Adam Masina (Arabic: أدم ماسينا; born 2 January 1994) is a Moroccan professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Italian Serie A club Torino, and the Morocco national team.

Adam Masina
Masina with Bologna in 2017
Personal information
Full name Adam Masina[1]
Date of birth (1994-01-02) 2 January 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth Khouribga, Morocco
Height 1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Left-back
Team information
Current team
Torino
Number 5
Youth career
2001–2014 Bologna
2011–2012Giacomense (loan)[2]
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2018 Bologna 131 (4)
2012–2013Giacomense (loan) 11 (0)
2018–2022 Watford 80 (3)
2022–2024 Udinese 18 (2)
2024Torino (loan) 16 (0)
2024– Torino 0 (0)
International career
2015–2017 Italy U21 6 (0)
2021– Morocco 16 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14 June 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 December 2022

Coming through Bologna's youth academy, Masina made his senior appearance with the club in 2012, and transferred to Watford in 2018. He was also loaned to Giacomense twice.

Masina was born in Morocco but moved to Italy at a young age. He initially represented Italy at an international level of under-21, before switching to play for the Morocco national team in 2021.

Club career

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Masina was born in Khouribga, Morocco, but lost his mother as just an infant. He successively moved to Italy together with his brother and father, settling down in Emilia-Romagna, and was later assigned to a number of foster families due to his father's problems with alcoholism. He was eventually adopted by one of them, from which he took his last name.[3]

After a successful loan in Giacomense, Masina returned to Bologna in 2013 and made his senior debut for the Rossoblu in a 2–1 away victory over Latina on 12 October 2014.[4] He helped the club obtain Serie A promotion, later debuting in the top division, and scoring his first goal in Serie A in an injury time victory at Carpi.[5]

On 2 July 2018, Masina signed for English club Watford on a five-year contract for an undisclosed fee.[6]

On 18 July 2022, Masina signed a three-year contract with Italian club Udinese.[7] On 1 February 2024, he moved on loan to Torino, with an option to buy.[8]

On 14 June 2024, Torino announced that they had activated their option to buy, Masina signing a two-year contract.[9]

International career

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In November 2015, Luigi Di Biagio called Masina to represent Italy U21 team after obtaining FIFA transfer.[10] He debuted with the Italy U21 side on 17 November 2015, in a Euro 2017 qualification match against Lithuania.[5]

In March 2021, Masina was called up to represent Morocco in African Cup of Nations qualifier matches against Mauritania and Burundi,[11] debuting on 26 March 2021 against the former.[12]

Style of play

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Masina is known in particular for his technique, physicality and energy as a left-back.[5]

Career statistics

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As of match played 8 May 2023[13]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League FA Cup League Cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Giacomense 2012–13 Lega Pro Seconda Divisione 11 0 0 0 0 0 11 0
Bologna 2013–14 Serie A 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2014–15 Serie B 28 1 0 0 0 0 28 1
2015–16 Serie A 33 2 1 0 0 0 34 2
2016–17 Serie A 32 1 2 0 0 0 34 1
2017–18 Serie A 34 0 1 0 0 0 35 0
Total 127 4 4 0 0 0 131 4
Watford 2018–19 Premier League 14 0 4 0 2 0 20 0
2019–20 Premier League 26 1 1 0 1 0 28 1
2020–21 Championship 25 2 1 0 0 0 26 2
2021–22 Premier League 15 0 0 0 1 0 16 0
Total 80 3 6 0 4 0 0 0 90 3
Udinese 2022–23 Serie A 12 2 1 0 0 0 13 2
Career total 230 9 11 0 4 0 0 0 245 9

Honours

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Watford

Individual

References

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  1. ^ "2018/19 Premier League squads confirmed". Premier League. 3 September 2018. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
  2. ^ "Comunicato Ufficiale N°29/TB (2011–12)" (PDF). Lega B (in Italian). 26 October 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016.
  3. ^ "Watford's Adam Masina: "What I went through was different from normal life"". The Guardian. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 1 June 2021.
  4. ^ "Latina vs. Bologna line-ups". Goal. 12 October 2014.
  5. ^ a b c "Un 2015 da favola per Masina". UEFA (in Italian). 29 December 2015. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  6. ^ "Official: Masina Moves To Watford". Watford F.C. 2 June 2019. Archived from the original on 7 July 2019. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
  7. ^ "Adam Masina è bianconero". Udinese (in Italian). 18 July 2022. Retrieved 19 July 2022.
  8. ^ "Masina al Toro" [Masina at Toro]. Torino FC (in Italian). 1 February 2024.
  9. ^ "TORO E MASINA, AVANTI INSIEME" [TORO AND MASINA, FORWARD TOGETHER]. www.torinofc.it (in Italian). 14 June 2024. Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  10. ^ "Arrivato il transfert dalla FIFA: Di Biagio convoca il difensore del Bologna Masina" [FIFA transfer has arrived: Di Biagio calls up Bologna defender Masina]. Italian Football Federation (in Italian). 10 November 2015. Archived from the original on 8 July 2016. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  11. ^ "Internationals: Eleven Hornets Called Up". Watford F.C. Retrieved 20 March 2021.
  12. ^ Jackson, Graeme (26 March 2021). "Morocco held in Nouakchott". African Football.
  13. ^ Adam Masina at Soccerway
  14. ^ McNulty, Phil (18 May 2019). "Manchester City 6–0 Watford". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 May 2019.
  15. ^ "Oscar del Calcio, dominio Juve. Buffon: "Donnarumma ha doti da grande"" [Serie A Oscars, Juve dominate. Buffon: "Donnarumma has the characteristics to be great"]. La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 14 December 2015.
  16. ^ "2021 EFL Awards winners announced". EFL. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
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