Michael Folorunsho

Michael Ijemuan Folorunsho (born 7 February 1998) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie A club Hellas Verona, on loan from Napoli, and the Italy national team.

Michael Folorunsho
Personal information
Full name Michael Ijemuan Folorunsho
Date of birth (1998-02-07) 7 February 1998
Place of birth Rome, Italy
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Hellas Verona
(on loan from Napoli)
Number 90
Youth career
Tor Sapienza
0000–2014 Savio
2014–2017 Lazio
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2019 Virtus Francavilla 61 (8)
2019– Napoli 0 (0)
2019–2020 → Bari (loan) 12 (0)
2020–2021 → Reggina (loan) 30 (6)
2021–2022 → Pordenone (loan) 16 (2)
2022 → Reggina (loan) 15 (2)
2022–2023 → Bari (loan) 27 (8)
2023– → Hellas Verona (loan) 34 (5)
International career‡
2024– Italy 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 May 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 15 June 2024

Club career

Folorunsho spent his youth years with Lazio and played for their Under-19 squad.[2] On 18 July 2017, he signed with Serie C club Virtus Francavilla.[3] Folorunsho made his professional Serie C debut for Virtus Francavilla on 26 August 2017, in a game against Lecce.[4] He played 60 Serie C games for Virtus Francavilla in the two seasons.[2]

On 13 July 2019, Folorunsho signed for Serie A club Napoli on a permanent deal.[5] He was sent on loan two days later to Serie C club Bari for two years.[6] Napoli sent Folorunsho on loan to several clubs in the Serie B: Reggina in 2020–21,[7] Pordenone[8] and Reggina[9] in 2021–22, and Bari in 2022–23.[10]

On 16 August 2023, Folorunsho agreed to join Serie A club Hellas Verona on loan for the duration of the 2023–24 season.[11]

International career

In March 2024, Folorunsho received his first call-up to play for Italian senior squad from head coach Luciano Spalletti.[12][13] However, he remained on the bench during friendly games with Venezuela and Ecuador played in the United States. Later that year, on 6 June, Folorunsho was included in the Italian squad for the UEFA Euro 2024.[14] On 9 June, he debuted in a friendly match against Bosnia and Herzegovina at Stadio Carlo Castellani, coming as a substitute to goalscorer Davide Frattesi in the 76th minute as Italy won 1–0.[15]

Personal life

Folorunsho is of Nigerian descent.[16]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 20 May 2024[17]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Lazio 2016–17 Serie A 0000—00
Virtus Francavilla 2017–18 Serie C 281201[lower-alpha 1]0311
2018–19 Serie C 317103[lower-alpha 2]0357
Total 5983040668
Napoli 2019–20 Serie A 0000—00
Bari (loan) 2019–20 Serie C 120003[lower-alpha 3]0150
Reggina (loan) 2020–21 Serie B 30620—326
Pordenone (loan) 2021–22 Serie B 16211—173
Reggina (loan) 2021–22 Serie B 152——152
Bari (loan) 2022–23 Serie B 278213[lower-alpha 4]0329
Hellas Verona (loan) 2023–24 Serie A 34500—345
Career total 193318210021133
  1. Appearance in Coppa Italia Serie C
  2. One appearance in Coppa Italia Serie C, two appearances in Serie C promotion play-offs
  3. Two appearances in Coppa Italia Serie C, one appearance in Serie C promotion play-offs
  4. Appearances in Serie B promotion play-offs

International
As of match played 15 June 2024[18]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Italy 202420
Total20

Honours

Individual

References
  1. "| Hellas Verona Official Website". Hellas Verona. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  2. Michael Folorunsho at TuttoCalciatori.net (in Italian)
  3. "Michael Ijemuan Folorunsho è un nuovo calciatore della Virtus Francavilla Calcio" (Press release) (in Italian). Virtus Francavilla. 18 July 2017.
  4. "Virtus Francavilla v Lecce game report". Soccerway. 26 August 2017.
  5. "Michael Folorunsho ceduto all'SSC Napoli" (Press release) (in Italian). Virtus Francavilla. 13 July 2019.
  6. "Benvenuti Costa e Folorunsho" (Press release) (in Italian). Bari. 15 July 2019.
  7. "Michael Folorunsho è un calciatore amaranto" (Press release) (in Italian). Reggina. 16 September 2020. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  8. ""The Mask" Folorunsho | Top Player della B 20/21 | è Neroverde!" (Press release) (in Italian). Pordenone. 10 August 2021.
  9. "Michael Folorunsho torna in Amaranto" (Press release) (in Italian). Reggina. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 31 January 2022.
  10. "Bentornato Michael Folorunsho!". Bari Calcio (in Italian). Retrieved 26 July 2022.
  11. "Michael Folorunsho is a new Hellas Verona player". Hellas Verona. 16 August 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
  12. "28 players called up for the friendlies with Venezuela and Ecuador: Bellanova, Folorunsho, and Lucca the newcomers". Italian Football Federation. 15 March 2024.
  13. "Spalletti's three new players' Azzurri CV. Bellanova from the U15s to the senior side". Italian Football Federation. 16 March 2024.
  14. "Ufficializzati i convocati per EURO 2024, esclusi dalla lista Provedel, Ricci e Orsolini" [EURO 2024 squad made official, Provedel, Ricci and Orsolini excluded from the list]. Italian Football Federation (in Italian). Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  15. "Italia 1–0 Bosnia: Stop e tiro al volo di Scamacca che sfiora il raddoppio". Il Messaggero (in Italian). 9 June 2024. Dentro Folorunsho (debutto in Nazionale) e Raspadori che prendono il posto di Frattesi e Chiesa al minuto 77'. [Folorunsho, who debuted for the national team, and Raspadori, replace Frattesi and Chiesa in the 77th minute.]
  16. Di Matteo, Alessia (25 July 2022). "Michael Folorunsho biografia: chi è, età, altezza, peso, tatuaggi, figli, moglie, carriera, Instagram e vita privata". Spettegolando (in Italian). Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  17. Michael Folorunsho at Soccerway. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
  18. "Convocazioni e presenze in campo: Michael Folorunsho Ijemua" (in Italian). Italian Football Federation. 26 May 2023. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
  19. "Michael Folorunsho Wins February's Goal of the Month Presented by Crypto.com". Serie A. 6 March 2024.
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