Football players have been known to go through rocky periods in their careers. One fantastic season could be followed by one at rock bottom, have a contrasting effect on prospects of playing for bigger and better clubs. In the case of Alberto Paloschi, his career has been one of disappointments, followed by moments of potential and promise before reverting back to disappointment. The most recent chapter in this story saw Paloschi attempt to crack the Barclays Premier League with Swansea City, only to see it all end abruptly when the Welsh side accepted an offer from Atalanta.
To be clear from the start; Swansea were not taking a gamble on Paloschi. The 26-year-old has proven he can mix with the best goalscorers in a top league, with an excellent track record for Chievo enough to justify paying just under €10 million for his services. His career seems to have come a long way in a short space of time. Making his Serie A debut for AC Milan in 2007, the teenage Paloschi scored just seventeen seconds into his debut, much to the visible delight of coach Carlo Ancelotti and the man he’d replaced, Filippo Inzaghi. Pippo would later become a self-proclaimed mentor figure for Paloschi, who envisaged a bright future for his heir apparent.
However, his path to greatness at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza was curtailed by the quality of strikers ahead of him in the first team. With coaches under pressure to deliver and maintain a high standard, the likes of Alexandre Pato and Zlatan Ibrahimovic kept their places ahead of Paloschi who sought the limelight elsewhere. Spells with Genoa and more prominently Parma followed and his stock rose, scoring 12 goals in his one and only season in Serie B.
At the end of his time with the Grifone his co-ownership agreement was resolved, with Milan paying €5 million to bring him back to the San Siro. Pre-season began and hopes were high for Paloschi to play a supporting role for the Rossoneri. However, two months later, a loan move to Chievo again brought disappointment for the frustrated striker, who felt ready to mix with the big boys. Nevertheless, his switch to Verona would turn out to be perhaps the most important move of his career. Two years passed and Paloschi made the switch permanent, playing his best season in Serie A scoring 15 goals in 37 appearances for the Flying Donkeys.
At the end of his stint for Chievo the forward had played 144 competitive matches scoring 43 goals, making his whirlwind transfer to Swansea. Following in the footsteps of the free-scoring Michu and Wilfried Bony, Paloschi entered a familiar environment of a team battling relegation but with a squad of talented players. Shown to be sluggish in his few appearances and unsuited to the style in the Premier League, the Italian nevertheless bagged two goals in his seven appearances. While it can be argued Paloschi wasn’t permitted the time that most other strikers get in the Premier League, a return to Italy could well have been the right choice.
Back in the familiar surroundings of Bergamo, the Lombardy-born striker has brushed off his most recent disappointment and is ready to set Serie A alight once again. Bruised and battered, Atalanta finished 13th last season in a campaign of ups and downs but new hope has arrived in the form of Gian Piero Gasperini, with the former Genoa boss known for getting the best out of young players. Atalanta, acknowledged widely for it’s attention to youth players, will be looking to the comparative experience of Paloschi. So used to being the youthful element alongside Sergio Pellissier and Riccardo Meggironi, it will be interesting to see how Paloschi adapts.
In many ways Paloschi has a lot in common with Rolando Bianchi, a former Atalanta striker who’s affiliation with the Bergamo side was fleeting. Tall, strong and deadly inside the box, Paloschi can certainly lead the line for the blue and blacks, providing he receives the right service. At the age of 26, the chances of playing for a top side in European competition isn’t impossible for Paloschi, but it’s gratifying to know he has embraced the chance offered to him by Atalanta. Intelligence has won through in this case as he understands he is far more likely to get his career on track playing regularly in Bergamo, rather than languishing on the bench over in South Wales.
