The talk of Italy: Introducing Juventus' headline-grabbing young centre-back Alberto Masi

In what was largely a rather slow-paced runout at the Trofeo TIM in Bari on Saturday night, one performance stood out like a beacon to the Juventus fans in attendance at the San Nicola. Nineteen-year-old defender Alberto Masi turned in a display of stunning maturity, supplying great discipline and structure in his new club's back line.

The youngster was pitted against Inter and AC Milan just a fortnight after joining the club from Pro Vercelli, but he looked like a natural who had been playing at the top level for some time, outshining fellow new boy Lucio in defence and leading the Italian media to wax lyrical over his ability and potential.

Sky labelled Masi the biggest positive from the Trofeo TIM, and the teenager was likened by various sources and experts to a young Alessandro Nesta.

"He was born in Genoa, and was brought up in the youth system of his local club Sampdoria," explains Goal.com Italy's Juventus expert Romeo Agresti.

"He is a player with great personality. In fact, this is his main characteristic. He was the captain of Sampdoria's Allievi side, and he played for Serie D outfit Lavagnese at the age of just 17, making 20 first team appearances despite his age. Then at Pro Vercelli he was the pivot of coach Maurizio Braghin's side."

His move to Lavagnese in 2009 in a one-year loan deal gave him the opportunity to experience first team football at a semi-professional level, and after returning to Sampdoria the following summer he spent a season with the Blucerchiati's Primavera.

But in 2011, the Ligurian side decided to allow Masi to join Pro Vercelli in a co-ownership deal. After helping Braghin's team to promotion to Serie B, playing 24 times in their successful league campaign, the Piedmontesi were not keen to let their half of his rights go on the cheap. After reaching a stalemate over his value, the clubs were forced to decide the matter in a blind auction, with Pro Vercelli outbidding Sampdoria by €30,000 with a €345,000 offer.

That allowed them to then sell on 50 per cent of Masi's rights to Juventus when the Bianconeri came knocking a fortnight later. His immediate future is likely to be played out in Juve's Primavera side, but Agresti explains that he has the talent to make a big impression.

"He has excellent physicality and is very quick," he says. "He is skilled in the air, has superb positional sense and is very good with the ball at either foot.

"The most appropriate comparison is most certainly with Alessandro Nesta. That is because he always plays with his head up, has very intelligent movement, and literally never gives the ball away. He also talks very well, and is comfortable enough in position to set the play up from the back."

The comparisons are certainly flattering, but Masi has made all the right steps so far in his young career, and his performances on Saturday night in the Trofeo TIM have ensured that his progress will be watched very closely by Juventus fans over the course of the next campaign.

BEEEEEEEEEEEEAST!
The eye Of Marrotta is working!

Cotes wrote:BEEEEEEEEEEEEAST!
The eye Of Marrotta is working!

why you have to make such a terrible joke with MAROTA eye problems?

lucianomoggi wrote:

Cotes wrote:BEEEEEEEEEEEEAST!
The eye Of Marrotta is working!

why you have to make such a terrible joke with MAROTA eye problems?

How is that a terrible joke?
I simply mean he has a good eye for talent...

why you have to take everything so literal & make it seem offensive?

Cotes wrote:

lucianomoggi wrote:

Cotes wrote:BEEEEEEEEEEEEAST!
The eye Of Marrotta is working!

why you have to make such a terrible joke with MAROTA eye problems?

How is that a terrible joke?
I simply mean he has a good eye for talent...

why you have to take everything so literal & make it seem offensive?

dude I just don't want to focus on that; and some of you members keep mentioning the eye because you find it funny , that is not funny

lucianomoggi wrote:

Cotes wrote:

lucianomoggi wrote:

Cotes wrote:BEEEEEEEEEEEEAST!
The eye Of Marrotta is working!

why you have to make such a terrible joke with MAROTA eye problems?

How is that a terrible joke?
I simply mean he has a good eye for talent...

why you have to take everything so literal & make it seem offensive?

dude I just don't want to focus on that; and some of you members keep mentioning the eye because you find it funny , that is not funny

U take everything too literal & that is the problem with the word...
People always want to make something out of nothing by making every statement or every little thing becoming personal...

Probably if I said this over tv, people would demand me getting fine & stuff like that for a statement I meant nothing offensive by...

eye agree with cotes

Eye think the eye is funny, but eye have a sick sense of humor.

This thread


We should make a mercato thread called "The EYE of Marotta"

Cotes wrote:

lucianomoggi wrote:

Cotes wrote:

lucianomoggi wrote:

Cotes wrote:BEEEEEEEEEEEEAST!
The eye Of Marrotta is working!

why you have to make such a terrible joke with MAROTA eye problems?

How is that a terrible joke?
I simply mean he has a good eye for talent...

why you have to take everything so literal & make it seem offensive?

dude I just don't want to focus on that; and some of you members keep mentioning the eye because you find it funny , that is not funny

U take everything too literal & that is the problem with the word...
People always want to make something out of nothing by making every statement or every little thing becoming personal...

Probably if I said this over tv, people would demand me getting fine & stuff like that for a statement I meant nothing offensive by...

Cotes wrote:

lucianomoggi wrote:

Cotes wrote:

lucianomoggi wrote:

Cotes wrote:BEEEEEEEEEEEEAST!
The eye Of Marrotta is working!

why you have to make such a terrible joke with MAROTA eye problems?

How is that a terrible joke?
I simply mean he has a good eye for talent...

why you have to take everything so literal & make it seem offensive?

dude I just don't want to focus on that; and some of you members keep mentioning the eye because you find it funny , that is not funny

U take everything too literal & that is the problem with the word...
People always want to make something out of nothing by making every statement or every little thing becoming personal...

Probably if I said this over tv, people would demand me getting fine & stuff like that for a statement I meant nothing offensive by...

Ok, maybe I take things too literal

what do you mean " if I said this on TV ", do you work as a reporter or something?

Eye yay yay you geyes !