Giovanni Simeone
Giovanni Pablo Simeone Baldini (; born 5 July 1995) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Hellas Verona, on loan from club Cagliari. Nicknamed "El Cholito" (), he is the son of Diego Simeone. Early life. The son of former Argentine international footballer Diego Simeone and Carolina Baldini, Giovanni Simeone was born in Madrid, Spain, while his father was playing for Atlético Madrid. His family moved to Italy in 1997, but later returned to Spain in 2003 following his father's career club changes. Two years later he moved to Argentina, and joined River Plate 's youth setup in 2008 when his father was appointed coach of the first team. He has two younger brothers, Gianluca and Giuliano, both footballers. Club career. River Plate. After progressing through the youth ranks, Simeone signed a three-year professional deal with the club in November 2011. In July 2013, he was called up by the main squad for the pre-season; Simeone made his league debut on 4 August 2013, starting and playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 away defeat against Gimnasia La Plata. Later that month he renewed his contract, signing until 2016. Simeone scored  his first professional goal on 8 September, netting the second of a 3–0 home win against Tigre. Loan to Banfield. On 6 July 2015, Simeone joined fellow Argentine Primera División side Banfield on a season-long loan deal. On 12 July 2015, he scored the match-winning goal on his debut in a 1–0 victory against Quilmes. Genoa. On 18 August 2016, Simeone signed for Italian club Genoa for €3 million. He scored his first goal, on his first start for the club, in a 1–1 draw with Pescara on 25 September 2016. On 27 November, Simeone netted a  brace in Genoa 3–1 win over Serie A leaders Juventus. Fiorentina. Among speculation of Atlético Madrid's interest in signing the young player to be coached by his father Diego Simeone, Giovanni signed with Serie A club Fiorentina on 16 August 2017, for an undisclosed fee. On 29 April 2018, Simeone scored his first hat-trick in Fiorentina's 3–0 league win against Napoli. Cagliari. On 30 August 2019, Simeone joined Cagliari on a year-long loan deal from Fiorentina, including an obligatory purchase clause at the end of the period. On 1 September, he made his debut in a  2–1 defeat against Inter Milan. Simeone's first goal came on 15 September, in a 3–1 win against Parma. After an inconsistent first part of the season, he scored in four consecutive games upon returning from the COVID-19 lockdown; he finished the seasons with 12 goals overall. In the following season, Simeone scored a brace in a 3–2 win against Torino; he ended the 2020–21 season with six goals scored. Hellas Verona. On 26 August 2021, Simeone joined Serie A side Hellas Verona on a season-long loan deal with an option to make the deal permanent. On 24 October , he scored all four goals in a 4–1 win over Lazio. It was his second hat-trick in Serie A, and both came against sides managed by Maurizio Sarri. On 30 October, Simeone netted two goals against Juventus, for the second time in his career, as Verona won 2–1. International career. Simeone holds both Argentine and Spanish nationality, but represents Argentina internationally. Capped for Argentina at under-20 level, Simeone finished as top scorer at the 2015 South American Youth Football Championship, helping Argentina win its fifth title in the competition. On 8 September 2018, Simeone scored on his senior international  debut, in a 3–0 friendly win over Guatemala in Los Angeles. He was part of a team that won the friendly Adidas Cup against Mexico in November 2018. Style of play. Simeone is an elegant yet powerful and opportunistic forward with an eye for goal, who is capable of playing anywhere along the front line; although he has been deployed as a second striker, he has also been used in a central role as a main striker, and is a competent and efficient finisher with both feet, despite being naturally right footed. A tenacious and energetic player, he is known  for his work-rate and defensive contribution off the ball, and often drops into midfield in order to help his team win back possession. He is also known for his speed and intelligent attacking movement, which enables him to create space and provide depth for his team. Regarded as a promising young player, he also possesses good technical skills, as well as flair and finesse on the ball, and is capable of linking-up with his teammates and bringing other forwards into play. Personal life. On 1 January 2014, aged 18, Simeone obtained Spanish citizenship. On 25 November 2020, Simeone  tested positive for COVID-19, amid its pandemic in Italy. Honours. River Plate Argentina U20 Individual