|df=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Turin]], Italy
| height         = 1.84 m
| position       = [[Striker (association football)|Striker]]
| currentclub    = 
| youthyears1    = 1993–2005 | youthclubs1 = [[Torino F.C.|Torino]]
| years1         = 2005–2009 | caps1  = 0  | goals1  = 0  | clubs1  = [[F.C. Internazionale Milano|Inter Milan]]
| years2         = 2005–2007 | caps2  = 43 | goals2  = 11 | clubs2  = → [[Treviso F.B.C. 1993|Treviso]] (loan)
| years3         = 2007–2009 | caps3  = 68 | goals3  = 24 | clubs3  = → [[Cagliari Calcio|Cagliari]]  (loan) 
| years4         = 2009–2011 | caps4  = 10 | goals4  = 2  | clubs4  = [[Genoa C.F.C.|Genoa]]
| years5         = 2009–2010 | caps5  = 12 | goals5  = 1  | clubs5  = → [[Atalanta B.C.|Atalanta]] (loan) 
| years6         = 2010–2011 | caps6  = 37 | goals6  = 8  | clubs6  = → [[Cagliari Calcio|Cagliari]] (loan)
| years7         = 2011–2017 | caps7  = 84 | goals7  = 9  | clubs7  = [[Bologna F.C. 1909|Bologna]]
| years8         = 2013      | caps8  = 13 | goals8  = 3  | clubs8  = → [[Levante UD|Levante]] (loan)
| years9         = 2017      | caps9  = 6  | goals9  = 0  | clubs9  = [[Ternana Calcio|Ternana]]
| years10        = 2017–2019 | caps10 = 7  | goals10 = 1  | clubs10 = [[FC Sion|Sion]]
| totalcaps      = 280
| totalgoals     = 59
| nationalyears1 = 2004–2005 | nationalteam1 = [[Italy national under-17 football team|Italy U17]] | nationalcaps1 = 2  | nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2004–2005 | nationalteam2 = [[Italy national under-18 football team|Italy U18]] | nationalcaps2 = 5  | nationalgoals2 = 2
| nationalyears3 = 2005–2006 | nationalteam3 = [[Italy national under-19 football team|Italy U19]] | nationalcaps3 = 3  | nationalgoals3 = 0
| nationalyears4 = 2006–2007 | nationalteam4 = [[Italy national under–20 football team|Italy U20]] | nationalcaps4 = 4  | nationalgoals4 = 1
| nationalyears5 = 2007–2009 | nationalteam5 = [[Italy national under-21 football team|Italy U21]] | nationalcaps5 = 16 | nationalgoals5 = 10
| nationalyears6 = 2008      | nationalteam6 = [[Italy national under-21 football team|Italy U23]] | nationalcaps6 = 1  | nationalgoals6 = 0
| nationalyears7 = 2008      | nationalteam7 = [[Italy at the 2008 Summer Olympics|Italy (Olympics)]] | nationalcaps7 = 4 | nationalgoals7 = 1
}}
'''Robert Acquafresca''' ({{IPA|it|ˈrɔːbert akkwaˈfreska}}; born 11 September 1987) is an Italian former professional [[association football|footballer]] who played as a [[striker (association football)|striker]].  He is a former Italy [[Italy national under-21 football team|under-21]] international and represented Italy at the [[Italy at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Summer Olympics]].

==Club career==

===Early career===
Born in [[Turin]] to an Italian father and a Polish mother residing in [[Alpignano]], Acquafresca entered the [[Torino F.C.|Torino]] youth system at the age of 6.<ref name="bio">[http://www.tuttomercatoweb.it/index.php?action=read&id=63101 TUTTO MERCATO WEB – Robert Acquafresca, il bomber che viaggia in Ypsilon<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> In the 2004–05 [[Campionato Nazionale Primavera]], he played 14 games and scored two goals for the ''granata''.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}}

