Mirko Valdifiori (; born 21 April 1986) is an Italian professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who plays as a

midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

. A

Cesena Cesena (; ) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy; and - with Forlì - is the capital of the Province of Forlì-Cesena. Served by Autostrada A14 (Italy), Autostrada A14, and located near the Apennine M ...

youth-product, he began his career with the senior side in 2004, but was sent on loan to Serie C sides

Pavia Pavia ( , ; ; ; ; ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy, in Northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino (river), Ticino near its confluence with the Po (river), Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was a major polit ...

and

Legnano Legnano (; or ''Lignàn'') is a town and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Milan, province of Milan, about from central Milan. With 60,259, it is the thirteenth-most populous township in Lombardy. Legnano is located in the ...

, before moving to

Serie B The Serie B (), officially known as Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had b ...

side

Empoli Empoli () is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Florence, Tuscany, Italy, about southwest of Florence, to the south of the Arno River, Arno in a plain formed by the river. The plain has been usable for agriculture since Ancient Ro ...

in 2008. With Empoli, he became the sixth most capped player in the team's history and helped the team achieve

Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...

promotion in 2014. He made his debut in the Italian top division the following season, and his performances throughout the year earned him a transfer to Napoli in 2015. Following a successful first season in Serie A with Empoli, he also earned his first international call-up in 2015, making his

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

debut the same year.

Club career

Cesena

Born in

Russi Russi () is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Ravenna in the Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about east of Bologna and about southwest of Ravenna Ravenna ( ; , also ; ) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the ...

Ravenna Ravenna ( ; , also ; ) is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century until its Fall of Rome, collapse in 476, after which ...

, Valdifiori started his professional career at Italian club

. A former member of the club's youth system, his debut for the Cesena senior side came on 14 May 2005, in a 3–3 away from home draw with

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

, during the

2004–05 Serie B The 2004–05 Serie B is the 73rd season since its establishment in 1929. It is the second highest football league in Italy. Teams Arezzo, Catanzaro, Cesena and Crotone had been promoted from Serie C, while Perugia, Modena, and Empoli had been ...

season. He made one further appearance that season, in the last round. The following season, the 2005–06 season, the youngster made just one appearance, coming off the bench. In order to gain more playing time, he went out on loan to

for the 2006–07 season, where he made 24

Serie C1 Serie C1 was the third highest football league in Italy. It consisted of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions. History Before the 1978–79 season, there were only three professional football leagues in Italy, the third being Se ...

appearances that season. The following season he went out on loan once more, this time to

, who were then in Serie C1, and made 17 appearances for the side that season. The

2007–08 Serie B The 2007–08 Serie B regular season is the seventy-sixth since its establishment. It started on August 25, 2007, and ended with the promotion playoff final on June 15, 2008. At the end of the year, three teams were promoted to Serie A, the fir ...

season also saw the relegation of Cesena to the Lega Pro Prima Divisione (formerly the Serie C1).

Empoli

In June 2008, Cesena sold Valdifiori to

team

in a co-ownership deal for €520,000. The defensive midfielder immediately became an important part of the first team at Empoli, playing 32 games during the 2008–09 season, as Empoli achieved a Serie B playoff spot for promotion, but unfortunately lost out to

Brescia Brescia (, ; ; or ; ) is a city and (municipality) in the region of Lombardy, in Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, a few kilometers from the lakes Lake Garda, Garda and Lake Iseo, Iseo. With a population of 199,949, it is the se ...

over two legs. In June 2009 Empoli signed Valdifiori outright for another €800,000. The

2009–10 Serie B The 2009–10 Serie B season is the seventy-eighth edition since its establishment in 1929. Serie B is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega ...

season was similarly strong for Valdifiori, who made 36 appearances and even managed his first professional goal - the 2nd in a 2–0 win over his former side Cesena. In the

