Franco Tongya
Franco Daryl Tongya Heubang (born 1 May 2002) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for French club Marseille II. Club career. Early career. Born in Turin, Italy, to Cameroonian parents, Tongya began his youth career at Brandizzo when he was about four years old, before moving to Juventus' youth sector in 2009 aged seven. In 2016–17 he captained the under-15 side, helping them win the league title. Tongya made his Serie C debut for Juventus U23 – the reserve team of Juventus – on 28 September 2020, in a 2–1 win over Pro Sesto. He played  10 league games in the first half of the 2020–21 season. Marseille. On 28 January 2021, Tongya joined Ligue 1 Marseille in a deal worth €8 million, with Marley Aké moving to Juventus for the same fee. He made his debut for the reserve team in the Championnat National 2 on 27 February, as a starter in a 0–0 draw against Rumilly-Vallières. International career. Tongya has represented Italy internationally from under-16 to under-19 levels. He played for the under-17 side at the 2019 UEFA European Under-17 Championship, playing five games and scoring Italy's winning goal in the  semi-finals against Portugal; Italy eventually lost the final to the Netherlands. Tongya also took part at the 2019 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil; he played as a starter in all five games and scored a goal in the group stage against the Solomon Islands. Italy were knocked out by hosts Brazil in the quarter-finals. Style of play. Mainly a half-winger (), Tongya is also capable of playing as an attacking midfielder, or as a winger. He initially started out as a forward, before moving to the midfield. Tongya is a dynamic player, with a good tactical intelligence  and technical ability. Personal life. Tongya cited Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo as a point of reference in 2020. Honours. Juventus Italy U17