In summer 2005, Torino was promoted back to [[Serie A]]; however,  Torino was expelled from Serie A due to the club's financial problems, with the consequent free release of all of their players. He was signed by [[F.C. Internazionale Milano|Internazionale]] as a youth team player, but two days later was loaned out to [[Treviso F.B.C. 1993|Treviso]] in a co-ownership deal for €35,000, in order to gain first team experience. At his new club, he partnered up with his former Torino teammate [[André Luciano da Silva|Pinga]]. Acquafresca made eight Serie A appearances in [[2005–06 Serie A|2005–06 season]]. As part of the co-ownership deal, Acquafresca remained in Treviso for the [[2006–07 Serie B]] season and scored 11 goals in 35 appearances. In June 2007, Inter bought back the other half of the co-ownership deal from Treviso, for €1.5 million.

===Cagliari===
Acquafresca was involved in the [[David Suazo]] transfer, which saw him move to [[Cagliari Calcio|Cagliari]] on a co-ownership deal for €100,000.<ref>FC Internazionale Milano 2006–07 bilancio, PDF purchased from [[Camera di Commercio, Industria, Agricoltura e Artigianato|CCIAA]] (in Italian)</ref> There, he has played 36 games and scored fourteen goals.

On 25 June 2008, it was confirmed that Inter had bought Cagliari's 50% of Acquafresca for €6 million, making them his sole club; however he was loaned back to Cagliari for the 2008–09 season.

On 14 July 2008, Acquafresca revealed that he dreams of wearing the Inter shirt one day. He also thanked Cagliari for letting him grow as a football player so that he one-day could fulfill his Inter dream.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/jul14m.html |publisher=Channel4 |title=Acquafresca's Olympic joy |access-date=14 July 2008 |date=14 July 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070717103740/http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/jul14m.html |archive-date=17 July 2007 }}</ref>

After missing the first game of the season against [[S.S. Lazio|Lazio]], Acquafresca then played the next five games without opening his account, before finally scoring his first goal of the season against Torino. He scored again in his team's next home match against [[A.C. ChievoVerona|Chievo]]. On 2 November he scored two goals at home against [[Bologna F.C. 1909|Bologna]] in a 5–1 win.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090630180453/http://soccernet-akamai.espn.go.com/match?id=251324&cc=5739 Acquafresca scored a double] Retrieved on 2 November 2008</ref> He also scored one goal against his parent team, Inter, on 13 January 2009.

===Genoa & Atalanta===
On 29 June 2009, Acquafresca became a member of [[Genoa C.F.C.]] as a part of the deal that saw [[Diego Milito]] and [[Thiago Motta]] move to Internazionale,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?N=31663&L=en|title=Diego Milito signs for Inter |date=August 2010|access-date=30 June 2009|publisher=inter.it}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/SerieA/Inter/19-05-2009/milito-thiago-oggi-si-chiude-50422370646.shtml|title=Milito-Thiago, oggi si chiude con un incontro Moratti-Preziosi |date=19 May 2009|access-date=23 May 2010|work=La Gazzetta dello Sport|language=it}}</ref> and moved along with [[Leonardo Bonucci]], [[Francesco Bolzoni]], [[Riccardo Meggiorini]]<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.inter.it/aas/news/reader?L=en&N=31666|title= Thiago Motta signs on |date=1 July 2009|access-date=23 May 2010|publisher=inter.it (FC Internazionale Milano official site)}}</ref> and [[Ivan Fatic]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://archiviostorico.gazzetta.it/2009/giugno/10/Genoa_rima_con_Pele_Dembele_ga_10_090610027.shtml|title=Il Genoa in rima: con Pelé c' è Dembelé|trans-title=Genoa rhymes: with Pelé comes Dembelé|publisher=La Gazzetta dello Sport|language=it|date=10 June 2009|access-date=21 December 2010}}</ref> He was valued at €9.5 million at that time, signing a five-year contract.<ref>{{cite book|title=Genoa CFC 2009 annual report|url=http://registroimprese.it|publisher=C.C.I.A.A.|language=it|date=28 April 2010|access-date=22 December 2015|format=PDF purchased}}</ref> He was immediately loaned to [[Atalanta B.C.|Atalanta]] as the club had recently sold its striker [[Sergio Floccari]] to Genoa.

