Claudio Marchisio

Youth and early career with Juventus

While in the youth system, Marchisio played as a forward and as a trequartista (offensive midfielder), modeling himself after his childhood hero Alessandro Del Piero, until he was switched to a deeper midfield role at the age of 16, due to his slender physique. During the 2004–05 and 2005–06 seasons, he was called up to train with the first team numerous times by Fabio Capello and given a squad number. He made the bench for the game away at Cagliari but remained an unused substitute. Later that season, he captained the Primavera side to their first Campionato Nazionale Primavera title in 12 years and a runner-up finish at the Viareggio Tournament in his last full season with the Primavera squad. After being included in the preseason friendlies, Marchisio was promoted to the first team permanently following Juventus' relegation to Serie B due to the Calciopoli scandal and given the number 15 shirt. On 19 August 2006, he made his first team debut in the Coppa Italia third round, coming on as a late substitute for Matteo Paro in a 3–0 win over Martina. In September, he captained the Primavera team for the last time in the Supercoppa Primavera, thrashing old rivals Internazionale 5–1. He then made his league debut on 28 October against Frosinone as a late substitute for David Trezeguet and made his first start in the following match against Brescia. As the season progressed, he established himself in Didier Deschamps' side and ended…

Youth career

Marchisio was initially called up in early May to the Italy under-21 squad for the 2007 European Championships but eventually withdrew due to injury. He made his under-21 debut in June 2007, the group opening game of the 2009 European Championship qualifying, but his debut ended rather unfortunately as he was injured in a collision barely ten minutes into the match while attempting an effort on goal, although the shot would lead to Robert Acquafresca's opener seconds later. Eventually, he became first-choice during the latter stages of the campaign. He scored a 12-yard volley at the 2008 Toulon Tournament against Turkey in a 2–1 win, as Italy went on to win the tournament, and was subsequently called up to the Olympics that summer but was forced to return home due to an injury. In May 2009, Pierluigi Casiraghi named him in the final squad for the 2009 Under-21 European Championship. At the tournament, he started every game and, despite missing the semi-final loss to Germany through suspension, was one of several Azzurrini stars tipped to make the senior squad, also being named to the Team of the Tournament.

Senior debut and 2010 World Cup

On 12 August 2009, Marchisio made his senior debut, starting in the friendly against Switzerland that ended goalless and was praised by Marcello Lippi during the post-match interview. Lippi later revealed that he had intended to call Marchisio up earlier but agreed to leave the youngster to Casiraghi's U-21…

Marchisio is known for his versatility and ability to play anywhere in midfield, as seen in various formations and positions he has been played in by his coaches. He has been used out wide in both a three- or four-man midfield, or as a defensive midfielder, but his preferred and most effective position is that of a central midfielder, where he is given the license to freely switch between defensive and attacking positions, instead of being limited to a single role. He is sometimes classified as an attacking central midfielder (known as a mezz'ala in Italian football), due to his penchant for scoring goals, rather than as a traditional deep-lying "creative" central midfielder (known as a regista in Italian football) in the mold of Andrea Pirlo. In the English language media he has been described as a "box-to-box midfielder" as he is neither a pure defensive nor an attacking midfielder, although he is able to play in both positions when necessary. A former forward, with an eye for goal, he has also been fielded in more advanced roles, as a deep-lying forward or attacking midfielder in a 3–5–1–1 formation. Regarded as a precocious talent in his youth since his emergence in Juventus's starting line-up, Marchisio's physical strength, pace, energy, positional sense and tactical awareness in his prime allowed him to excel in the centre in a box-to-box midfield role, and enabled him to establish himself as one of the top midfielders of his generation. However, he has been injury…

Born in Turin, to a father from Piedmont and a mother from Sicily, Marchisio is the youngest of three children and was raised in the comuni of Chieri and Andezeno, where his parents run a family business and continue to reside. His family were Juventus fans and season ticket holders and he used to be a ball boy at the Stadio delle Alpi. As a child, he was interested in various sports and joined the youth football team at Fiat's satellite sports club Sisport, where he was later scouted by Juventus youth coaches at the age of seven. A talented middle-distance runner and skier, he began vocational training as a surveyor after the mandatory schooling age of 16, in case his football career did not work out, but eventually dropped out to concentrate on football.