On the 9th of November 2004, in a Carling Cup clash with Everton, Arsène Wenger handed a chance to a small, scrawny, long haired striker. A reputation of being a deadly finisher for the Reserves has earned the prospect a chance to impress in the big time. He took it – with two fine goals in a 3-1 win. An apparent star was born.
His 45 goals in 22 games for former employers Parma means the name ‘Arturo Lupoli’ is in the Italian Youth history books as one of the biggest tallies ever recorded. He completed the 2004-2005 season with 27 goals in 32 appearances. His partnership with Nicklas Bendtner also brought a bag full of assists.
A loan to Derby County in 2006 was a chance for Lupoli to get key experience. He scored 7 goals in 35 games but with his contract set to expire at the end of the campaign, Arsenal moved to offer the striker an extension. A fresh two year deal was put on the table. Italian outfit Fiorentina made him a longer and improved offer, and after Wenger refused to match it, Arturo turned his back on the Gunners and agreed a pre-contract with the Viola. A small amount of compensation changed hands.
After a spell on the bench, a loan move to Treviso proved to be less than fruitful. Soon a return to England was sealed. Loans with Norwich City and then Sheffield United saw him improve, slowly. Arturo then fired a warning shot to Wenger and told the English media he would prove Arsenal wrong and fire the Blades into the Premier League. Come the end of the season, United didn’t offer him a deal and, with his tail firmly between his legs, Lupoli returned to Italy.
The 22-year-old effectively burned his bridges with Fiorentina who were keen to sell, and quickly. They eventually agreed a co-ownership/swap deal with Serie B side Ascoli for Francesco Di Tacchio. A selection of mixed performances have followed, with Lupoli looking a shadow of the potential he once showed.
It was a real shame, i remember seeing him play a few times for the reserves at barnet and as mentioned his finishing always stood out, i remember Henry praising him a few for it. Als i heard he couldn’t really settle in england (hear that quite a lot!!) not sure if that had a factor, being he came back again, but i suppose some players just dont have the mentallity to step up to first team football week in week out. Thanks for the update.
this is man was very promising and had bright future, but his decission to leave arsenal for small change ruined his future.
I was rating him better than Bendtner in-terms of finishing but look at bendtner now, he is the main arsenal and Denmark Striker.
Cheers Jay. Strangely I only went to look him up the other day, thinking he was still with Fiorentina. Further proof is ever it was needed to never to take anything for granted. I remember thinking at the time of his breakthrough that he might be our long awaited fox in the box. He’s still young enough to prove me wrong but seems a wasted talent.
Arturo Lupoli’s is a sad story and not the first. Indeed he reminds me a bit of Francis Jeffers. Any player is a risk and not all make it to the top. Look at the Rooney’s for example, Wayne right at the top and his two brothers languishing in the lower divisions.
Sanderson I have a chart here of the Barcelona and Arsenal squads. It compares the squads with the age at which the players joined up. I feel it might interest your readers!
AGE AT JOINING CLUB BARCELONA and ARSENAL
9 BOJAN WILSHERE
1O VALDEZ PIQUE
12 INIESTA
13 MESSI
15 GIBBS
16 SUAREZ FABREGAS WALCOTT TRAORE BENDTNER
VELA(ON LOAN UNTIL AGE 18)
17 PUYOL XAVI BUSQUETS PEDRO DJOUROU MERIDA
18 SENDEROS DENILSON RAMSEY CLICHY MANNONE
SONG (ON LOAN UNTIL AGE 19)
20 DIABY
21 VAN PERSIE NASRI
22 EBOUE FABIANSKI
23 CHYGRYNSKIY
24 MARQUEZE TOURE SAGNA EDUARDO VERMAELEN
25 ALVES
26 ROSICKY
27 MILITO ALMUNIA
28 IBRAHIMOVIC MAXWELL ABIDAL KEITA ARSHAVIN
30 HENRY
31 SILVESTRE
33 PINTO
36 CAMPBELL (SECOND SPELL)
Nice one Kenyan. Makes for interesting reading. Hopefully in a couple of years we can rival that, I’m think JET, Afobe, Aneke, Wilshere, Lansbury etc.
I think particularly when you are trying to endow a footballing philosophy its important the player comes at a young age. These kids will have Arsenal DNA just as Bojan, Messi and Iniesta have at Barca.
Great stat.
http://www.tribalfootball.com/arsenal-beat-barcelona-belgian-whizkid-dennis-praet-764951…
Photo credit J…been here before.
Yh who is denis praet? His he a winger?
For gods SAKES NOT ANOTHER CENTRAL MIDFIELDER.
I read an interview of him couple of years back, where he said his greatest regret ‘was leaving Arsenal’. He wanted to rejoin but knew that it was hopeless.
YG who is this dennis Praet ?
finally found some info on this kid he’s just became a 16 year old and is an AM with very good feet and is a belgian.
He plays for RC Genk
http://www.football-talents.co.uk/Dennis_Praet-3_7-23400-2.html
not a bad signing by any means since we beat barca to his signature
J, Can you do a article on young Dennis please? – here is a picture http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=1023884259&ref=search&sid=1544816513.18264719..1
I remember when him and Bendtner were carving up the reserves. They made a very good combo. Rarely did a game go past where neither would score. Then the loan moves came.
