{{short description|Italian footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}} {{Expand Italian|topic=bio|Marco Sau|date=December 2013}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Marco Sau | image = Marco Sau (cropped).jpg | caption = Sau playing for Juve Stabia in 2011 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1987|11|3|df=yes}} | birth_place = Sorgono, Italy | height = 1.69 m | position = Forward | currentclub = | clubnumber = | youthyears1 = 1996–2005| youthclubs1 = Tonara ASD | youthyears2 = 2005–2007| youthclubs2 = Cagliari | years1 = 2007–2018 | caps1 = 194 | goals1 = 45 | clubs1 = Cagliari | years2 = 2007–2008 | caps2 = 31 | goals2 = 10 | clubs2 = → Manfredonia (loan) | years3 = 2008–2009 | caps3 = 18 | goals3 = 0 | clubs3 = → AlbinoLeffe (loan) | years4 = 2009–2010 | caps4 = 30 | goals4 = 4 | clubs4 = → Lecco (loan) | years5 = 2010–2011 | caps5 = 33 | goals5 = 20 | clubs5 = → Foggia (loan) | years6 = 2011–2012 | caps6 = 36 | goals6 = 21 | clubs6 = → Juve Stabia (loan) | years7 = 2019 | caps7 = 5 | goals7 = 0 | clubs7 = Sampdoria | years8 = 2019–2022 | caps8 = 67 | goals8 = 18 | clubs8 = Benevento | years9 = 2023–2024 | caps9 = 16 | goals9 = 1 | clubs9 = Feralpisalò | nationalyears1 = 2013 | nationalcaps1 = 1 | nationalgoals1 = 0 |nationalteam1 = Italy | club-update = 10 June 2024 |nationalteam-update = }} '''Marco Sau''' ({{IPA|it|ˈmarko ˈsau|lang}}, {{IPA|sc|ˈmaɾku ˈza.u|lang}}; born 3 November 1987) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker.<ref>{{Soccerway|marco-sau/17863}}</ref>
==Early life== Sau has been nicknamed ''Pattolino'' (Duckling) since childhood. His idol growing up was the striker Gianfranco Zola, also from his native Province of Nuoro in Sardinia.<ref>{{cite news|author=Sergio Cadeddu |url=http://www.cagliarinews24.com/sau-innamorato-che-bello-giocare-per-il-cagliari-per-la-sardegna-3397.html |title=Sau innamorato: "Che bello giocare per il Cagliari, per la Sardegna" |publisher=Cagliari News 24 |accessdate=20 June 2014 |language=it}}</ref>
While visiting an uncle in Scotland in his early teens, Sau played in the youth ranks of Livingston and a local team in Gourock called Glenburn Thistle. <ref name=scot/>
==Club career== ===Cagliari=== Sau turned professional at Cagliari in 2007. On 25 June 2008 he was signed by AlbinoLeffe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cagliaricalcio.net/news/7199/sau-all-albinoleffe.html|title=Sau all'AlbinoLeffe|date=25 June 2008|accessdate=14 June 2015|publisher=Cagliari Calcio|language=it|archive-date=14 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150614091618/http://www.cagliaricalcio.net/news/7199/sau-all-albinoleffe.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> On 15 July 2009, he was loaned to Lecco.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cagliaricalcio.net/news/8231/e-rientrato-larrivey.html|title=E' rientrato Larrivey|date=15 July 2009|accessdate=14 June 2015|publisher=Cagliari Calcio|language=it|archive-date=17 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617064804/http://www.cagliaricalcio.net/news/8231/e-rientrato-larrivey.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===Foggia=== In August 2010 Sau was acquired by Foggia of Lega Pro Prima Divisione by head coach Zdeněk Zeman in co-ownership deals, for a peppercorn of €500,<ref name=Cagliari2011bilancio>Cagliari Calcio SpA ''bilancio'' (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2011 {{in lang|it}}, [http://www.registroimprese.it PDF purchased from Italian CCIAA]</ref> scoring 20 league goals that season. In June 2011 Foggia acquired Sau and Salvatore Burrai outright for a total of €207,000 by a closed tender mediated by Lega Serie A.<ref name=Cagliari2011bilancio/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cagliaricalcio.net/news/11613/-buste-burrai-e-sau-al-foggia.html|title="Buste": Burrai e Sau al Foggia|date=25 June 2011|accessdate=14 June 2015|publisher=Cagliari Calcio|language=it|archive-date=17 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617003550/http://www.cagliaricalcio.net/news/11613/-buste-burrai-e-sau-al-foggia.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> However they were returned to Cagliari on 31 August 2011 for the same total price (Burrai for free and Sau for €207,000).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cagliaricalcio.net/news/11841/sau-e-burrai-tornano-al-cagliari.html|title=Sau e Burrai tornano al Cagliari|date=31 August 2011|accessdate=14 June 2015|publisher=Cagliari Calcio|language=it|archive-date=14 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714010915/http://www.cagliaricalcio.net/news/11841/sau-e-burrai-tornano-al-cagliari.html|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name=Cagliari2012bilancio>Cagliari Calcio SpA ''bilancio'' (financial report and accounts) on 30 June 2012 {{in lang|it}}, [http://www.registroimprese.it PDF purchased from Italian CCIAA]</ref> Foggia later brought the transfer to court to claim the transfer documents were falsified.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fantagazzetta.com/calcio-italia/cagliari-in-tribunale-il-foggia-contesta-il-contratto-di-sau-169293|title= Cagliari in Tribunale: il Foggia contesta il contratto di Sau|date=20 March 2013|accessdate=14 June 2015|publisher=fantagazzetta|language=it}}</ref>
