{{short description|Italian footballer (born 1984)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Umberto Improta | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1984|2|29|df=y}} | birth_place = Naples, Italy | height = 1.75 m | position = Forward | currentclub = | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | years1 = 2000–2002 | caps1 = 21 | goals1 = 3 | clubs1 = Marcianise | years2 = 2002–2003 | caps2 = 3 | goals2 = 0 | clubs2 = Salernitana | years3 = 2003 | caps3 = 11 | goals3 = 4 | clubs3 = Sangiuseppese | years4 = 2003–2005 | caps4 = 5 | goals4 = 1 | clubs4 = Salernitana | years5 = 2004–2005 | caps5 = 36 | goals5 = 8 | clubs5 = → Bellaria (loan) | years6 = 2005–2007 | caps6 = 0 | goals6 = 0 | clubs6 = Triestina | years7 = 2005–2006 | caps7 = 23 | goals7 = 4 | clubs7 = → Ravenna (loan) | years8 = 2006–2007 | caps8 = 14 | goals8 = 0 | clubs8 = → Salernitana (loan) | years9 = 2007 | caps9 = 11 | goals9 = 1 | clubs9 = → Lanciano (loan) | years10 = 2007–2008 | caps10 = 22 | goals10 = 1 | clubs10 = South Tyrol | years11 = 2008 | caps11 = 7 | goals11 = 1 | clubs11 = Lumezzane | years12 = 2008–2009 | caps12 = 32 | goals12 = 7 | clubs12 = Giulianova | years13 = 2009–2011 | caps13 = 50 | goals13 = 7 | clubs13 = Lanciano | years14 = 2011–2015 | caps14 = 73 | goals14 = 23 | clubs14 = L'Aquila | years15 = 2013–2014 | caps15 = 32 | goals15 = 7 | clubs15 = → Arzanese (loan) | years16 = 2014–2015 | caps16 = 33 | goals16 = 5 | clubs16 = → Lamezia (loan) | years17 = 2015 | caps17 = 12 | goals17 = 2 | clubs17 = Taranto | years18 = 2015–2016 | caps18 = 10 | goals18 = 0 | clubs18 = Cavese | years19 = 2016–2017 | caps19 = 29 | goals19 = 7 | clubs19 = Campobasso | years20 = 2017–2018 | caps20 = 29 | goals20 = 6 | clubs20 = Turris | years21 = 2018 | caps21 = | goals21 = | clubs21 = Frattese | years22 = 2018–2019 | caps22 = | goals22 = | clubs22 = Vis Afragolese 1944 | years23 = 2020 | caps23 = 4 | goals23 = 0 | clubs23 = SSD Portici 1906 | years24 = 2020–2021 | caps24 = 11 | goals24 = 0 | clubs24 = Nocerina | club-update = }}
'''Umberto Improta''' (born 29 February 1984) is an Italian former footballer who played as a forward.<ref>[https://sport.ilmattino.it/dilettanti/colpo_frattese_arriva_improta-4017275.html Colpo Frattese: arriva Improta], sport.ilmattino.it, 4 October 2018</ref>
His younger brothers Giancarlo and Riccardo Improta were also professional footballers.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://ilcentro.gelocal.it/sport/2012/11/07/news/improta-a-lanciano-sarei-tornato-volentieri-1.5989949|title=Improta: a Lanciano sarei tornato volentieri|work=Il Centro|language=Italian|date=7 November 2012|accessdate=4 May 2013|archive-date=5 March 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305043426/http://ilcentro.gelocal.it/sport/2012/11/07/news/improta-a-lanciano-sarei-tornato-volentieri-1.5989949|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Club career== Born in Naples, Campania, Southern Italy, Improta started his senior career at Serie D club Marcianise. In 2002 Improta left for Serie B club Salernitana. He played 8 games for the first team and also played for its reserve.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://elcholo14.altervista.org/Beppe_Viola_2004.html |title=Torneo "Beppe Viola" 2004 |access-date=22 June 2012 |archive-date=24 April 2005 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050424133535/http://elcholo14.altervista.org/Beppe_Viola_2004.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://elcholo14.altervista.org/Coppa_Italia_Primavera_2003_2004.html |title=Coppa Italia Primavera 2003/2004 |access-date=22 June 2012 |archive-date=9 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609041331/http://elcholo14.altervista.org/Coppa_Italia_Primavera_2003_2004.html |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://elcholo14.altervista.org/Campionato_Primavera__2003_2004.html |title=Campionato_Primavera_ 2003/2004 |access-date=22 June 2012 |archive-date=8 June 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090608011331/http://elcholo14.altervista.org/Campionato_Primavera__2003_2004.html |url-status=dead }}</ref>
In 2004 Improta left for Romagna club Bellaria, his first club outside Campania. He scored 8 goals in 2004–05 Serie C2.
