Ex-Chelsea Prospect Jacopo Sala: Where Is He Now?
When you watch Hellas Verona's Italian utility player Jacopo Sala, 23, he gives you short-lived high-calibre moments, which suggests to you that he can play for a major club.
He once did—for Chelsea, so let's see what has happened to his career since leaving the Blues.
Juxtaposing Sala To Samuele Dalla Bona
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
Juventus signed Atalanta footballers Alessio Tacchinardi (1994; 18 years old), Christian Vieri (1996; 22 years old), Paolo Montero (1996; 24 years old) and Filippo Inzaghi (1997; 23 years old) in a three-year span.
Recognising Atalanta as a gold mine for talent, then-Chelsea manager Gianluca Vialli took action.
Chelsea were so determined to sign Dalla Bona from Atalanta in 1997, the Blues OK'd a plus one, per Ian Ladyman at ESPN Soccernet (h/t ESPN FC): "As was privately expected, Luca Percassi never made the grade, and once his chaperone duties were through, he was allowed to return to Italy."
Atalanta routinely relinquished top prospects.
- Domenico Morfeo: Atalanta → Fiorentina (1997; 21 years old).
- Federico Magallanes: Atalanta → Real Madrid (1998; 20 years old).
- Massimo Donati: Atalanta → AC Milan (2001; 20 years old).
- Giampaolo Pazzini: Atalanta → Fiorentina (2005; 20 years old).
- Riccardo Montolivo: Atalanta → Fiorentina (2005; 20 years old).
- Stephen Makinwa: Atalanta → Palermo (2005; 21 years old).
- Vito Mannone: Atalanta → Arsenal (2005; 17 years old).
This is the context behind Chelsea poaching Sala from Atalanta as a 15-year-old in 2007.
Chelsea probably hoped Sala would be Samuele Dalla Bona 2.0, per Sarah Edworthy at The Telegraph, and speaking of Dalla Bona, sports consultant Alessandro Greco highlighted one of his interviews:
""There's only Sam Dalla Bona" sing the supporters fervently—and how well his name fits the tune.
Athletic, skilful with both feet, with a magical long passing range and phenomenal work rate, he has emerged at an opportune time.
Concerns grow more serious about an eventual replacement for Dennis Wise.
With the departure of Didier Deschamps, the indifferent form of Roberto Di Matteo last season and his absence through injury this year, not to mention the continued under-achievement of Jody Morris, Dalla Bona has held on to his first-team place on merit.
"
Unlike Dalla Bona, the 1999 Chelsea Young Player of the Year, Sala was more spectator than breakout star.
You can imagine the vexation Sala may have felt when watching then-Chelsea manager Carlo Ancelotti give Jacob Mellis a symbolic run-out in a 2-1 UEFA Champions League win over Zilina in 2010.
Sala stayed on the bench, which was the same story when Sunderland beat Chelsea 3-0 in the Premier League.
That night, Ancelotti opted for Josh McEachran and Gael Kakuta.
"I am not aligned with the 'Italian culture,' and I have also paid for that," Dalla Bona said in 2014, reflecting on his failed Serie A career, per La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia). "If I could go back [to Chelsea], I'd stay there forever."
You understand the regret Dalla Bona is experiencing because he probably would have transitioned into a star at Chelsea if he did not succumb to the temptation of playing for AC Milan.
Whereas, Sala never started a game in the Premier League or UEFA Champions League for Chelsea.
Sala is coming from a diametrically opposed perspective of being discarded by Chelsea and receiving a second chance from a Blues reject—Frank Arnesen.
Dalla Bona gave up stability.
Neglected by Chelsea, Sala had nothing to lose in his dream to become a top-flight professional footballer.
What Went Wrong At Hamburg
"Jacopo is a player for the future [and] has progressed through the Italian [youth] national team ranks," Arnesen said as then-Hamburg sport director in 2011, per HSV.de. "[Sala] possesses superb skills and has excellent physical attributes."
Arnesen went from masterminding the signings of Arjen Robben, Jaap Stam, Ronaldo Luis and Ruud van Nistelrooy at PSV Eindhoven to squandering millions at Chelsea.
Recruiting five ex-Chelsea prospects, Arnesen was trying to make a statement to his ex-employer as if to say: "You guys don't know what you're doing, and I'll prove it!"
- Michael Mancienne: Chelsea → Hamburg (2011; 23 years old).
- Slobodan Rajkovic: Chelsea → Hamburg (2011; 22 years old).