2010–11 Serie B The 2010–11 Serie B (known as the Serie bwin for sponsorship reasons) is the seventy-ninth season since its establishment in 1929, and the first one under the rule of the new Lega Serie B. A total of 22 teams contest the league, 15 of which retu ...

season, Valdifiori remained a vital part of the Empoli set up, appearing in 38 matches, including his 100th for Empoli which came against

Novara Novara (; Novarese Lombard, Novarese: ) is the capital city of the province of Novara in the Piedmont (Italy), Piedmont region in northwest Italy, to the west of Milan. With 101,916 inhabitants (on 1 January 2021), it is the second most populous ...

on the 8 April 2011. He also scored a career high two goals that season, with both of his strikes earning draws for his side. In the

2011–12 Serie B The 2011–12 Serie B (known as the Serie bwin for sponsorship reasons) was the eightieth season since its establishment in 1929. A total of 22 teams contested the league: 15 of these were returning from the 2010–11 season, four had been pro ...

season, the midfield maestro sat out for a long period of time, missing rounds 21–36 of the Serie B season due to injury. Empoli finished in the relegation playoff zone this season, but fortunately managed an aggregate 3–2 win over

Vicenza Vicenza ( , ; or , archaically ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, where it straddles the Bacchiglione, River Bacchiglione. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and e ...

to remain in Serie B the following season. Empoli had a successful

2012–13 Serie B The 2012–13 Serie B (known as the Serie bwin for sponsorship reasons) is the 81st season since its establishment in 1929. A total of 22 teams will contest the league: 16 of which returning from the 2011–12 season, 4 of which promoted from Le ...

season, surprising everyone by managing to turn around their form from the previous season, thanks to the presence of a healthy Valdifiori, whose presence throughout the season was vital to the team's performances. The holding midfielder made 42 appearances, scoring 1 goal and providing 6 assists. Empoli finished in the playoff spots and beat Novara in the first playoff round, but lost to

Livorno Livorno () is a port city on the Ligurian Sea on the western coast of the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of 152,916 residents as of 2025. It is traditionally known in English as Leghorn ...

in the following stage of the playoff, falling one step short of promotion to Serie A. Empoli finally achieved Serie A promotion during the

2013–14 Serie B The 2013–14 Serie B (known as the Serie B Eurobet for sponsorship reasons) was the 82nd season since its establishment in 1929. A total of 22 teams contested the league: 15 of which were returning from the 2012–13 Serie B, 2012–13 season, ...

season, which saw Valdifiori play a key part in the team's success, as he managed 8 assists in 40 appearances that season. In the

2014–15 Serie A The 2014–15 Serie A (known as the Serie A TIM for sponsorship reasons) was the 113th season of top-tier Italian football, the 83rd in a round-robin tournament, and the fifth since its organization under a league committee separate from Serie ...

season, Valdifiori finally made his

debut in a 2–0 loss to

Udinese Udinese Calcio (; "Udinese Football") is a professional football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy. The team currently competes in the Serie A, the first tier of Italian football. It was founded on 30 November 1896 as a sport ...

on the first match-day of the season. In the club's fourth-Round fixture against

A.C. Milan (), commonly referred to as Milan or AC Milan () mainly outside of Italy, is an Italian professional Football club (association football), football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Founded in 1899, the club competes in the Serie A, the top tie ...

, he was sent off after receiving two consecutive yellow cards in the 85th and 86th minute. In his Round 6 return against

Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...

, he assisted twice to help his side to a 3–0 win over Palermo, their first Serie A win that season. He captained Empoli for the first time in Round 19, in a 0–0 draw against

Internazionale Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Since 1 ...

Napoli

After having a very successful first season in the Italian top flight with Empoli, which saw him earn his first call up for the Italy national team by manager

Antonio Conte Antonio Conte (; born 31 July 1969) is an Italian professional Association football, football manager and former player who is currently the head coach of Serie A club Napoli. He is widely regarded as one of the best football managers in the wo ...

