Alessandro Circati

Alessandro Circati (born 10 October 2003) is a professional footballer who plays as a central defender for Serie A club Parma. Born in Italy and a former youth international for Italy, he plays for the Australian national team.

Early life
Circati was born in Fidenza, Italy, to Gianfranco Circati, who was a professional footballer. Born in the province of Parma and Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, his grandparents resided in Salsomaggiore Terme and orignated from the region. Circati moved to Perth, Australia at the age of one. As a youth during school, Circati played football and rugby league, although focussed more on the former as he was "okay" at rugby. He attended Servite College during high school and idolised Paolo Maldini. Circati began his football career at Perth SC until the age of 14 when he moved to the academy system of Perth Glory.

Perth Glory
Circati played for Perth Glory in the National Premier Leagues (NPL) youth competitions in Western Australia. Since joining in 2017, he was part of the under-20s team that claimed the league title and the State League Reserves Cup in the 2019 season, winning the cup final against Cockburn City at Dorrien Gardens.

Circati played for the NPL senior squad mid-season of 2019 and scored his first senior goal against Sorrento FC on 15 July 2019. He also played in the A-League Youth competition for Perth Glory although his side finished last by the end of the campaign with no wins. By the end of the 2020 season, Circati received Most Glorious Youth Player Award by Perth Glory at the club's award ceremony, recognising his performances whilst playing with the academy.

Parma
Circati underwent trials with several European clubs, including Leicester and Reading in England, where he spent three months before having to move on due to the complications brought about by Brexit. According to reports, Leicester was considering making an offer to the young player, but due to his Italian passport and young age, finalising a deal proved to be difficult. Influenced from his father and the connection to his hometown, Circati joined Parma on 10 March 2021 after a successful trial period with the club. On 10 January 2022, Circati was announced to have signed his first professional contract, a two-year contract expiring in 2024, with Parma.

Displaying consistent performances in the youth sector, Circati was promoted to train with the first team, sharing a dressing room with experienced Italian international Gianluigi Buffon, who served as a mentor to him when he first joined the club. On 26 February 2022, Circati made his professional debut for Parma, starting and keeping a clean sheet in a 4–0 win against SPAL in Serie B. In the 2021–22 season, he made a total of 6 league appearances and 2 assists in the games against Cosenza and Alessandria. On 8 June, Circati renewed his contract with Parma, tying him with the club until the end of the 2026–27 season. In the 2022–23 season, Circati made 17 appearances for Parma across all competitions.

Circati scored his first professional goal on 24 September 2023 in a 1–1 draw to Sampdoria, extending Parma's 16-game unbeaten streak during the 2023–24 Serie B season. In that season, Parma earned promotion to Serie A, the first time since the 2020–21 season, and progressed to the Round of 16 in the Coppa Italia. Circati made 32 appearances and one goal across all competitions.

Italy
Circati, being of dual Australian and Italian nationality, received offers from both countries to represent them in international football. In March 2022, Circati was selected by Italy U20 for two friendly matches against Germany and Norway. On 28 March, he made his debut against Norway as a starter and helped keep a clean sheet in a 5–0 win for the Azzurri. In September 2022, he was called up to the Italy U21 alongside Australian-born player Cristian Volpato. He was an unused substitute in the friendly against Japan on 26 September 2022.

Australia
On 6 June 2023, after talks with Graham Arnold and a phone call with his family, Circati made the decision to represent Australia rather than Italy, rejecting the Gli Azzurrini call-up to their youth team. He was added to the 23-man squad set to play against Argentina in Beijing, and was settled into the squad by Mathew Ryan. However, Circati was an unused substitute in two friendlies with the Socceroos, sitting on the bench in the matches against Argentina and Mexico (on 12 September).

Circati made his debut on 18 October 2023 in a friendly match against New Zealand at Brentford Community Stadium. He played a part in the opening goal scored by Harry Souttar and kept a clean sheet in the process as Australia won 2–0 over their rivals. Circati made his competitive debut on 11 June 2024 in a 5–0 win against Palestine in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.

Honours
Parma
 * Serie B: 2023–24