Leonardo Pavoletti has decided to end his career as a footballer, announcing his choice through a letter in which he explains the reasons for this difficult, but necessary, decision. The player, now waiting to understand whether the future will take him to a sporting director position, will focus on spending time with his family and begin studying for the new role.
Pavoletti began his career in Livorno, where he had the opportunity to play with the greats under the guidance of Armando Picchi, a name that undoubtedly recalls his hometown. He subsequently moved to Viareggio, then to Pavia and Sassuolo, the club with which he won promotion to Serie A in 2012. During his career he also played on loan for Juve Stabia, Casale and above all Virtus Lanciano, where he stood out with 15 goals. After making his Serie A debut in August 2013, he was loaned to Varese in September, where he scored 24 goals in 38 appearances. In January 2015 he moved to Genoa, where in two years he scored 23 goals, attracting the attention of Napoli, who paid 18 million euros for his contract in January 2017.
Her adventure in Naples was not particularly fruitful, but it took her to Sardinia. Cagliari bought him in August of the same year and there he began his second and most profitable career adventure. Relentless with his head and often decisive in the final stages of matches, he tore his cruciate in 2019 and returned to the field only a year later. Relegation and the decisive injury-time goal in the promotion playoff against Bari in June 2023 marked the end of an important chapter. In total, Pavoletti played 9 seasons in Sardinia, with 231 appearances and 53 goals scored.