Matteo Ruggeri

Matteo Ruggeri
Ruggeri playing for Atalanta in 2017
Personal information
Full name Matteo Ruggeri[1]
Date of birth (2002-07-11) 11 July 2002
Place of birth San Giovanni Bianco, Italy
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position Left-back
Team information
Current team
 Aston Villa
Number 13
Youth career
2011–2020 Atalanta
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2020–2025 Atalanta 85 (0)
2021–2022 → Salernitana (loan) 14 (0)
2025–2026 Atlético Madrid 26 (0)
2026– Aston Villa 1 (0)
International career‡
2018–2019 Italy U17 16 (0)
2019–2020 Italy U18 9 (0)
2020 Italy U19 1 (0)
2021–2022 Italy U20 3 (0)
2022–2025 Italy U21 16 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Italy
UEFA European Under-17 Championship
Runner-up2019 Ireland
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 16:13, 23 August 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 22 June 2025

Matteo Ruggeri (Italian pronunciation: [matˈtɛ.o rudˈd͡ʒɛ.ri]; born 11 July 2002) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Premier League club Aston Villa.

Ruggeri is a product of the Atalanta academy and went on to make over 100 appearances for the side, including winning the 2023–24 UEFA Europa League where he was named in the 2023–24 Europa League Team of the Season. He transferred to Atlético Madrid in July 2025.

He has played for Italy at multiple youth team levels, most recently for Italy U21s. Ruggeri was called into the senior Italy squad for the first time in March 2025 but is yet to make his debut.

Club career

Atalanta

Matteo Ruggeri grew up in Zogno, Lombardy, Italy, where he started playing football, before joining Atalanta's youth sector in 2011.[2] He made his professional debut for Atalanta on 3 November 2020, coming on as a substitute in the 81st minute in a UEFA Champions League group stage match against Liverpool, which Atalanta lost 5–0 at home.[3] Five days later, he made his Serie A debut in a 1–1 home draw against Inter.[4]

Loan to Salernitana

On 27 July 2021, Ruggeri joined newly-promoted Serie A club Salernitana on a season-long loan.[5]

Return to Atalanta

On 22 May 2024, Ruggeri started in Atalanta's 3–0 victory over German champions Bayer Leverkusen in the 2024 UEFA Europa League final.[6]

Atlético Madrid

On 1 July 2025, Ruggeri joined La Liga side Atlético Madrid, signing a five-year contract.[7]

Aston Villa

On 19 August 2026, Ruggeri signed for Premier League club Aston Villa for an undisclosed transfer fee,[8] reported to be around £17 million.[9]

International career

In March 2025, following regular appearances at multiple youth team levels, he was called up to the senior Italy squad for the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League quarter-final matches against Germany on 20 and 23 March 2025.[10]

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 23 August 2026[11]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Atalanta 2020–21 Serie A 6000—2[b]0—80
2022–23 Serie A 15000———150
2023–24 Serie A 34040—10[c]2—482
2024–25 Serie A 30000—6[b]02[d]0380
Total 85040—182201092
Salernitana (loan) 2021–22 Serie A 14010———150
Atlético Madrid 2025–26 La Liga 26050—15[b]01[e]0470
Aston Villa 2026–27 Premier League 10000000—10
Career total 126010000332301722
  1. ↑ Includes Coppa Italia, Copa del Rey
  2. 1 2 3 Appearances in UEFA Champions League
  3. ↑ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  4. ↑ One appearance in UEFA Super Cup, one appearance in Supercoppa Italiana
  5. ↑ Appearance in Supercopa de España

Honours

Atalanta

Atlético Madrid

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "FIFA U-17 World Cup Brazil 2019: List of Players: Italy" (PDF). FIFA. 31 October 2019. p. 12. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 December 2019.
  2. ↑ Rinaldi, Leandro (24 May 2019). "Matteo Ruggeri, dalla Zognese agli azzurrini: 'mi ispiro a Spinazzola sognando la serie A'". La voce delle valli (in Italian). Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  3. ↑ "Incubo Liverpool a Bergamo, Atalanta travolta 5-0". Sky Sport (in Italian). 3 November 2020. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  4. ↑ Pegoraro, Paolo (8 November 2020). "Serie A: Atalanta-Inter, pagelle: Lautaro e Miranchuk, che numeri". Eurosport (in Italian). Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  5. ↑ "Ufficiale – Matteo Ruggeri è un nuovo calciatore della Salernitana" (in Italian). Tutto Salernitana. 27 July 2021.
  6. ↑ Wilson, Jonathan (22 March 2024). "Atalanta win Europa League as Lookman hat-trick ends Leverkusen's unbeaten run". The Guardian.
  7. ↑ "Welcome, Matteo Ruggeri!". Atlético Madrid. 1 July 2025.
  8. ↑ "Matteo Ruggeri signing confirmed". Aston Villa Football Club. 19 August 2026. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  9. ↑ Townley, John (19 August 2026). "Aston Villa complete £17m transfer for full-back". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 19 August 2026.
  10. ↑ "Italia, operazione rimonta. Spalletti: "Se avremo lo stesso comportamento di giovedì, il risultato sarà diverso"" (in Italian). Italian Football Federation. 22 March 2025. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
  11. ↑ "M. Ruggeri". Soccerway. Retrieved 22 August 2022.
  12. ↑ "Atalanta 3-0 Leverkusen: Lookman treble brings UEFA Europa League glory to Bergamo". UEFA. Union of European Football Associations. 22 May 2024. Retrieved 23 May 2024.
  13. ↑ "Atalanta 1-2 Juventus: Federico Chiesa goal wins Coppa Italia for Andrea Pirlo's Juve". BBC Sport. 19 May 2021. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  14. ↑ "Juventus 1-0 Atalanta: Juve win a record 15th Coppa Italia". BBC Sport. 15 May 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
  15. ↑ "Atletico Madrid 2-2 Real Sociedad (3-4 on pens): Sociedad triumph to win fourth Copa del Rey title". BBC Sport. 18 April 2026. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  16. ↑ "2023/24 UEFA Europa League Team of the Season". UEFA. Union of European Football Associations. 24 May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
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