In January 2010 the Italian striker prematurely ended his loan spell at Atalanta and returned to Genoa, as the club completed a three player three club swap, which saw [[Hernán Crespo]] move to Parma, and Parma's [[Nicola Amoruso]] move to Atalanta.

===Back to Cagliari===
On 1 July 2010, Acquafresca's [[Squad number (association football)|number 9 shirt]] was given to [[Luca Toni]], and Acquafresca was transfer-listed by Genoa. After a loan negotiation, Acquafresca finally returned to Cagliari on loan for €2 million<ref>€1 million in half season (another €1M to be included in 2011 accounts), Genoa CFC Report and Accounts on 31 December 2010 {{in lang|it}}</ref> and took the number 9 shirt from [[Ânderson Miguel da Silva|Nenê]]. Cagliari also had an option to buy him after the loan.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cagliaricalcio.net/news/notizia.asp?idNotizia=9068&type=0&id_menu=2|title=Bentornato, Robert!|date=18 August 2010|access-date=19 August 2010|work=Cagliari Calci|language=it}}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

On 22 June 2011, Cagliari announced that the club would not exercise the right to sign him outright,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cagliaricalcio.net/news/11603/il-cagliari-rinuncia-ad-acquafresca-missiroli-e-laner.html|title=Il Cagliari rinuncia ad Acquafresca, Missiroli e Laner|date=22 June 2011|access-date=22 June 2011|work=Cagliari Calcio|language=it}}</ref> even though Acquafresca had been the flagship striker for Cagliari since the departure of [[Alessandro Matri]] in January 2011.

===Bologna===
On 19 July 2011, Acquafresca was loaned to Bologna<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bolognafc.it/news.asp?id=1698|title=Acquafresca al Bologna|date=19 July 2011|access-date=6 September 2014|publisher=Bologna FC 1909|language=it|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401090035/http://www.bolognafc.it/news.asp?id=1698|archive-date=1 April 2012}}</ref> for a €500,000 fee,<ref name=Bologna2012bilancio>Bologna F.C. S.p.A. ''bilancio'' (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2011 (in Italian)</ref> in a 1+3 year contract worth €1.692 million in a season in gross.<ref name=Bologna2012bilancio/> He was the joint-top-earner of Bologna that season.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gazzetta.it/premium/plus/Calcio/08-09-2011/sfondato-miliardo-qualche-risparmio-ma-tutti-soldi-tv-se-ne-vanno-ingaggi-802792086720.shtml|title=Sfondato il miliardo I soldi delle tv in ingaggi|date=8 September 2011|access-date=6 September 2016|work=La Gazzetta dello Sport|publisher=RCS MediaGroup|language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/07-09-2011/stipendi-serie-a/img/pop_bologna.jpg|title=Sfondato il miliardo I soldi delle tv in ingaggi: Bologna|date=8 September 2011|access-date=6 September 2016|work=La Gazzetta dello Sport|publisher=RCS MediaGroup|language=it}}</ref>

Acquafresca re-joined coach [[Pierpaolo Bisoli]], when in June 2011 the club sold its forward [[Riccardo Meggiorini]] back to Genoa and also signed [[Federico Rodríguez]] from Genoa. Acquafresca scored five goals in 20 [[Serie A]] games during his first season at the club. Bologna made Acquafresca's move permanent after the 2011–12 season, buying the player's remaining 50% registration rights for €2.5 million in a 5-year contract.<ref>Genoa C.F.C. S.p.A. ''bilancio'' (financial report and accounts) on 31 December 2012, PDF purchased from [[Camera di Commercio, Industria, Agricoltura e Artigianato|CCIAA]] (in Italian)</ref><ref>Bologna F.C. 1909 S.p.A. ''bilancio'' (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2012, PDF purchased from [[Camera di Commercio, Industria, Agricoltura e Artigianato|CCIAA]] (in Italian)</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.calciomercato.it/news/162365/Calciomercato-Genoa-il-Bologna-riscatta-Acquafresca.html |publisher=calciomercato.it |language=it |title=Calciomercato Genoa, il Bologna riscatta Acquafresca |access-date=12 August 2012 |date=19 June 2012 }}</ref>

