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Alexis Saelemaekers

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Alexis Saelemaekers
Saelemaekers with AC Milan in 2022
Personal information
Full name Alexis Jesse M. Saelemaekers[1]
Date of birth (1999-06-27) 27 June 1999 (age 25)
Place of birth Berchem-Sainte-Agathe, Belgium
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Position(s)
Team information
Current team
 Roma
(on loan from AC Milan)
Number 56
Youth career
2010–2012 V. Beersel-Drogenbos
2012–2018 Anderlecht
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2020 Anderlecht 57 (2)
2020 → AC Milan (loan) 13 (1)
2020– AC Milan 99 (5)
2023–2024 → Bologna (loan) 30 (4)
2024– → Roma (loan) 2 (0)
International career‡
2015 Belgium U16 1 (0)
2017–2018 Belgium U19 4 (0)
2018–2020 Belgium U21 12 (0)
2020– Belgium 12 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:37, 15 September 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 07:02, 4 December 2023 (UTC)

Alexis Saelemaekers (born 27 June 1999) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Serie A club Roma, on loan from AC Milan, and the Belgium national team. Although Saelemaekers primarily plays in attack, he can also play as a full-back and wing-back.

Club career

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Anderlecht

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In October 2017, Saelemaekers signed a contract at Anderlecht until 2019. On 16 February 2018, he made his official debut against Sint-Truiden. He came on as a substitute in the 77th minute. On 8 June 2018, Saelemaekers renewed his contract until 2022.

AC Milan

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On 31 January 2020, AC Milan signed Saelemaekers on loan, with an option to buy.[3] Milan reportedly agreed a €3.5 million fee plus €1 million in bonuses in case of a permanent signing.[4] The same year on 2 February, he made his league debut as a substitute to Davide Calabria in a 1–1 draw against Verona on 2 February 2020.[5]

On 1 July 2020, Saelemaekers signed a contract with Milan which would keep him at the club until 30 June 2024.[6] On 18 July, he scored his first goal for the club in a 5–1 home win over Bologna in Serie A.[7]

In October 2020, Saelemaekers scored his first goal of the season against Rio Ave in qualification match for Europa league.[8] His next goal came on 26 October against Roma in 3-3 draw,[9] his third and last goal of the season was on 20 December against Sassuolo as Milan pulled an away 2-1 victory.[10] In total, he scored three goals and five assists assists of the season.[11]

On 15 October 2021, Saelemaekers extended his contract until 30 June 2026 with a raise in salary.[12] On 4 December, he scored his first goal of this season against Salernitana, a powerful left footed shot in eventual 2-0 win.[13] His next goal came in a Coppa Italia match against Genoa on 13 January 2022, a goal in extra time as Milan won 3–1.[14]

Loan to Bologna

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On 30 August 2023, Saelemaekers joined Bologna on loan with an option to buy.[15] At Bologna, Saelemaekers quickly established himself as an important player, fitting perfectly into the manager Thiago Motta's so-called 2–7–2 system.[16] Due to the presence of Riccardo Orsolini on the right side as an "inverted" left-footed right winger, right-footed Saelemaekers began to play on the left in the similar role, a position he sometimes played in at Milan in absence of regular starter Rafael Leão.[17] Saelemaekers was about to join Bologna on a full transfer from Milan before Vincenzo Italiano took over the departing Thiago Motta as a manager at the end of the season and declined to spend €10 million on the player, focusing on other transfer targets.[18]

While initially on the summer transfer market due to oversaturation of attacking players on both wings, Saelemaekers returned to AC Milan's training camp in July, played in all the pre-season friendlies, and was even a surprise starter for the opening 2024–25 Serie A game versus Torino, playing as a left back in place of Theo Hernandez, who later came on in the second half for Davide Calabria, with Saelemaekers moving onto the right side of a back-four.[19]

Loan to Roma

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On 30 August 2024, he joined fellow Serie A club Roma, on loan for the 2024–25 season.[20]

International career

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Saelemaekers debuted with the Belgium national team in a 1–1 friendly draw with Ivory Coast on 8 October 2020.[21] In September 2021, he scored his first goal in a 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification against the Czech Republic.[22]

