Francesco Caputo

Francesco Caputo (born 6 August 1987) known in Italy as ”Ciccio”, is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Sassuolo.

For the Italian illuminator and miniaturist painter, see Francesco Caputo (painter).

Francesco Caputo

Caputo in 2016
Personal information
Date of birth	(1987-08-06) 6 August 1987
Place of birth	Altamura, Italy
Height	1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position(s)	Forward
Club information
Current team	Sassuolo
Number	9
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2005–2006	Toritto	20	(14)
2006–2007	Altamura	30	(12)
2007–2008	Noicattaro	29	(11)
2008–2015	Bari	142	(48)
2009–2010	→ Salernitana (loan)	36	(6)
2010–2011	→ Siena (loan)	14	(3)
2015–2017	Virtus Entella	80	(35)
2017–2019	Empoli	79	(42)
2019–	Sassuolo	36	(21)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17:54, 4 August 2020 (UTC)

Club career

Caputo started his career in the Pugliesi amateur divisions, first with Toritto and then with Real Altamura, before joining Bari in the summer of 2008. With the club, Caputo won the Serie B title during the 2008–09 season, but he was excluded from Bari's Serie A plans the following season. In mid-2009, he was loaned to Salernitana, along with his teammates Giuseppe Statella and Gianluca Galasso. The following season he was loaned out to Siena. He returned to Bari in 2011, and remained at the club for four seasons.[1]

In 2015, he joined Entella on loan with an option to buy;[2] at the end of the season, he was signed outright by the club.[3] He remained with Entella for two seasons, scoring 35 goals.[1]

On 18 August 2017, Empoli signed Caputo on a four-year contract for €2.8 million plus bonuses.[1] He helped Empoli win the Serie B title and achieve promotion to Serie A during the 2017–18 season, forming a prolific attacking partnership with Alfredo Donnarumma; together, the pair scored 49 goals, and Caputo finished as the top scorer in the league, with 26 goals, while Donnarumma finished as the second-highest scorer with 23.[4]

On 13 July 2019, Caputo signed to Sassuolo.[5]

Style of play

A technically gifted forward, with an eye for goal, Caputo mainly plays as a striker, although he is capable of playing anywhere along the front line. He is mainly known in the media for his pace, work-rate, movement off the ball, and his powerful and accurate striking ability.[6][7][8]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 2 August 2020[9]

Club	Season	League	League		Cup		Europe		Other		Total
			Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Bari	2008–09	Serie B	27	10	1	0	–		–		28	10
Salernitana (loan)	2009–10		36	6	2	1	–		–		38	7
Bari	2010–11	Serie A	13	1	3	1	–		–		16	2
Siena (loan)	2010–11	Serie B	14	3	0	0	–		–		14	3
Bari	2011–12		28	9	3	1	–		–		31	10
	2012–13		36	17	1	0	–		–		37	17
	2013–14		0	0	0	0	–		–		0	0
	2014–15		38	11	0	0	–		–		38	11
	Total		142	48	8	2	0	0	0	0	150	50
Virtus Entella	2015–16	Serie B	40	17	0	0	–		–		40	17
	2016–17		40	18	1	0	–		–		41	18
	2017–18		0	0	1	0	–		–		1	0
	Total		80	35	2	0	0	0	0	0	82	35
Empoli	2017–18	Serie B	41	26	0	0	–		–		41	26
	2018–19	Serie A	38	16	1	0	–		–		39	16
	Total		79	42	1	0	0	0	0	0	80	42
Sassuolo	2019–20	Serie A	36	21	1	0	–		–		37	21
Career total			387	155	14	3	0	0	0	0	401	158

Honours

Bari[10]

• Serie B: 2008–09

Empoli[10]

• Serie B: 2017–18

Individual

• Serie B top scorer: 2017–18[11]

References

1. "Francesco Caputo è dell´Empoli" (in Italian). www.empolicalcio.net. 18 August 2017. Archived from the original on 6 May 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
2. "COLPO IN ATTACCO: CAPUTO IN BIANCOCELESTE" (in Italian). www.entella.it. 31 August 2015. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
3. "Virtus Entella, acquistati a titolo definitivo bomber Caputo e Pellizzer" (in Italian). picenotime.it. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
4. Alessandro Marmugi (3 June 2018). "Una coppia da 49 gol che scala la vetta europea" (in Italian). Il Tirreno. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
5. "UFFICIALE: Sassuolo, colpo Caputo per rinforzare l'attacco" (in Italian). tuttomercatoweb.com. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
6. Gianluigi Longari (22 September 2017). "Caputo: non un bomber, ma un fuoriclasse di categoria" (in Italian). www.tuttomercatoweb.com. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
7. "Milan-Empoli, occhio a Caputo: è il bomber che non ti aspetti" (in Italian). Il Milanista. 22 February 2019. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
8. D'Ottavi, Marco (4 June 2019). "Cosa ci mancherà delle retrocesse" (in Italian). Ultimo Uomo. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
9. "Francesco Caputo". Retrieved 6 February 2019.
10. "F. Caputo". Soccerway. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
11. "Top Scorers Table - Lega Serie B". Lega Serie B. Retrieved 3 March 2018.

External links

• Francesco Caputo at TuttoCalciatori.net (in Italian)
• Francesco Caputo at Soccerway