===Return to Cagliari=== thumb|Sau with Cagliari in 2017 Sau was re-acquired by Cagliari on 31 August 2011 on a two-year contract.<ref name=Cagliari2012bilancio/> He played at S.S. Juve Stabia in 2011–12 Serie B season,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cagliaricalcio.net/news/11842/sau-alla-juve-stabia.html|title=Sau alla Juve Stabia|date=31 August 2011|accessdate=14 June 2015|publisher=Cagliari Calcio|language=it|archive-date=17 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617003601/http://www.cagliaricalcio.net/news/11842/sau-alla-juve-stabia.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> scoring 21 goals. This form allowed him into the Cagliari first team for 2012–13.<ref name=scot/>
Sau scored both of Cagliari's goals in a 2–2 draw against Inter on 18 November 2012.<ref name=scot>{{cite news |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/football/born-in-sardinia-made-in-gourock.19721298 |title=Born in Sardinia, made in Gourock |work=The Herald |publisher=Herald & Times Group |first=Scott |last=Fleming |date=20 December 2012 |accessdate=20 December 2012}}</ref>
On 29 August 2014, Sau renewed his contract with Cagliari until 2017.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.corriere.it/sport/calcio/news/cagliari/Sau-rinnovato-2017/29-08-2014/1-A_014400789.shtml|title=Sau ha rinnovato fino al 2017|date=29 August 2014|accessdate=14 June 2015|work=Corriere della Sera|language=it}}</ref>
===Later career=== On 31 January 2019, Sau signed with Sampdoria after seven years at Cagliari.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://m.tuttomercatoweb.com/serie-a/ufficiale-sampdoria-arriva-sau-dal-cagliari-a-titolo-definitivo-1209023|access-date=31 January 2019|title=UFFICIALE: Sampdoria, arriva Sau dal Cagliari a titolo definitivo|language=it}}</ref> After five goalless substitute appearances, he signed a two-year contract at Serie B's Benevento on 22 July.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://m.tuttomercatoweb.com/serie-b/ufficiale-benevento-ecco-marco-sau-due-anni-di-contratto-1271785|access-date=22 July 2019|title=UFFICIALE: Benevento, ecco Marco Sau. Due anni di contratto}}</ref> He scored a hat-trick on 29 December in a 4–0 home win over Ascoli,<ref>{{cite news |title=La nuova sfida di Marco Sau lontano dall'Isola|trans-title=Marco Sau's new challenge far away from the Island |url=https://www.unionesarda.it/articolo/sport/calcio/2020/01/28/la-nuova-sfida-di-marco-sau-lontano-dall-isola-4-980527.html |accessdate=12 February 2020 |work=L'Unione Sarda |date=29 January 2020 |language=it}}</ref> and the following 29 June he came off the bench to score the only goal against his former club Juve Stabia to win promotion to Serie A as champions with seven games left.<ref name=benevento>{{cite news |last1=Blackburn |first1=Liam |title=Filippo Inzaghi leads Benevento back to Serie A |url=https://www.goal.com/en/news/filippo-inzaghi-leads-benevento-back-to-serie-a/ptegrzqaptbp10qnmbln20zss |accessdate=1 July 2020 |publisher=Goal |date=30 June 2020}}</ref>
In February 2023, Sau signed for Serie C Group A club Feralpisalò on a contract until the end of the season with the option for a further year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.feralpisalo.it/news-dettaglio.php?id=3712|title=𝙈𝘼𝙍𝘾𝙊 𝙎𝘼𝙐, COMUNICATO UFFICIALE|trans-title=𝙈𝘼𝙍𝘾𝙊 𝙎𝘼𝙐, OFFICIAL RELEASE|website=www.feralpisalo.it|language=Italian|date=25 February 2023|accessdate=25 February 2023}}</ref>
==International career== Sau made his international debut on 31 May 2013, coming on as a 49th-minute substitute against San Marino in a friendly 4–0 win at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara in Bologna.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=28211 |title=Marco Sau - national football team player |publisher=Eu-football.info |accessdate=20 June 2014}}</ref>
==Honours==
'''Cagliari''' *Serie B: 2015–16<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.football-italia.net/84656/serie-b-cagliari-title-livorno-relegated|title = Serie B: Cagliari title, Livorno relegated - Football Italia| date=20 May 2016 }}</ref>
'''Benevento''' *Serie B: 2019–20<ref name=benevento/>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{commons category}} *[http://www.figc.it/nazionali/DettaglioConvocato?codiceConvocato=3991&squadra=1 FIGC profile] {{in lang|it}} *{{Soccerway|marco-sau/17863}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sau, Marco}} Category:1987 births Category:Living people Category:People from Sorgono Category:Footballers from Sardinia Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Italian men's footballers Category:Serie A players Category:Serie B players Category:Serie C players Category:Cagliari Calcio players Category:UC AlbinoLeffe players Category:Calcio Lecco 1912 players Category:SS Juve Stabia players Category:Manfredonia Calcio players Category:Calcio Foggia 1920 players Category:UC Sampdoria players Category:Benevento Calcio players Category:Feralpisalò players Category:Italy men's international footballers Category:21st-century Italian sportsmen