Career statistics

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Club

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As of match played 15 September 2024[23]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup[a] Europe Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Anderlecht 2017–18 Belgian Pro League 11 0 0 0 0 0 — 11 0
2018–19 30 0 1 0 3[b] 0 — 34 0
2019–20 16 2 3 0 — — 19 2
Total 57 2 4 0 3 0 — 64 2
AC Milan (loan) 2019–20 Serie A 13 1 2 0 — — 15 1
AC Milan 2020–21 32 2 1 0 7[b] 1 — 40 3
2021–22 36 1 4 1 6[c] 0 — 46 2
2022–23 30 2 1 0 8[c] 2 0 0 39 4
2024–25 1 0 — — — 1 0
Total 112 6 8 1 21 3 0 0 141 10
Bologna (loan) 2023–24 Serie A 30 4 2 0 — — 32 4
Roma (loan) 2024–25 Serie A 2 0 0 0 0 0 — 2 0
Career total 201 12 14 1 24 3 0 0 239 16
  1. ^ Includes Belgian Cup, Coppa Italia
  2. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Europa League
  3. ^ a b Appearances in UEFA Champions League

International

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As of match played 19 November 2023[24]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Belgium 2020 1 0
2021 6 1
2022 2 0
2023 3 0
Total 12 1
Scores and results list Belgium's goal tally first. Score column indicates score after each Saelemaekers goal.[24]
List of international goals scored by Alexis Saelemaekers
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 5 September 2021 King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium  Czech Republic 3–0 3–0 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification

Honours

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AC Milan

Individual

References

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  1. ^ "Comunicato Ufficiale N. 267" [Official Communication No. 267] (PDF) (in Italian). Lega Serie A. 19 July 2020. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2020. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  2. ^ "Alexis Saelemaekers: Biography". AC Milan. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  3. ^ "Saelemaekers is a new AC Milan player". AC Milan. 31 January 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Milan make Saelemaekers signing". Football Italia. 1 February 2020. Retrieved 4 July 2020.
  5. ^ Colombo, Monica (3 February 2020). "Milan-Verona 1-1: senza Ibrahimovic i rossoneri frenano. L'esordio di Daniel Maldini". Corriere Della Sera (in Italian).
  6. ^ "Comunicato Ufficiale: Alexia Saelemaekers". AC Milan. Retrieved 1 July 2020.
  7. ^ "Match report AC Milan 5-1 Bologna, Serie A 2019/2020". AC Milan. 18 July 2020. Archived from the original on 22 December 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  8. ^ "Rio Ave 2-2 AC Milan". BBC Sport. BBC. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  9. ^ "AC Milan 3-3 Roma". BBC Sport. 26 October 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  10. ^ "Rafael Leão scores quickest ever Serie A goal to spark AC Milan victory". Marca. 20 December 2020. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Alexis Saelemaekers". Diario AS. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  12. ^ "Alexis Saelemaekers rinnova il contratto con l'AC Milan: Il comunicato ufficiale". AC Milan (in Italian).
  13. ^ Fisher, Oliver (4 December 2021). "AC Milan 2-0 Salernitana". Smpre Milan. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  14. ^ "AC Milan 3-1 Genoa". BBC Sport. 13 January 2022. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  15. ^ "Alexis Saelemaekers joins Bologna". Bologna FC 1900. 30 August 2023. Retrieved 30 August 2023.
  16. ^ Ritchie, Calum (13 June 2024). "Thiago Motta's "Super Offensive" 2-7-2 Formation Explained". Give Me Sport.
  17. ^ Fisher, Oliver (9 May 2023). "GdS: Probable XI for AC Milan vs. Inter | Saelemaekers on the left wing". Sempre Milan. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  18. ^ Fisher, Oliver (6 June 2024). "GdS: Bologna will not use €9.5m Saelemaekers option | He will return to Milan". Sempre Milan.
  19. ^ "AC Milan - Torino | Official lineups - Saelemaekers starts as a left-back".
  20. ^ "Alexis Saelemaekers signs for Roma". Roma. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  21. ^ Lambert, Pierre (8 October 2020). "Alexis Saelemaekers "ne pouvait pas rêver mieux" pour ses débuts" [Alexis Saelemaekers couldn't ask for a better result for his debut]. RTBF (in French). Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  22. ^ "Saelemaekers na sterke prestaties: "Ik zal de keuzes van Martinez respecteren"". Voetbal Primeur (in Dutch). 9 September 2021. Retrieved 11 July 2024.
  23. ^ "Alexis Saelemaekers". WorldFootball. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
  24. ^ a b "Alexis Saelemaekers". EU-Football.info. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
  25. ^ "Milan secure 1st Serie A title in 11 years". News18 India. 22 May 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  26. ^ "Alexis Saelemaekers Wins April's Goal of the Month". Serie A. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
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