- Gokhan Tore: Chelsea → Hamburg (2011; 19 years old).
- Jacopo Sala: Chelsea → Hamburg (2011; 19 years old).
- Jeffrey Bruma: Chelsea → Hamburg (2011 loan; 19 years old).
Both Dan Levine of getwestlondon.co.uk and Daniel Busch at WhoScored.com noted the Sala deal, with Busch providing specific details:
Only Rajkovic is still at Hamburg, and he is an injury-prone fourth-choice centre-back.
Like the Hatton Garden Safe Deposit's security, Arnesen was loose in his projections.
Hamburg and Arnesen mutually agreed to part ways in 2013.
"It is easier for me to have Gokhan here, someone that I already know," Sala said in 2011, per HSV.de. "Everyone is trying to help me [whether it is] in Italian or English."
Sala ghosting in behind Philipp Lahm and volleying a lofted pass from Paolo Guerrero past Manuel Neuer in Hamburg's 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich in 2012 was perceived to be a turning point.
It wasn't.
Spending his debut campaign (2011/12) competing with Tore and Ivo Ilicevic to be the starting right-winger, Sala did not accomplish anything else.
Out of the 25 Hamburg footballers, if you only evaluated Arnesen's Chelsea select, Sala was rated the worst by Kicker.
- Gokhan Tore: 8/25
- Jeffrey Bruma: 13/25
- Slobodan Rajkovic: 14/25
- Michael Mancienne: 18/25
- Jacopo Sala: 20/25
Asked to talk about Sala, then-Hamburg manager Thorsten Fink mentioned the goal against Bayern Munich and then deviated to say how Tolgay Arslan was a superior footballer, per HSV.de.
Dropped to Hamburg II, Sala participated in a 4-1 Regionalliga Nord defeat to BSV Schwarz-Weiss in 2013.
Averaging 23.4 minutes and starting 25 percent of the eight Bundesliga games he played during the 2012/13 season, Sala was on his way out.
Sala Renaissance
Since leaving Atalanta, Sala has been a squad-filler at Chelsea, played 21 Bundesliga games at Hamburg, scored against Bayern Munich and totalled around €200,000/£176,125 in transfer fees.
Arriving at Hellas Verona in 2013, Sala witnessed Juan Iturbe, Jorginho and Romulo elevate their game to the extent that they signed with bigger clubs.
Jorginho and Romulo are ball-dominant midfielders who monopolise possession.
Last season, Jorginho and Romulo combined to average 101.7 passes per 90 minutes.
Iturbe was a constant threat as a right-forward, scoring eight goals and providing four assists.
The trio consigned Sala to being a bit-part player as he started 53.3 percent of the 15 Serie A games he played.
Having missed half of this season due to injury, Sala has been making up for lost time with inspired performances.
The long-range instep drive in Hellas Verona's 3-1 win over Parma gave you a tidbit into Sala's scoring potential.
Intercepting the ball, surveying the options available and playing in Juanito Gomez during Hellas Verona's 3-3 draw against Cesena provided you a glimpse into how Sala can dominate midfield.
Luca Toni, who is still scoring goals at 37 years of age for Hellas Verona, has acted as Sala's mentor.
Perhaps, Toni is drawing from his experiences when he was at Brescia, where he learnt from a seasoned pro.
"After training sessions, [Pep Guardiola would] offer to stay behind and hit a few crosses for me," Toni said, per La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t Football Italia). "Guardiola taught me the importance of humility."
Toni is to Sala what Pep Guardiola was to Toni.
"This is supposed to be [Sala's] year, but he didn't start off so well," Toni said, per Sky (h/t Gregory Caltabanis at Italian Football Daily). "[Sala] is a young man with a clear head who would like to become one of the best players, and he has all the potential to do so. I hope it's his first of many goals."
Statistically, Sala is not flash: 1-goal/1-assist/9-Serie A games, 38.9 passes per 90 minutes, 63.6-tackle success percentage.
But watching Sala, you know he is a central midfielder with upside and is tactically versatile being able to play in multiple positions.
On the ball, Sala is stylish. Without possession, he has an unswerving work ethic.
This is why Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United are monitoring Sala's progress, per David Amoyal at GianlucaDiMarzio.com.
If Sala ends up developing into an elite footballer, it will be bitter consolation for Arnesen, who struck out twice with the Italian at Chelsea and Hamburg.
When not specified, statistics via WhoScored.com.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
