Name: Gianluca De Ponti
Nickname: "Gil", "Figlio delle stelle"
Country:
ItalyClub: A.C. Cesena (1975-1977), Bologna F.C. (1977-1978), U.S. Avellino (1978-1980)
Position: *CF, (optional WF)
Side: LF/BS
Age: 24-28 years (14/07/1952)
Height: 177 cm
Weight: 72 kg
Attack: 82
Defence: 45
Balance: 77
Stamina: 83
Top Speed: 77
Acceleration: 78
Response: 84
Agility: 81
Dribble Accuracy: 72
Dribble Speed: 74
Short Pass Accuracy: 71
Short Pass Speed: 72
Long Pass Accuracy: 75
Long Pass Speed: 73
Shot Accuracy: 77
Shot Power: 80
Shot Technique: 79
Free Kick Accuracy: 60
Curling: 63
Header: 82
Jump: 76
Technique: 75
Aggression: 85
Mentality: 73
Goalkeeper Skills: 50
Team Work: 73
Injury Tolerance: B
Condition: 6
Weak Foot Accuracy: 5
Weak Foot Frequency: 4
Consistency: 5
Growth type: Early/Peak
CARDS:
P16 - Fox in the Box
P18 - Track Back
S01 - 1-touch Play
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Positioning - Reaction - 1-touch Play
Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Attack Minded
INFO:
De Ponti is a former centre forward and occasionally a winger. He played for a few clubs in minor leagues from 1970 to 1975 before rising from Serie C immediately to Serie A when he joined Cesena, where he stayed for two seasons, scoring 10 goals in 34 matches. Then he had a good season at Bologna with 7 goals in 25 games and two other good years at Avellino with 71 appearances and 19 goals. After spells at Sampdoria, Ascoli, Bologna again, Massese and the Maltese club Żurrieq, he retired in 1986.
De Ponti was mainly a reactive in-box striker who waited for the ball to hit it with a header − which was his specialty. When he was left alone and didn't receive any pass, he couldn't be efficient at all. He could also score some acrobatic goals thanks to a good mobility. He wasn't a practical player but he had a good crossing ability − unusual for his position. For this reason, he could be occasionally moved to the flank. He didn't dislike to create his own chances sometimes, for example taking the ball in the midfield and pushing forward with it. In an interview, De Ponti described himself as a mediocre player, acrobatic and fancy but definitely not a great scorer, mostly because he often tracked back to help in the midfield.
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