===Triestina=== After the bankruptcy of Salernitana, Improta was signed by Serie B club, North-eastern Italy club Triestina in August 2005. Improta spent 2 seasons on loan at Serie C1 clubs, namely Romagna club Ravenna (2005–06 Serie C1), the rebirth Salernitana and Lanciano (2006–07 Serie C1). Improta left for another northern Italy team South Tyrol in August 2007.<ref>http://www.lega-calcio-serie-c.it/it/visti/TRASFpagina38.html{{Dead link|date=July 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=no }}</ref> In January 2008 Improta was signed by Lumezzane. In the whole 2007–08 Serie C2, he only scored 2 times.
Improta left for southern Italy club Giulianova in 2008, and spent rest of his career in southern Italy. He played alongside Giancarlo Improta. Umberto scored 7 goals in 2008–09 Lega Pro Seconda Divisione (ex- Serie C2). He also scored 2 goals in promotion playoffs.
===Lanciano return=== Improta was transferred to fellow Lega Pro Prima Divisione (ex- Serie C1) and Abruzzo club S.S. Virtus Lanciano 1924 in 2009 (the heir of SS Lanciano, bankrupted in 2008). Improta started two-fifths of the league matches (14 games), and scored 6 goals. In the next season Improta was one of the striking partner of Ilyos Zeytulayev and Luís Gabriel Sacilotto in 4–3–3 formation, with 14 starts.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.virtuslanciano.it/news-18/593-TIM_CUP:_Virtus_Lanciano_Carpi_2_1|title=TIM CUP: Virtus Lanciano-Carpi 2-1|date=8 August 2010|accessdate=22 June 2012|publisher=SS Virtus Lanciano 1924|language=Italian}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.virtuslanciano.it/news-33/624-Virtus_Lanciano_Benevento_1_0|title=Virtus Lanciano-Benevento 1-0|date=29 August 2010|accessdate=22 June 2012|publisher=SS Virtus Lanciano 1924|language=Italian|archive-date=22 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622154411/http://www.virtuslanciano.it/news-33/624-Virtus_Lanciano_Benevento_1_0|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.virtuslanciano.it/news-33/635-VirtuuuussssssSI%27___Battuto_il_Foggia_5_3|title=VirtuuuussssssSI' – Battuto il Foggia 5-3|date=5 September 2010|accessdate=22 June 2012|publisher=SS Virtus Lanciano 1924|language=Italian|archive-date=22 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622154522/http://www.virtuslanciano.it/news-33/635-VirtuuuussssssSI%27___Battuto_il_Foggia_5_3|url-status=dead}}</ref> Improta was the backup of Francesco Di Gennaro in the latter half of the season.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.virtuslanciano.it/news-16/654-Improta_da_|title=Improta da "tre punti" – Virtus Lanciano-Gela 1-0|date=19 September 2010|accessdate=22 June 2012|publisher=SS Virtus Lanciano 1924|language=Italian|archive-date=22 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622154726/http://www.virtuslanciano.it/news-16/654-Improta_da_|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.virtuslanciano.it/news-31/681-Andria_Virtus_Lanciano_0_0|title=Andria-Virtus Lanciano 0-0|date=10 October 2010|accessdate=22 June 2012|publisher=SS Virtus Lanciano 1924|language=Italian|archive-date=22 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622154806/http://www.virtuslanciano.it/news-31/681-Andria_Virtus_Lanciano_0_0|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===L'Aquila=== On 24 August 2011 Improta left for his third Abruzzo club L'Aquila<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.virtuslanciano.it/news-10/900-Umberto_Improta_a_L%27Aquila|title=Umberto Improta a L'Aquila|date=24 August 2011|accessdate=22 June 2012|publisher=SS Virtus Lanciano 1924|language=Italian|archive-date=22 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120622153748/http://www.virtuslanciano.it/news-10/900-Umberto_Improta_a_L%27Aquila|url-status=dead}}</ref> after the emerge of his brother Riccardo. Umberto scored 12 goals in 2011–12 Lega Pro Seconda Divisione as team top-scorer. L'Aquila promoted to the third division in 2013, however Improta was ruled out from the club plan.
