Nikita Baranovsky Contini (Ukrainian: Нікі́та Конті́ні-Барано́вський; born 21 May 1996) is a Ukrainian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Italian Serie A club Sampdoria, on loan from Napoli.[2]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nikita Baranovsky Contini | ||
| Date of birth | (1996-05-21) 21 May 1996 (age 26) | ||
| Place of birth | Cherkasy, Ukraine | ||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team |
Sampdoria (on loan from Napoli) | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Atletico Giugliano | |||
| 2008–2015 | Napoli | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014– | Napoli | 0 | (0) |
| 2015–2016 | → SPAL (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | → Carrarese (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2017 | → Taranto (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2017–2018 | → Pontedera (loan) | 36 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | → Siena (loan) | 37 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | → Virtus Entella (loan) | 32 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | → Crotone (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| 2022 | → Vicenza (loan) | 14 | (0) |
| 2022– | → Sampdoria (loan) | 0 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 May 2022 | |||
Contini was born in Cherkasy, Ukraine to an Italian father originally from Naples, Italy and a Ukrainian mother. When Contini was three years old, he moved with his family to Giugliano in Campania, Italy.[3][4] He started his football career at the age of five at Atletico Giugliano, a club his father was part of as a youth coach a young age who was a youth coach of Atletico Giugliano; he often ended up playing in teams with older boys as he moved up their youth ranks.[5]
In 2007, Napoli played Atletico Giugliano in a friendly and Contini stood out with his performance and impressed then Napoli youth goalkeeping coach Luciano Tarallo. Later that year, he went on trial with Napoli and in 2008 he joined their youth system; in his first season at Napoli, he provided good performances and won the best goalkeeper award in the "Niccolò Galli" youth tournament in Florence and the "Cairo Montenotte" tournament in Savona, Italy. However, a serious knee injury (meniscus tear) following a clash with teammate Gennaro Tutino forced him to miss the remainder of the season.[6]
After recovering from his injury, he made a full comeback with the youth team and took part at the renowned "Beppe Viola-Arco di Trento" youth tournament, where Contini played all the games and Napoli reached the final, then lost to Inter Milan; Contini went on to win the award for best goalkeeper of the tournament.
On 3 April 2013, Contini made his debut for the Primavera Under-19 team in a match against Lanciano, as a substitute, and immediately saved a penalty on his first game. In the 2013–14 season, Contini was also featured in the UEFA Youth League.[2]
His performances with the youth ranks did not go unnoticed, as Contini was called up by Xavi Valero, then goalkeeping coach of Napoli, to join the first team, being called up on many occasions during the 2014–15 season under Rafa Benitez.
In July 2015, Contini moved to Spal on loan until the end of the 2015–16 season, in order to gain first team experience in the Italian thirrd division.[7]
On 23 July 2019, he joined newly promoted Serie B club Virtus Entella on loan.[8] He started Entella's season opener on 23 August 2019 against Livorno, making his debut in the second tier of Italian football.[9]
On 19 August 2021, he joined newly promoted Serie B club Crotone on loan.[10] On 31 January 2022, he moved on loan to Vicenza.[11]
On 11 August 2022, Contini moved to Sampdoria on a season-long loan.[12]
U.C. Sampdoria – current squad | |
|---|---|
|