His blond (especially in the early days…) fluttering has always been as eye-catching as his plays on the pitch. Yes, because Riccardo Ciervo (arriving on loan from Sassuolo, with Cosenza wanting the option for a permanent purchase, even though the contract signed yesterday also includes a counter-purchase from Sassuolo) is the classic winger with pace and quality who can drive opposing defenses crazy. Despite being 22 years old, he is not a beardless player, a novice in the cadet league (already stamped 42 cards, seasoned with 2 goals and 5 assists), but has worn the shirts of Frosinone, Venezia and Sudtirol, after being weaned by Sampdoria in Serie A.
The beginning of the career
He took his first steps in football at the age of 6 in Santa Rita, a team from Latina (the city where he was born), before moving to a very prolific youth sector in the capital, Polisportiva Carso. Roma fell in love with him early on and he was a large part of the Giallorossi youth sector, until his explosion in the Under 18s (in the first year in which this category was accepted between the Allievi and the Primavera). Then, he was shaped by the expert hands of Alberto De Rossi in the Roma Under 19s, growing alongside players like Zalewski and Bove, forming with them the trio with a sure future among the 2002 class Giallorossi.
Features and similarities
Inside foot, he can play indifferently on both lanes, having a good sensitivity even with his weak foot. Gifted with an important technique, he loves to skip past the man and go for the cross. Skilled in passing, he must instead find continuity in the finishing phase. And it is precisely on the nastiness in the final meters that Alvini and his staff will have to work to facilitate the consecration of a player who, at the beginning of his career, was compared to Antonio Candreva (as can be seen from the almanac of the best Under 19s in Italy by La Giovane Italia). In the last season with Sudtirol he found a certain continuity in the first part of the season, with Bisoli in the saddle. He also played often with Valente, but in the last phase of the championship he was often assigned to the bench. Ciervo was used as an outside midfielder (more on the right than on the left) but also as an attacking midfielder (rarely), precisely because of his ability to skip the man with “jerks”.
How will Alvini use it?
The Cosenza coach has shown that he can use both 3-4-1-2 (or 3-5-2) and 4-3-3. In the first case, Ciervo (who is not very good at defending) should be given the role of full-back, while his natural habitat could be that of right-back in the trident if the three strikers are chosen. The option of attacking midfielder cannot be ruled out, at certain moments in the match. As for his use, he will have to roll up his sleeves, because Cosenza is heavily reinforcing the flanks, which can already count on the presence of Marras, Florenzi (if he were not used as a midfielder) and two very versatile players who are at the top of the notebook of the sporting director Del Vecchio: Rizzo Pinna and Mazzocchi. The returning horses Baez and Garritano should also be evaluated. Tutino, however wanted by half of Serie B and some Serie A teams, is another striker who in the remote hypothesis of a permanence could also play on the flank. In short: there will be no shortage of competition, but Ciervo is looking for consecration. And Cosenza is the right place.