====Loan to Levante====
On 31 January 2013, Acquafresca left for Spanish club [[Levante UD]], after a goal drought in six Serie A appearances during the [[2012–13 Serie A|2012–13 season]].<ref>[http://va.levanteud.com/noticias/levante18952.html Acquafresca arrives to valencia for signing with Levante] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106024709/http://va.levanteud.com/noticias/levante18952.html |date=6 November 2013 }} at the club's homepage {{in lang|ca}}</ref> In total he made 13 appearances in [[La Liga]] scoring 3 goals. In June 2013 Bologna acquired Rodríguez outright from Genoa for free, as well as Acquafresca for an additional €1.267 million.<ref>Genoa C.F.C. S.p.A. ''bilancio'' (financial report and accounts) on 31 December 2013, PDF purchased from [[Camera di Commercio, Industria, Agricoltura e Artigianato|CCIAA]] (in Italian)</ref> The deals made meant that Bologna had spent €4.267 in total to acquire Acquafresca as transfer fee.

====Return to Bologna====
Acquafresca returned to Bologna for the [[2013–14 Serie A]] season; however, he made 19 appearances in Serie A without scoring a goal, while Bologna were relegated to [[Serie B]] at the end of the season.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bolognafc.it/news.asp?id=7034|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714230717/http://www.bolognafc.it/news.asp?id=7034|url-status=dead|archive-date=14 July 2014|title=E' Diego Lopez il nuovo allenatore del Bologna|trans-title=Diego Lopez the new coach of Bologna|publisher=Bologna F.C. 1909 (bolognafc.it)|language=it|date=1 July 2014|access-date=9 July 2014}}</ref>

In the 2016–17 pre-season Acquafresca was left out from the first team squad, partially due to a trauma in his knee.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bolognafc.it/al-via-il-ritiro-di-castelrotto/|title=Al via il ritiro di Castelrotto|date=10 July 2016|access-date=4 September 2016|publisher=Bologna F.C. 1909|language=it}}</ref> He only played for Bologna as a member of the reserve team against the first team on 20 August, along with fellow first team player [[Luca Ceccarelli (footballer, born in 24 March 1983)|Luca Ceccarelli]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bolognafc.it/en/bologna-vs-bologna-primavera/|title=Bologna 3-1 Bologna Primavera|date=10 August 2016|access-date=4 September 2016|publisher=Bologna F.C. 1909|language=it}}</ref> who was released by the club on 31 August. Acquafresca's squad number was also changed to number 99.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bolognafc.it/en/shirt-numbers-of-the-new-signed-players-krejci-will-wear-11-nagy-16/|title=Shirt numbers of the new signed players: Krejci will wear 11, Nagy 16|date=6 August 2016|access-date=4 September 2016|publisher=Bologna F.C. 1909}}</ref> On 1 September, a sister website of ''[[La Gazzetta dello Sport]]'' reported that the player would be left out from the first team squad in his final year of contract.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tuttobolognaweb.it/news/acquafresca-fino-a-fine-contratto/|title=Acquafresca fino a fine contratto|date=1 September 2016|access-date=4 September 2016|work=Tutto Bologna Web|publisher=RCSMedia Group|language=it}}</ref>

===Ternana===
On 31 January 2017, Acquafresca was signed by [[Ternana Calcio|Ternana]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bolognafc.it/acquafresca-alla-ternana/|title=Acquafresca alla Ternana|trans-title=Acquafresca to Ternana|date=31 January 2017|access-date=11 March 2017|publisher=Bologna F.C. 1909|language=it}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://ternanacalcio.com/dal-bologna-f-c-arriva-in-rossoverde-a-titolo-definitivo-robert-acquafresca/|title=Dal Bologna F.C. arriva in rossoverde a titolo definitivo Robert Acquafresca|date=31 January 2017|access-date=11 March 2017|publisher=Ternana Calcio|language=it}}</ref>

