Samuele Dalla Bona Italian footballer, central midfielder. Date of Birth: 06.02.1981 Country: Italy

1. Early Career and Transfer to Chelsea
2. Success at Chelsea
3. Rejection and Transfer to Milan
4. Milan and Loan Spells
5. Return to Napoli and Career Decline
6. Late Career Attempts and Retirement

Early Career and Transfer to Chelsea

Samuele Dalla Bona began his football journey with Atalanta's youth team and captained the Italian Under-16 national team. In October 1998, he made a notable move to Chelsea FC. This transfer prompted the Italian Football Federation to alter rules regarding youth player transfers to retain young talents within Italy.

Success at Chelsea

Initially playing for Chelsea's youth team, Dalla Bona impressed by scoring 16 goals as their top scorer in the 1998/99 season and earning recognition as Chelsea's Young Player of the Year. His Premier League debut came in a Champions League match against Feyenoord. With key midfielders Gustavo Poyet and Dennis Wise departing, Dalla Bona secured a place in the team, making 32 appearances and scoring 2 goals.

Rejection and Transfer to Milan

At the start of the following season, Dalla Bona declined a contract extension, leading to his transfer listing. As a result, he saw limited playing time under manager Claudio Ranieri. He received offers from Italian clubs, including a £5 million bid from Venezia, but he declined. On July 10, 2002, he joined AC Milan on a five-year deal for $1.5 million.

Milan and Loan Spells

Dalla Bona debuted for Milan in October 2002 against Torino, securing a 6-0 victory. During his first season, he lifted the Coppa Italia and Champions League trophies. However, he failed to break into Milan's established midfield of Gennaro Gattuso, Clarence Seedorf, and Andrea Pirlo. In the summer of 2003, he was loaned to Bologna. He later had stints at Lecce and Sampdoria, where he played a pivotal role as a playmaker.

Return to Napoli and Career Decline

After a season with Sampdoria, Dalla Bona returned to Milan briefly before joining Napoli on a four-year contract on August 10, 2005. In his first season with Napoli, he made 37 appearances and scored 4 goals, including a spectacular long-range strike against Treviso. His playing time diminished in the 2007/08 season as Napoli acquired new players. Dalla Bona made only 6 appearances in one and a half years, attracting interest from Tottenham Hotspur, although a deal failed to materialize. In the winter of 2009, he reached an agreement with Napoli to terminate his contract if he did not find a new club before June 30.

Late Career Attempts and Retirement

Dalla Bona trained with Italian Serie D club Domegliara and English Premier League club West Ham United, where he sought assistance from his friend Gianfranco Zola. He hoped to convince West Ham to sign him but was ultimately unsuccessful. He returned to Napoli. In August 2009, he was loaned to Greek club Iraklis. He played only 2 games due to poor fitness. In February 2010, he went on loan to Verona, making 4 appearances and scoring 1 goal. He returned to Napoli at the end of the season and retired from professional football.