Di Lorenzo began his career with the Reggina youth system in 2009. On 29 May 2011, he made his professional debut for the senior side in a Serie B match at Sassuolo. He spent the 2012–13 season on loan with Lega Pro Prima Divisione side Cuneo, collecting 27 appearances and drawing attention due to his promising performances.[2]
Matera and Empoli
Between 2015 and 2017, Di Lorenzo played for Matera, collecting 58 appearances and scoring 3 goals.[2]
Di Lorenzo was signed by Empoli in August 2017.[3] After helping the side achieve promotion to Serie A, he made his debut in the Italian top flight on 19 August 2018 against Cagliari; in the return fixture against the same opponent, he scored his first Serie A goal.[2]
Napoli
On 7 June 2019, Di Lorenzo joined Napoli for €8 million.[4] During his first year at Napoli, Di Lorenzo became a first team starter, taking them to seventh in the Serie A and helping them secure a win against Juventus in the Coppa Italia Final.[5] Napoli also reached the Round of 16, in the Champions League,[6] with Di Lorenzo getting 2 assists and playing every game. In his second year at the club, he helped guide the team into the Round of 32, at the Europa League, however, they lost to Granada,[7] 3–2 on aggregate. Napoli also finished fifth in the league. Di Lorenzo has scored 7 goals for Napoli, in the League and Domestic Cups.[8]
On 15 July 2020, the right-back was linked to a move with Manchester United,[9] but instead opted to sign a 5 year deal with Napoli, seeing him remain at the club until 2026.[10]
On 14 July 2022, Di Lorenzo was named the new Napoli club captain following the departures of Lorenzo Insigne and Kalidou Koulibaly.[11] On 4 October, he scored his first Champions League goal in a 6–1 away win over Ajax during the 2022–23 season.[12]
International career
Di Lorenzo has represented Italy at U20 and U21 youth levels.[13]
On 14 August 2013, Di Lorenzo made his debut with the Italy U21 national team under the guidance of coach and former Italian International footballer Luigi Di Biagio in a friendly match against Slovakia which Italy went on to win 4–1.
In June 2021, he was included in Italy's 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2020 by manager Roberto Mancini.[15] After beating Belgium on July 2, Di Lorenzo gained notoriety by celebrating his victory by taking off his shorts and running around in his briefs.[16] On 11 July, Di Lorenzo won the European Championship with Italy following a 3–2 penalty shoot-out victory over England at Wembley Stadium in the final, after a 1–1 draw in extra-time; during the final, Di Lorenzo played the entire match.[17]
On 8 September, Di Lorenzo scored his first goal for the Italy senior national team, the final goal of 5–0 home win over Lithuania in 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifier; he had also contributed to Giacomo Raspadori's first goal for Italy, the third of the match.[18][19][20]
Style of play
Initially a forward in his youth, Di Lorenzo was nicknamed "Batigol" by his friends due to his goal-scoring ability, in honour of Argentine strikerGabriel Omar Batistuta. He later switched to playing in more defensive roles and was occasionally deployed as a holding midfielder, before being moved to his current position of right-back. A versatile player, he is also capable of playing as a centre-back, an attack-minded wing-back or a right winger due to his offensive qualities. Although he is not the quickest player, Di Lorenzo is tall, possesses good technique, can play with both feet and is known for his stamina, physical qualities and ability in the air.[2][21][22][23][24][25] While he is mainly known for his offensive contribution, he is also a strong defender, and is known for his consistency, which led pundits to rate him as one of the best right-backs in both Serie A and world football in his prime.[26][27][28] He has also stood out for his leadership.[29]
^"Comunicato Ufficiale N. 32" [Official Statement No. 32] (PDF) (in Italian). Lega Serie A. 4 September 2018. p. 3. Archived from the original(PDF) on 21 September 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
