Ivan Provedel played as a striker until 15 years old and his grandfather served in the Soviet army with Lev Yashin. Here’s what you may not know about the Lazio goalkeeper who scored a late equaliser against Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.
Provedel has become the fourth goalkeeper to score a Champions League goal and his strike on Tuesday night helped his Lazio side earn a 1-1 draw against Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid at the Stadio Olimpico. You may already know Provedel had previously scored as Juve Stabia’s keeper in 2020, but do you know everything about his life and career? Let’s see.
Family and… Yashin
Provedel was born in Pordenone in 1994 and turned 29 in March. His father Venanzio died in 2016 at 82, while his mother Elena is from Russia and was an English teacher in Moscow. Her parents, Provedel’s grandparents lived close to Lev Yashin’s home and the goalkeeper’s grandfather served in the Soviet Army with the legendary keeper.
“My grandpa was in the Army with Yashin and they knew each other,” Provedel told Gazzetta in 2021.
“The fact that a relative was a friend of the only goalkeeper winning the Ballon d’Or has made me dream and be proud.”
Striker
In another interview, released with Lega Serie A last year, Provedel revealed that he “fell in love” with the goalkeeper’s role in 2000, by watching Francesco Toldo’s saves against the Netherlands at EURO 2000.
“I used to play as a striker when I was a kid, but at some point, I thought: ‘I am going to quit if I can’t continue as a goalkeeper.’ A club close to my hometown gave me the chance in this role. Somebody told me it was too late to succeed as a keeper and that I would have failed.”
Curiously, Toldo became Provedel’s coach many years later when the goalkeeper played for Italy U20.
Career, tattoos, Squad No.
In 2009, Provedel decided he wanted to play as a goalkeeper permanently so he attended a stage in Oderzo, in the Province of Treviso. Liapiave’s trainer Renzo Zanet decided to give him a chance in his new role and one year later Provedel joined Udinese.
He signed for Chievo Verona at the age of 18 and then played for Pisa, Perugia, Modena and Pro Vercelli on loan. He suffered a severe fibula injury in 2017 when he was playing for Empoli and after a six-month loan at Juve Stabia, he joined Spezia, where he spent two years, and then Lazio, strongly wanted by Maurizio Sarri. Provedel’s right arm is entirely tattooed but, as explained by Repubblica, he also has one other tattoo reproducing his son’s hand. Provedel plays with the No.94 which is the year he was born.