Ludovico Varali (born 17 January 2009) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Parma.
Club career
Born in Verona, Varali is a youth product of Hellas Verona, from which he joined the youth academy of Parma in 2025, for a reported fee of approximately €1 million.
Varali started playing with the Parma Primavera team during the 2025–26 season, becoming a regular with the team that reached the final of the under-20 competition.
International career
Eligible for both Italy and Kenya, Varali is a youth international for Italy, having played for the under-16 and under-17.
He was selected with the under-17 team to play the European Under-17 Championship in May and June 2026.
Italy reached the final of the tournament after defeating Ebrima Tunkara's Spain in a penalty shootout, following a 1–1 draw. They then went on to win the competition after another penalty shootout victory with the same regular time score, against a Belgium team comprising the likes of Xander Dierckx, Elie Mbavu and Jayden Onia Seke.
Style of play
Described during his youth years as an athletic centre-back, good with his head, his profile was compared to the likes Antonio Rüdiger, while Alessandro Bastoni and William Saliba were his models.
Honours Italy U17 UEFA European Under-17 Championship: 2026
Individual UEFA European Under-17 Championship Team of the Tournament: 2026
References
External links