Manfredi Albanese says goodbye to high-level rugby

At the end of the seasonal competitive commitments, Manfredi Albanese will no longer be a Benetton player. The two parties have mutually reached an agreement to terminate the contract which linked the athlete to the green-and-white franchise and which was originally supposed to be concluded at the end of the 2023/24 football season.

The scrum-half born in 2001, who grew up in Lazio Rugby and arrived in Treviso last summer from Calvisano, has so far made 6 appearances for Benetton Rugby, scoring a try in the league against Leinster.

After his stint with the national youth teams, the green-and-white number 9 also entered the orbit of the senior national team, winning a total of 3 international caps.

Albanese’s statements on the Italian Rugby Federation website explain that the decision to abandon the professional dimension derives from study and work objectives that have become priorities over sports ones.

“It wasn’t an easy decision to make, but I understood that this is the right time to start a new professional path. I want to embark on a new path to start building my future after rugby. I think it’s the perfect time because in the summer I’ll be graduating in Economics and Management. The decision was the result of a long reflection that took place in recent months and it was not easy for me to be able to become aware of this either. I thank Benetton Rugby infinitely for everything it has done for me in these months and above all for making me feel truly understood in my decision. Every child who starts playing rugby has the dream of wearing the shirt of their national team. Having had the opportunity and the opportunity to wear the blue shirt to represent Italy has given me emotions that I will never forget. For this I thank the Federation but above all for everything it has done for me over the years, and for giving me the opportunity to live unique experiences. Rugby will continue to be a part of my life, for what it has always been, my favorite game.”

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Finally the words of the General Manager of Benetton Antonio Pavanello.

“Manfredi’s is a very courageous choice, we are talking about a young and prospective boy, whose sporting career was taking off considering that at only 21 he has already reached a few call-ups for the senior national team and collected 3 caps. When Manfredi informed us of his choice in recent weeks, we were clearly surprised because with him and Alessandro Garbisi we hoped to be able to count on two of the best Italian scrum-halfs for the next few years. But despite the disappointment, we understand and support Manfredi’s decision, an appreciable and understandable choice and therefore we wish him the best for his future”.

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