Federico Bernardeschi Bio
Federico Bernardeschi Cavaliere OMRI is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a winger or attacking midfielder for Serie A club Bologna. Standing at 185 cm, he combines physical presence with technical skill, and he is known in Italian football circles by the nickname “Brunelleschi,” a nod to the Renaissance architect from Florence that reflects his elegant playing style.
After rising through the Fiorentina youth system, Bernardeschi spent time on loan at Crotone before establishing himself in Serie A with Fiorentina and Juventus, where he won multiple league titles. He later played for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer and returned to Italy in 2025 to join Bologna. At the international level, he is a senior Italy international and was a member of the squad that won UEFA Euro 2020.
Early Life and Background
Federico Bernardeschi was born on 16 February 1994 in Carrara, a city in the province of Massa-Carrara in Tuscany, Italy. He began playing organized football at the age of six with local side Atletico Carrara, where his talent was quickly identified by youth coaches. A year later, he transferred to Ponzano, a football school affiliated with Empoli, before making the move to the Fiorentina youth system at the age of nine in 2003.
He progressed through the ranks of the Fiorentina academy, which is based in Florence, and developed into one of the most highly regarded prospects in Italian youth football. His formative years in Tuscany shaped his technical foundation and tactical understanding of the game. During this period, he has since revealed that he struggled with heart problems at around the age of 16, an off-the-field challenge he worked through on his way to a professional career.
Bernardeschi came through age-group football with Italy from 2011 onward, representing the country at various youth levels and earning recognition as a leading figure in his generation. The combination of Carrara roots, Florentine football education, and Italian youth international experience provided the platform from which he launched his senior career.
Path to Soccer
Bernardeschi’s pathway to professional soccer began in earnest at Fiorentina, where he spent ten years in the youth system after joining the club’s “Pulcini” age group. The club’s academy provided him with a structured environment to refine his game, and he worked his way up through the various age categories while developing the versatility that would later define his senior career.
The decisive step toward first-team football came in the 2013–14 season, when Fiorentina loaned him to Crotone in Serie B. At 19 years old, he made his professional debut on 8 September 2013 against Pescara, entering the field after 75 minutes as a substitute. Across the season, he scored 12 goals in 39 appearances, a return that convinced Crotone to exercise an option to acquire half of his contract in co-ownership. His performances demonstrated the goal-scoring instincts and creative qualities that would later mark his top-flight career.
In June 2014, Fiorentina redeemed Crotone’s share of his contract and inserted him into the first team under manager Vincenzo Montella. The move set the stage for his Serie A breakthrough and his emergence as one of Italian football’s most promising attacking talents.
Federico Bernardeschi Career
Early Career (2013–2015)
Bernardeschi’s first notable senior role came during his loan at Crotone in Serie B during the 2013–14 season, where his 12 goals in 39 appearances established him as an exciting young forward. Upon returning to Fiorentina, he was integrated into the first team under Vincenzo Montella for the 2014–15 season.
He made his Serie A debut on 14 September 2014, coming off the bench in a 0–0 home draw against Genoa. Four days later, he made his European debut in a 3–0 home win over Guingamp in the Europa League, scoring his first goal for the club in the process. After a fractured ankle kept him out from November 2014, he returned to score his first Serie A goal on the final matchday of the season, in a 3–0 home win over Chievo on 31 May 2015, finishing the campaign with three goals in 10 appearances across all competitions.
Fiorentina Breakthrough (2015–2017)
At the start of the 2015–16 season, Bernardeschi was awarded the prestigious number 10 shirt at Fiorentina, previously worn by club legends such as Giancarlo Antognoni and Roberto Baggio. The gesture reflected both the club’s belief in his talent and the weight of expectation placed on his shoulders.
On 26 November 2015, he scored two goals in a 2–2 away draw against Basel in the Europa League group stage, demonstrating his ability on the European stage. On 6 February 2016, he netted his second Serie A goal in a 1–1 away draw against Bologna. His performances over the 2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons established him as a key attacking figure for Fiorentina and a regular in the Italy setup, attracting attention from major clubs across Europe.
Juventus Era (2017–2022)
On 24 July 2017, Bernardeschi was signed by Juventus, one of Fiorentina’s main rivals, for €40 million on a five-year deal. Although tipped as a candidate for the number 10 shirt in the media, he chose number 33, explaining that he still had to earn the right to wear such an iconic number. He made his club debut on 13 August 2017 as a substitute in a 3–2 defeat to Lazio in the Supercoppa Italiana, and his UEFA Champions League debut followed on 12 September against Barcelona.
He made his first Juventus start on 1 October 2017, scoring his first goal for the club and assisting another for Gonzalo Higuaín in a 2–2 away draw against Atalanta. On 5 December 2017, he scored his first Champions League goal in a 2–0 away win over Olympiacos that allowed Juventus to advance to the knockout stages. On 9 February 2018, he returned to Florence, where he scored a free kick to silence hostile home fans. Across his time in Turin, he won three consecutive Serie A titles and contributed key goals in domestic and European competition, including a run that saw him reach 100 Juventus appearances on 4 July 2020 in a 4–1 win over Torino.
