From Michael Kayode to Gianluca Mancini, from Federico Chiesa to Nicolò Zaniolo, we’ve seen quite a few players go from developing at Fiorentina’s academy to thriving in Europe’s top five leagues, and the latest to do so could very well be Niccolò Pierozzi.
Born on September 12, 2001, Pierozzi was 10 years of age when he joined Fiorentina’s academy, playing alongside his twin brother Edoardo (now at Benevento) and breaking onto the scene in the 2017/18 season with 10 goals in 25 appearances for their
U-17 side. This earned him international recognition, making four caps for the Italy national under-18 football team in 2019. Initially a left winger, Pierozzi showcased his versatility throughout his time with La Viola’s reserves, playing as a left back, central midfielder, and right winger. In 2001, he departed Florence for the first time in his life, emerging as a vital cog in attack for Pro Patria with eight goals and four assists.
After an impressive spell in Serie C, Pierozzi then took his talents to Reggina, where he transformed into a right back, a position that he has occupied to this day. This would earn him a return to the national team, playing twice for Italy’s U-21s in March 2023, before returning to his boyhood club. He missed the first months of the 2023/24 season with an abdominal problem before finally nursing himself back to fitness and making his first-team debut in a 6-0 domination of FK Čukarički in the UEFA Conference League on October 26, 2023. Two weeks later, he made his second appearance for Fiorentina, this time playing 90 minutes for La Viola rather than 45 and helping them eke out a 1-0 win in the reverse fixture in Serbia.
Little did he know it, but this would be his final appearance for Fiorentina, with Pierozzi being loaned out to Salernitana for the second half of the 2023/24 season. Despite missing a significant chunk of time to injury, Pierozzi was able to play 12 times in Italy’s top-flight and score against Juventus and assist vs. Sassuolo. He was not, however, able to keep Salernitana up in Serie A. Rather than try his chances in Fiorentina’s first-team or embark on a fourth loan spell, Pierozzi opted to depart the Tuscan club and join Serie B outfit Palermo on a contract through 2028. It hasn’t taken long for him to make his €1 million fee seem like a bargain, with Pierozzi making 28 appearances across all competitions.
He’s been even better this season, solidifying himself as the team’s starting right back and playing a crucial role in Palermo’s promotion push. Pierozzi has proven indispensable, ranking second in their squad for goals (5) and tackles per game (1.7) and third for assists (3), goal contributions (8), scoring frequency (scoring every 433 minutes), big chances created (5), and earning praise from the likes of Ricardo Neto. Palermo have ascended to fourth in the Serie B table after winning 11 of their last 16 matches, and with Pierozzi leading the charge, the Sicilians might just have what it takes to return to Serie A after a decade.
Viola Nation spoke to Pierozzi about a number of topics, including:
Having initially started off as a left winger, what was it like making the transition to right back?
The change came when I was 18/19 years of age. In my final year with Fiorentina’s Primavera, I started to move more towards the wing, and then in my first season in Serie C with Pro Patria, I played as a defensive midfielder. The following year, I played as a full-back at Reggina in Serie B, and I have always stayed in that position.
What was it like playing those two matches for Fiorentina’s first team? Is it safe to say that was a dream come true for you?
It was beautiful because, as a boy from Florence, I felt it particularly strongly. I only played in the Conference League, because unfortunately, I had a problem in the first few months of that season and was sidelined for many months, so I couldn’t make my debut in Serie A with them. But even so, playing in Europe with Fiorentina was really exciting, and my whole family was there to watch me, as well as all my friends, and all the people of Florence, whom I know anyway. I’ll always remember it with great pleasure.
After a mixed start to the season, Palermo are starting to heat up and win on a regular basis. What has been the secret to this team improvement, and what gives you hope for promotion?
The squad that we have in the locker room is definitely a fantastic group of guys. Everyone tries to give their all every day, and everyone delivers their best. We’ve had a really good run of matches, and we’re doing well. Everyone’s focused, so we’re confident that we can finish this season as best we can. We hope to continue at this rate because it would mean picking up a lot more points, and we’ll see where we finish at the end of the regular season. We’re at a great place, but the important thing is to be aggressive and focused, as we’ve done in the past 15/16 games.
While your current club is vying for promotion, your boyhood club is fighting to stay up. After so many close calls with silverware in recent years, why do you think Fiorentina has had such a difficult season?
Unfortunately, they started badly…they had some problems at the beginning of the season, and then it’s difficult to change the course. The result is that they’re now fighting to stay up, which isn’t easy. Fiorentina is definitely in a difficult place and they’re demonstrating that, but we hope that they can escape the threat of relegation.
Lastly, after already playing for Italy at the U-18 and U-21 level, do you think you’re capable of playing for the Azzurri at the senior level?
I hope so. It’s definitely a dream that I’ve been carrying around. It was wonderful to wear the Under-21 national team jersey, and the goal is to hopefully return there. We’ll see sooner or later, And that’s the goal, then hopefully returning. Sooner or later, though, we’ll see. If I return, I’ll definitely be happy.