, Valdifiori officially joined

Napoli Naples ( ; ; ) is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its province-level municipality is the thir ...

on 20 June 2015 for a reported fee of €5.5 million, where he was reunited with his former Empoli coach

Maurizio Sarri Maurizio Sarri (; born 10 January 1959) is an Italian professional football manager who is currently manager of Serie A club Lazio. Sarri did not play football professionally, taking part as an amateur centre back and coach while working as a ba ...

, also becoming the manager's very first signing at the new club. Valdifiori signed a four-year contract which will earn him €900,000 a season.

Torino

On 31 August 2016, after having played as a starter for Napoli in the first round of the season, he was purchased outright by

Torino Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

SPAL

On 16 August 2018, Valdifiori signed with

side

SPAL Società Polisportiva Ars et Labor, commonly referred to by the acronym SPAL (), is a professional football club based in Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. During the 2024–25 season the team played in Serie C, the third tier of the Italian foot ...

Pescara

On 8 September 2020, Valdifiori signed with

club

Pescara Pescara (; ; ) is the capital city of the province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo Regions of Italy, region of Italy. It is the most populated city in Abruzzo, with 118,657 (January 1, 2023) residents (and approximately 350,000 including the surround ...

. On 14 January 2022, his contract with Pescara was terminated by mutual consent.

Vis Pesaro

On 12 November 2022, Valdifiori joined

Serie C The Serie C (), officially known as Serie C NOW for sponsorship purposes, is the third-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie B and Serie A. The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico (Lega Pro) is the governing ...

club

Vis Pesaro Vis Pesaro dal 1898 S.r.l., commonly referred to as Vis Pesaro, is an Italian association football club located in Pesaro, Marche. The club currently plays in Serie C. The team is the largest in the city and among the oldest in Italy. Vis Pesa ...

for the 2022–23 season.

International career

In March 2015, Valdifiori was called up by coach

to the

squad for the first time, for a Euro 2016 qualifier against

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

, and a friendly against

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. On 31 March 2015 he made his debut in the latter match against England, starting the 1–1 draw at the

Juventus Stadium Juventus Stadium (), known for sponsorship reasons as the Allianz Stadium since July 2017, sometimes simply known in Italy as the Stadium (), is an all-seater football stadium in the Vallette borough of Turin, Italy, and the home of Juventus ...

Turin Turin ( , ; ; , then ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. The city is main ...

, and making way for

Marco Verratti Marco Verratti (; born 5 November 1992) is an Italian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Qatar Stars League club Al-Arabi SC (Qatar), Al-Arabi. A technically gifted playmaker, Verratti began his ...

after 67 minutes.

Style of play

A creative, right-footed

central midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an Glossary of association football terms#O, outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in t ...

with good vision, Valdifiori's preferred role is as a

deep-lying playmaker In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...

in front of the

defence Defense or defence may refer to: Tactical, martial, and political acts or groups * Defense (military), forces primarily intended for warfare * Civil defense, the organizing of civilians to deal with emergencies or enemy attacks * Defense indust ...

, where he is able to utilise his passing ability to set the tempo of his team's play, and create scoring opportunities for team-mates. Although he is not known for scoring goals, he is an accurate set-piece taker, renowned for his ball delivery from free-kicks. His style of play is inspired by

Andrea Pirlo Andrea Pirlo (; born 19 May 1979) is an Italian association football, football manager (association football), manager and former professional player. Considered one of the greatest Midfielder (association football)#Deep-lying playmaker, mi ...

Career statistics

Club

International

References

External links

Football.it Profile
* *
La Gazzetta dello Sport Profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Valdifiori, Mirko 1986 births Footballers from the Province of Ravenna Living people Italian men's footballers Italy men's international footballers Men's association football midfielders Serie A players Serie B players Serie C players AC Cesena players AC Pavia 1911 SSD players AC Legnano players Empoli FC players SSC Napoli players Torino FC players SPAL players Delfino Pescara 1936 players Vis Pesaro dal 1898 players 21st-century Italian sportsmen