==International career==
Acquafresca has been capped for the [[Italy national under-17 football team|Italian U-17]], [[Italy national under-18 football team|U18]], [[Italy national under-19 football team|U19]], [[Italy national under-20 football team|U20]], and [[Italy national under-21 football team|Under-21 sides]], making his Italy Under-21 debut in a [[2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification|European qualifying match]] against [[Albania national under-21 football team|Albania]] on 1 June 2007.<ref name="bio"/> The Polish Football Federation, together with Polish national coach [[Leo Beenhakker]], had also tried to convince him to play for [[Poland national football team|Poland]]. Acquafresca, who speaks Polish, in an interview given to ''[[Gazeta Wyborcza]]'' on 14 March 2008, said that he would leave the decision to the near future.<ref name="WYB">[http://www.sport.pl/pilka/1,88822,5025786.html Acquafresca na Euro? Polacy chcą szybkiej decyzji napastnika z Serie A<!-- Bot generated title -->]{{dead link|date=March 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> On 18 March, he finally opted to refuse the Polish Football Federation offer, and instead confirmed his choice to represent Italy at international level.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.raisport.rai.it/sportarticolo/0,10719,91719,00.html |publisher=RAI Sport |language=it |title=Under21: Acquafresca rimane azzurro |access-date=19 March 2008 |date=18 March 2008 }} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref>

With the national youth team, Acquafresca finished as the third placed team in group 6 in their [[2006 UEFA European Under-19 Football Championship qualification]] campaign. With the Italian under-21 team, Acquafresca finished as the losing semi-finalist in the [[2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship]], losing out 0–1 to eventual champions [[Germany national under-21 football team|Germany]].

With the Italy Olympic's team (''de facto'' U21 team with overage player), Acquafresca took part at the [[Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament|2008 Summer Olympics]] in Beijing, and finished as a losing quarter-finalist to [[Belgium national under-21 football team|Belgium]]; he scored 1 goal in 4 games throughout the tournament. Acquafresca also played for the Olympic team against [[Romania national under-23 football team|Romania]] in a friendly match,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.figc.it/en/204/19291/2008/07/News.shtml|title=Tie against Romania. Official list of 18+4 for Beijing |date=24 July 2008|access-date=8 May 2016|publisher=FIGC}}</ref> as well as against Lega Pro club [[U.S. Borgo a Buggiano 1920|Borgo]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.figc.it/en/204/19240/2008/07/News.shtml|title=Beijing test. Team scores 10 goals against Borgo Buggiaro|date=18 July 2008|access-date=8 May 2016|publisher=FIGC}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{FIFA player|298665}}
* [http://www.figc.it/nazionali/DettaglioConvocato?codiceConvocato=2782&squadra=2 FIGC National Team data] {{in lang|it}}
*{{soccerway|robert-acquafresca/17861}}

{{Italy men's football squad 2008 Summer Olympics}}

{{portal bar|Association football|Italy}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Acquafresca, Robert}}
[[Category:1987 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Italian people of Polish descent]]
[[Category:People of Apulian descent]]
[[Category:Footballers from Turin]]
[[Category:Italian men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]
[[Category:Torino FC players]]
[[Category:Inter Milan players]]
[[Category:Treviso FBC 1993 players]]
[[Category:Cagliari Calcio players]]
[[Category:Atalanta BC players]]
[[Category:Genoa CFC players]]
[[Category:Bologna FC 1909 players]]
[[Category:Levante UD footballers]]
[[Category:FC Sion players]]
[[Category:Serie A players]]
[[Category:Serie B players]]
[[Category:La Liga players]]
[[Category:Swiss Super League players]]
[[Category:Italy men's youth international footballers]]
[[Category:Italy men's under-21 international footballers]]
[[Category:Olympic footballers for Italy]]
[[Category:Footballers at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Italian expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Italian expatriate sportspeople in Spain]]
[[Category:Italian expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Spain]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Switzerland]]
[[Category:21st-century Italian sportsmen]]