Bendtner seemed to flourish with first-team football while Lupoli just didn’t seem to improve. Shame, cos I really thought he would go on to do something.
Aussie Gunner bendtner was sensational at reserves level. He probably created all of lupolis goal.
What i liked about bendtner was his dribbling. He would pick the ball up from the half way line go past 3 o 4 players slip a pass through or get a shot in. He always had that great touch, pace, directness.
you watch him now he looks a shadonw of the player it really hacks me off when ppl say he slow, rubbish, cant do anything else aprt from head the ball. He just hasnt showed what hes capable of doing. Maybe its the premeiership it takes time for players to adjust but i think hes getting better but he do so much more
hey he scored nearly in all last games!!! He will get even better!! In denmarks national team he is their main-striker. But I am glad RVP is back. He will help us to get the title!!! Its chelski or we!!
I think that just shows the massive level you have to step up from reserves to first team, let alone youth to first team. I think many ppl think this is the 80’s/90’s where players could make the transition effortlessly. Just doesn’t happen these days cos of the massive increase in quality and improvement in fitness. Even the worst teams in the EPL have very fit, well disciplined players, which wasn’t always the case.
Anyway, I have been pleasantly surprised by Bendtner and Eboue this season. When you think about it Bendtner’s only had one bad game since he took over the CF starting spot (the Burnley game). He has even performed in Europe having a goal and assist against Barca and banging in 3 against Porto. And I’m not the only one who thinks so, he was named player of the month on the Arsenal website and the way he is going he may repeat the effort for April!
Many ppl think that any tall player would be banging in the goals for us just because we create so much and while they have a point (to an extent) the fact he comes wide to receive the ball and can dribble passed players into the box just shows he’s not some one-dimensional player. While I’m excited for us to get Chamakh (if the rumours are true) in a way I would love to see what Bendtner could do if he was given 2500-3000 mins in a season.
Hi J mate!! Is there any truth in this story? Do you know this kid?
http://www.sport.co.uk/news/Football/36771/Wenger_trumps_Barca_in_race_to_sign_Belgian_ace.aspx
thought he was gonna be amazing..shows how the grass isnt always greener on the other side..
Always interested to see what happened to our younger players who never made it. Who’s next? David Noble? lol
nice article.can you write one about best talents we lost(like barcelona-fabregas)?
I remember a time thinking Arturo was the real deal. How times change eh? Says a lot about looking brilliant amongst a load of other teenagers but actually being able to cut it at the highest level.
Belgium r goin to hav a realy good team in de future like what Holland hav at the moment
Kenyan si henry alijoin akiwa 21 si 30? Translation(didnt henry join arsenal at 21 and not 30)
That is referring to the age he went to Barca.
David Gunner he means he joined Barcelona when he was 30
Note that in my list only five of Barca’s first team joined the club before the age of 13. Of these two are not from barcelona. Iniesta from Madrid and Messi from Argentina. The FA rules would have prevented Arsenal from getting a player like Iniesta given a similar distance from London as for Barcelona to Madrid. A Messi would have been next to impossible. And yet our academy appears to be rivaling theirs in the new generation players like Lansbury and Emmanuel-Thomas. If these two were to make it to the first team we’d already equal their three of Bojan, Pique and Valdez in Wilshere, Lansbury and Emmanuel-Thomas. If we hadn’t lost Ashley Cole we’d actually be ahead of them. Don’t forget Chuks Aneke, Benki Afobe etc who also look very promising!
The next generation is when young players can actually change clubs as young professionals at age 16. Though Gibbs came at age 15 he falls into this class as he actually left a Wimbledon that had gone bust. Here one sees that Barcelona poaches players just as we poached Cesc off them. Their captain Puyol probably the standout figure. In this range of 15 to 17 years Barca gets 5 players to our 7. Note that this is also the age set of Freeman, Bartley and Nordtveit, also likely to make the first team.
And whereas we got 10 players joining us between the age of 18 to 22, Barca’s is zero. Restricting myself to youth players – this is a blog for young players after all – it shows that we have a youth setup that is equal if not better than Barca’s. Me thinks that we are very close to reaping the benefits of our youth programme.
Do you guys still think Wilshere shouldn’t go to Bolton :). I always thought it’s the perfect place (because of the manager), and so every day Coyle says something about WIlshere, and plays him regularly…..couldn’t be better :D
Lupoli would have improved if he had stayed with arsenal .
he would have developed under arsene wenger . like he has done for Bentner, gibbs,wilshere
fabrigas .
I think merida is also going the way of Lupoli as he has not signed ana extension at arsenal.
Lupoli’s story reminds me of Flammini who was such a great player for arsenal now he is warming the bench at Milano .
as owen coyle said, wilshere for the world cup
football just like life is mostly about decisions, you join the right club at the right time and get the right manager behind you and there you go but a vice versa situation and you are heading for trouble.. looking at lupoli and bentner when they were coming up, you would have bet your last penny he would have been a much better success story…..
stay still kids or you’re heading for trouble