Giovanni Simeone

Early career in Argentina

After progressing through the youth ranks, Simeone signed a three-year professional deal with River in November 2011. In July 2013, he was called up by the main squad for the pre-season; Simeone made his league debut on 4 August 2013, starting and playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 away defeat against Gimnasia La Plata. Later that month, he renewed his contract, signing until 2016. Simeone scored his first professional goal on 8 September, netting the second of a 3–0 home victory against Tigre. On 6 July 2015, Simeone joined fellow Argentine Primera División side Banfield on a season-long loan. On 12 July 2015, he scored the match-winning goal on his debut in a 1–0 victory against Quilmes.

Genoa

On 18 August 2016, Simeone signed for Italian club Genoa for €3 million. He scored his first goal as a starter in a 1–1 draw against Pescara on 25 September 2016. On 27 November, Simeone netted a brace in a 3–1 victory against Juventus.

Fiorentina

Amid speculation of Atlético Madrid's interest in the then-youngster to be coached by his father Diego Simeone, Giovanni signed with Serie A club Fiorentina on 16 August 2017 for an undisclosed fee. On 29 April 2018, Simeone scored his first hat-trick in Fiorentina's 3–0 league victory against Napoli, effectively ending his future club's title hopes.

Cagliari

On 30 August 2019, Simeone joined Cagliari on a year-long loan from Fiorentina, including an obligatory purchase…

Under-20 team

U-20 South American Championship

Giovanni Simeone was initially a part of the Argentine Under-18 team. His outstanding performances earned him a call-up in the U-20 team when he was just 17 years old. In March 2014, Simeone was called up by manager Alejandro Sabella to train with the senior Argentina national team as a 'sparring' partner. On 6 January 2015, the technical director of the Argentine U-20 football team, Humberto Grondona, released a list of 32 players for pre-tournament training. Giovanni Simeone was among those called up for the upcoming U-20 South American Championship, which was scheduled to be held in Uruguay. On 10 January, just days before the championship was set to begin, Grondona finalized the list of 23 players, which included Simeone. Out of the seven River Plate players initially listed, six made it to the final squad traveling to Uruguay. On 14 January, the Argentine U-20 national team made their debut in the U-20 South American Championship against Ecuador. It was a resounding 5–2 victory, with Simeone emerging as the top scorer of the match. He scored his first goal early in the game following a play by Ángel Correa. His second goal came after another assist from Correa, and Simeone simply had to tap it in. On 16 January, in the second match of the tournament, the Argentine U-20 team suffered a setback with a 0–1 against Paraguay U-20, who temporarily took the lead in the group. Two days later, on 18 January,…

Naturally rangy, almost waif-like in his six-foot build, Gio has worked incessantly to build himself up and avoid being bundled off the ball, a fate that blighted him all too often while still learning his trade in Argentina. Simeone plays primarily as a forward. He has been deployed in various attacking roles, including as a main striker and as a second striker. He is right-footed, but has scored goals with both feet, and was known for his composure in front of goal in his prime. A tenacious and energetic player, he is known for his work-rate and defensive contribution off the ball, and often presses opponents in order to help his team win back possession. He is also effective in the air, courtesy of his heading ability. He is also known for his speed and attacking movement, which enables him to create space, and provide depth for his team; his speed coupled with his solid technique and physicality also enables him to carry the ball or hold it up with his back to goal. In his youth, he was considered to be a promising player in the media.

The son of former Argentine international footballer Diego Simeone and Carolina Baldini, Giovanni Simeone was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, while his father was playing for Atlético Madrid. His family moved to Italy in 1997, but later returned to Spain in 2003 following Diego's career club changes. Two years later he moved to Argentina, and joined River Plate's youth setup in 2008 when his father was appointed coach of the first team. He has two younger brothers, Gianluca and Giuliano, both footballers.