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Marco Libra Alvarado makes Serie A debut
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- Marco Libra Alvarado makes Serie A debut
Marco Libra Alvarado makes Serie A debut
Yesterday's 2-2 draw with Sassuolo brought several firsts: Piccoli and Dovbyk's first goals for the Club, Mbangula's debut and Marco Libra Alvarado's first Serie A appearance. The midfielder, who came through our Youth Sector, replaced Jens Odgaard at the start of the second half and played his part in the Rossoblù comeback.
Born in Caracas, Venezuela, on 21 March 2008 and an Italian-Venezuelan citizen, Marco stands 179.5 cm tall and weighs 71.1 kg. A versatile midfielder, he became the first player from his age group to represent Bologna 's First Team. On his top-flight debut, he displayed personality, maturity and composure even when the game was at its most intense, contributing to the equaliser that made it 2-2. His individual statistics included 19 completed passes, two tackles and three recoveries: impressive numbers for a player taking his first steps in senior football.
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His journey in Rossoblù began in 2021, when he joined Bologna at Under-13 level and immediately won the regional title. He continued to progress season after season before making his breakthrough last term. Having begun the campaign with Luigi Della Rocca 's Under-18s, he was subsequently promoted to Stefano Morrone 's Primavera side, making 31 appearances and scoring once. He then received a call-up from Venezuela Head Coach Oswaldo Vizcarrondo for the senior side's friendlies against Türkiye and Iraq.
It was an unforgettable experience, with Libra featuring in both matches before immediately returning to Italy for the Under-18 Scudetto semi-final against Roma in Cesena. Della Rocca introduced him in the second half and Libra responded in the best way possible, scoring to make it 2-0 and helping Bologna reach the final, where they were beaten by Inter .
His progress continued into the summer. Selected by Domenico Tedesco as one of the Primavera players joining the pre-season camp, Libra remained a regular part of the First Team group, with Tedesco closely monitoring his development. Last Friday, the coach watched him from the stands at the Granarolo Youth Center as he played alongside his peers against Inter – almost as if to say: "Be ready." Two days later, his debut arrived.
Tedesco brought him on against Sassuolo to add greater attacking threat, and Marco responded with an assured display, immediately putting himself at the service of the team and contributing to the equaliser. The opportunity reflected the faith the coach has placed in him since taking charge and gave Libra his first taste of senior football at club level.
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"Libra's continued development is testament to the pathway we have followed in recent years," said Emanuele Marchetti, Youth Sector General Coordinator. "Over the past season, he progressed from the Under-18s to the First Team while also gaining valuable senior international experience with Venezuela. We are delighted for him. He deserves it because his qualities are beyond question and he has the right attitude towards his work. Massimo Pessina and Ukko Happonen are also currently part of the senior group and, when we consider the other young players who attended the summer training camp, we can be satisfied with the strong bond continuing to develop between the Youth Sector and the First Team."
"Marco is a modern and highly technical midfielder. Training alongside the senior players and gaining minutes in matches will only benefit him," said Luigi Piangerelli, Youth Sector Technical Director. "He is currently an example for all the other boys in our academy, but we must remember that he still has plenty of room to develop. With Domenico Tedesco's support, we have no doubt that he will do so. Yesterday's debut was undoubtedly a source of pride for the entire Club, from the scouting department that brought him to Bologna to the coaching staff who have guided his development."
