Kevin Bonifazi’s career

An emerging talent from the Serie A season just gone, Kevin is a physically imposing centre-back, who is gifted with plenty of technical ability, is strong in the air and gets tight to his man. He is also able to kick-start attacking moves with his sweet left foot.

He started out in the ranks of Siena’s youth system before heading to Torino, where he won the Primavera 1 league title. Spells in professional football at Benevento and Caserta in Serie C followed, before really announcing himself as a talented youngster as a key part of that SPAL side that won promotion in 2016/17; he was just 20 at the time.

Then SPAL coach Leonardo Semplici, following a spell back with the Granata without much gametime, brought Bonifazi back to SPAL, deploying him in a back three with great success. His performances saw the Ferrara-based outfit exercise their option to buy but, the following summer, Torino bought him back due to a counter-option put in place by Cairo’s club in the initial deal. He played seven times in Serie A that season, and even scored the winner away at Atalanta. He also got on the scoresheet in the Europa League against Belarusian side Shakhtyor Soligorsk. But, in January 2020, he joined the Biancazzurri for his third stint at the club, and became a permanent Spallino. He made 14 appearances in the second half of the season and was rarely out of the side, even following the arrival of Di Biagio as head coach. SPAL couldn’t avoid relegation and Bonifazi headed to Friuli last summer for a loan spell with Udinese. Kevin showed continuous development last season, becoming a cornerstone in Gotti’s back three. He made 30 appearances in the top flight last season and was immovable for Udinese.

From July 2021, he is joining the Rossoblù on a permanent basis.