Sebastien De Maio’s career thus far

Born in Saint-Denis (France) on March 5 1987, Sebastien De Maio is a defender who first played within the youth ranks of Auxerre, shortly switching to Louhans-Cuiseaux soon after. In 2005, he earned a move to French side Nancy, before he was then signed by Brescia on a permanent deal back in 2006. This Italian transfer led to an initial introduction to the Primavera side, with his full Serie B debut coming on June 17 2007 in a match between Rimini and Brescia (2-0). During 2007-08 he spent the season on loan with Celano Marsica, before then returning to the Brescia first team the following season. Problems arose in the Autumn of 2009, as a broken ankle kept De Maio out for a total of 10 weeks. Recuperation from injury soon led to an additional loan stint with Celano Marsica, during which he made a total of 12 appearances for the Italian club. The player returned to Brescia to make his Serie A debut on September 19 2010, coming on for the final few minutes of a 1-0 win over Chievo Verona. In January 2011 he returned to Serie B through a loan move to Frosinone.

The player was snapped up by Genoa prior to the 2013-14 campaign, where he then went onto to make 84 appearances in three seasons with the club, scoring a total of four goals. Anderlecht were the next team to come calling, as they signed him on a four-year deal back in 2016, before he was then sent on loan to Fiorentina.

In June 2017, De Maio joined Bologna on a permanent deal. He is a physically imposing yet pacy defender, while his obvious height makes him an impressive aerial threat from set-pieces.