Andrea Natali (born 28 January 2008) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back or defensive midfielder for Eredivisie club AZ.
Early life
Natali was born in Milan, Italy and moved to Spain with his family as a child.
Club career
He started playing football at the age of six when he joined the youth academy of Bologna, the club where his father played from 2012 to 2014. In the summer of 2014, he joined Brera and after a few seasons with the Neroverdi, he moved abroad, first to Spain and then to England.
Natali joined the youth academy of La Liga side Barcelona at the age of thirteen, after playing in the youth academy of Udinese and AC Milan's youth academy. He has been described as "one of the most promising defenders in the Blaugrana youth team".
On 26 June 2024, Natali joined Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen.
On 4 September 2025, he moved to the Netherlands and joined Eredivisie club AZ on a one-year loan, initially assigned to the under-21 team. On 28 July 2026, he joined AZ on a permanent deal, signing a contract until 2031.
International career Natali is an Italy youth international, having represented the under-15, under-16, under-17, under-19 and under-20s. He captained the U15s.
With the U17 side he won the 2024 UEFA European Under-17 Championship.
Style of play
Natali mainly operates as a defender and has been described as "stood out for his driving and quality in passing".
Personal life
Natali is the son of Italian former footballer Cesare Natali. He has four siblings.
Honours Italy U17 UEFA European Under-17 Championship: 2024
Individual UEFA European Under-19 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2026
References