Pasquale Mazzocchi

Key strength: Pace and recovery

Overlapping full-back

At 30 years old, Pasquale Mazzocchi occupies an unglamorous but vital role in SSC Napoli's pursuit of glory. For a club sitting third in the Serie A table, the Italian right-back has been limited to just three appearances this season—270 minutes of action without registering a goal or assist. Yet his €1.7 million valuation and reliable 70-rated FIFA statistics reveal exactly why Antonio Conte keeps him in the squad. Mazzocchi's overlapping runs and pace-based recovery abilities offer tactical flexibility when Napoli's starting full-backs need respite. As the Azzurri chase consistency at the sharp end of Italian football, the veteran defender represents experienced depth rather than disappointment. His unspectacular but steady contributions—defending 55, physicality 55—speak to a player who understands his place in the pecking order. For Mazzocchi, the burning question remains: can this former Italian football system graduate force his way into Conte's first-choice eleven, or will this transitional season cement his status as a dependable squad man? In a squad featuring talents like Rasmus Højlund up front, Mazzocchi's battle is quieter but no less important.