Toronto FC Era (2022–2025)
On 15 July 2022, Bernardeschi signed for Major League Soccer club Toronto FC as a designated player on a four-year contract, reuniting with Italian compatriots Lorenzo Insigne and Domenico Criscito. He made his debut on 23 July 2022, scoring one goal and registering an assist in a 4–0 home victory over Charlotte FC, a performance that earned him a place on the MLS Team of the Week.
In the 2022 Canadian Championship final against the Vancouver Whitecaps three days later, he set up a temporary equaliser and converted a penalty in the resulting shoot-out, though Toronto ultimately lost 5–3. He continued to produce standout moments in MLS, including an Olympico direct from a corner against Charlotte FC on 1 April 2023 and his first MLS hat-trick against CF Montréal on 18 May 2024. On 1 July 2025, he agreed to a mutual termination of the remainder of his contract with the club.
Bologna Era (2025–Present)
On 19 July 2025, Bernardeschi returned to Italy and signed with Serie A club Bologna as a free agent. His arrival brought experience and versatility to a Bologna side competing in both Serie A and European competition.
Driving Style and Strengths
Bernardeschi is regarded as a quick, strong, creative, and hard-working player with good positional sense and an eye for goal. Predominantly left-footed, he is known for his pace, agility, dribbling ability, and powerful, accurate striking from outside the area, as well as for his late attacking runs into the box. Tactically versatile, he can operate as a right winger, attacking midfielder, second striker, trequartista, mezzala, false 9, or even as a full-back or wing-back, while his accuracy from set-pieces and penalties adds another dimension to his game.
Notable Events and Milestones
Bernardeschi’s career-defining moment came on 11 July 2021, when he won the European Championship with Italy following a 3–2 penalty shoot-out victory over England at Wembley Stadium. Replacing the injured Federico Chiesa late in regulation time, he scored Italy’s fourth spot-kick, the goal that ultimately secured the trophy. He has also been named to the team of the tournament at the 2017 UEFA European Under-21 Championship and has scored direct from a corner kick in MLS.
Federico Bernardeschi Career Wins
Federico Bernardeschi has accumulated significant silverware across club and international football. With Juventus, he won three consecutive Serie A titles between 2017 and 2020, along with the Supercoppa Italiana. At international level, he won UEFA Euro 2020 with Italy, the UEFA Nations League in 2021, and the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions in 2022.
Club Highlights
At Juventus, Bernardeschi’s most significant contributions included winning three consecutive Serie A titles from 2017–18 through 2019–20, the latter sealed in part by his goal in a 2–0 home win over Sampdoria on 26 July 2020. He also featured in the Supercoppa Italiana and played a role in Juventus’s Champions League campaigns, scoring his first Champions League goal against Olympiacos in December 2017.
International Highlights
Bernardeschi was part of the Italy squad that won UEFA Euro 2020, scoring a decisive penalty in the semi-final shoot-out against Spain and another in the final against England at Wembley Stadium. He was also a member of the squad that won the UEFA Nations League in 2021 and the CONMEBOL–UEFA Cup of Champions in 2022, cementing his place in a successful era of Italian national team football.
Federico Bernardeschi Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Federico Bernardeschi is married to Veronica Ciardi. The couple got married on 13 July 2021, Veronica’s birthday, in the Carrara Cathedral in his hometown of Carrara, just two days after Italy’s Euro 2020 triumph. Their first daughter, Deva, was born in May 2019, and their second daughter, Lena, was born in May 2021.
Bernardeschi’s family life has remained largely private, with the Carrara Cathedral ceremony representing one of the few highly public moments of his personal life. His family has been a consistent presence throughout his career transitions from Florence to Turin, Toronto, and back to Italy.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season began with Bernardeschi at Toronto FC, where he returned from a mid-week suspension to score his first MLS hat-trick against rivals CF Montréal in a 5–1 win on 18 May 2024. However, on 1 July 2025, he agreed to a mutual termination of the remainder of his contract with the club, bringing his time in Major League Soccer to an end.
On 19 July 2025, Bernardeschi returned to Italian football by signing with Serie A club Bologna as a free agent. The move reunited him with top-flight Italian competition and offered him a platform to contribute his experience to a Bologna side balancing domestic and European commitments.
Looking ahead, Bernardeschi’s role at Bologna is expected to combine his attacking versatility with the leadership and tactical intelligence he developed across spells at Fiorentina, Juventus, and Toronto FC. His return to Serie A places him in a competitive environment where his set-piece quality, dribbling, and tactical flexibility remain valuable assets as the 2025–26 season unfolds.