the squad for the upcoming Euro 2012 qualifiers as an injury replacement for Claudio Marchisio. Style of play Luca Cigarini usually plays as a deep-lying playmaker in midfield, although he is also capable of playing as a central midfielder. He is mostly known for his ability to orchestrate his team's attacking moves, courtesy of his technical qualities and precise long passing. As a youngster, he was nicknamed il Professore (The Professor) by Cesare Prandelli, his Parma youth manager at the time, due to his playmaking abilities and intelligent reading of the game. The Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport has also stated that Cigarini has a similar vision of the game to that of fellow Italian midfielder Andrea Pirlo. Career statistics Club Honours Italy U21 UEFA European Under-21 Championship bronze:2009 References External links Player profile on Napoli's official website Luca Cigarini National Team Stats at FIGC.it Living people 1986 births Sportspeople from the Province of Reggio Emilia Association football midfielders Italian footballers Italy youth international footballers Italy under-21 international footballers Italian expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in Spain Italian expatriate sportspeople in Spain Olympic footballers of Italy Footballers at the 2008 Summer Olympics Parma Calcio 1913 players A.S. Sambenedettese players Atalanta B.C. players U.C. Sampdoria players S.S.C. Napoli players Sevilla FC players Cagliari Calcio players F.C. Crotone players A.C. Reggiana 1919 players Serie A players Serie C players La Liga players Footballers from Emilia-Romagna