Marco Sau (Italian: [ˈmarko ˈsau], Sardinian: [ˈmaɾku ˈzau]; born 3 November 1987) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker.[1]

Early life

Sau has been nicknamed Pattolino (Duckling) since childhood. His idol growing up was the striker Gianfranco Zola, also from his native Province of Nuoro in Sardinia.[2]

While visiting an uncle in Scotland in his early teens, Sau played in the youth ranks of Livingston and a local team in Gourock.[3]

Club career

Cagliari

Sau turned professional at Cagliari in 2007. On 25 June 2008 he was signed by AlbinoLeffe.[4] On 15 July 2009, he was loaned to Lecco.[5]

Foggia

In August 2010 Sau was acquired by Foggia of Lega Pro Prima Divisione by head coach Zdenek Zeman in co-ownership deals, for a peppercorn of €500,[6] scoring 20 league goals that season. In June 2011 Foggia acquired Sau and Salvatore Burrai outright for a total of €207,000 by a closed tender mediated by Lega Serie A.[6][7] However they were returned to Cagliari on 31 August 2011 for the same total price (Burrai for free and Sau for €207,000).[8][9] Foggia later brought the transfer to court to claim the transfer documents were falsified.[10]

Return to Cagliari

Sau with Cagliari in 2017

Sau was re-acquired by Cagliari on 31 August 2011 on a two-year contract.[9] He played at S.S. Juve Stabia in 2011–12 Serie B season,[11] scoring 21 goals. This form allowed him into the Cagliari first team for 2012–13.[3]

Sau scored both of Cagliari's goals in a 2–2 draw against Inter on 18 November 2012.[3]

On 29 August 2014, Sau renewed his contract with Cagliari until 2017.[12]

Later career

On 31 January 2019, Sau signed with Sampdoria after seven years at Cagliari.[13] After five goalless substitute appearances, he signed a two-year contract at Serie B's Benevento on 22 July.[14] He scored a hat-trick on 29 December in a 4–0 home win over Ascoli,[15] and the following 29 June he came off the bench to score the only goal against his former club Juve Stabia to win promotion to Serie A as champions with seven games left.[16]

In February 2023, Sau signed for Serie C Group A club Feralpisalò on a contract until the end of the season with the option for a further year.[17]

International career

Sau made his international debut on 31 May 2013, coming on as a 49th-minute substitute against San Marino in a friendly 4–0 win at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara in Bologna.[18]

Honours

Cagliari

Benevento

References

  1. ^ Marco Sau at Soccerway
  2. ^ Sergio Cadeddu. "Sau innamorato: "Che bello giocare per il Cagliari, per la Sardegna"" (in Italian). Cagliari News 24. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  3. ^ a b c Fleming, Scott (20 December 2012). "Born in Sardinia, made in Gourock". The Herald. Herald & Times Group. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
  4. ^ "Sau all'AlbinoLeffe" (in Italian). Cagliari Calcio. 25 June 2008. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  5. ^ "E' rientrato Larrivey" (in Italian). Cagliari Calcio. 15 July 2009. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  6. ^ a b Cagliari Calcio SpA bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2011 (in Italian), PDF purchased from Italian CCIAA
  7. ^ ""Buste": Burrai e Sau al Foggia" (in Italian). Cagliari Calcio. 25 June 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  8. ^ "Sau e Burrai tornano al Cagliari" (in Italian). Cagliari Calcio. 31 August 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  9. ^ a b Cagliari Calcio SpA bilancio (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2012 (in Italian), PDF purchased from Italian CCIAA
  10. ^ "Cagliari in Tribunale: il Foggia contesta il contratto di Sau" (in Italian). fantagazzetta. 20 March 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  11. ^ "Sau alla Juve Stabia" (in Italian). Cagliari Calcio. 31 August 2011. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  12. ^ "Sau ha rinnovato fino al 2017". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). 29 August 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2015.
  13. ^ "UFFICIALE: Sampdoria, arriva Sau dal Cagliari a titolo definitivo" (in Italian). Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  14. ^ "UFFICIALE: Benevento, ecco Marco Sau. Due anni di contratto". Retrieved 22 July 2019.
  15. ^ "La nuova sfida di Marco Sau lontano dall'Isola" [Marco Sau's new challenge far away from the Island]. L'Unione Sarda (in Italian). 29 January 2020. Retrieved 12 February 2020.
  16. ^ a b Blackburn, Liam (30 June 2020). "Filippo Inzaghi leads Benevento back to Serie A". Goal. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  17. ^ "𝙈𝘼𝙍𝘾𝙊 𝙎𝘼𝙐, COMUNICATO UFFICIALE" [𝙈𝘼𝙍𝘾𝙊 𝙎𝘼𝙐, OFFICIAL RELEASE]. www.feralpisalo.it (in Italian). 25 February 2023. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  18. ^ "Marco Sau - national football team player". Eu-football.info. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  19. ^ "Serie B: Cagliari title, Livorno relegated - Football Italia". 20 May 2016.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marco_Sau
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