====Arzanese==== Improta joined Italian fourth division club Arzanese on 27 August 2013,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.laquilacalcio.com/news_archivio.asp?id=2783&anno=2013&mese=08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140413213419/http://www.laquilacalcio.com/news_archivio.asp?id=2783&anno=2013&mese=08 |url-status=usurped |archive-date=13 April 2014 |title= MERCATO: Improta ceduto all'Arzanese|date=27 August 2013 |accessdate=14 April 2014|publisher=L'Aquila Calcio 1927|language=Italian}}</ref> re-joining Francesco Ripa who left L'Aquila on 22 August.
====Lamezia==== In summer 2014 he was signed by Vigor Lamezia.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.laquilacalcio.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28:mercato-raffaele-perna-in-rossoblu-improta-a-lamezia&catid=15:notize-home&Itemid=398|archive-url=https://archive.today/20150409130331/http://www.laquilacalcio.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=28:mercato-raffaele-perna-in-rossoblu-improta-a-lamezia&catid=15:notize-home&Itemid=398|url-status=usurped|archive-date=9 April 2015|title=Mercato: Raffaele Perna in Rossoblù. Improta, a Lamezia|date=2014|accessdate=9 April 2015|publisher=L'Aquila Calcio 1927|language=Italian}}</ref>
==International career== Improta received a call-up to the Italy U21 B team specially for the 2005 Mediterranean Games. However, he later received a call-up for the last friendly match before the tournament (against the Serie D Best XI).<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.figc.it/Assets/contentresources_2/ContenutoGenerico/80.$plit/C_2_ContenutoGenerico_5952_upfDownload.pdf|title=Convocazione Rappresentativa Nazionale Giochi Del Mediterraneo 2005|date=26 May 2005|accessdate=22 June 2012|publisher=FIGC|language=Italian}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.seriednews.com/news_page.asp?id_news=65|title=TOP 11 SERIE D: i convocati delle squadre partecipanti all'evento di Macerata|date=27 May 2005|accessdate=22 August 2010|work=Serie D News|language=Italian|url-status=usurped|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716042319/http://www.seriednews.com/news_page.asp?id_news=65|archivedate=16 July 2011}}</ref> He was dropped from the final squad along with Adriano D'Astolfo, Alex Gibbs, Alessandro Moro and Simone Rota.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20111104192930/http://www.laquilacalcio.com/improta1112.asp L'Aquila Profile]}} {{in lang|it}} * [http://aic.football.it/scheda/19116/improta-umberto.htm Football.it Profile] {{in lang|it}} * [http://www.fullsoccer.eu/giocatori.php?giocatore=IMPROTA%20Umberto Full Soccer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130807123719/http://fullsoccer.eu/giocatori.php?giocatore=IMPROTA%20Umberto |date=7 August 2013 }} {{in lang|it}} * {{TuttoCalciatori|Improta_Umberto}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Improta, Umberto}} Category:Italian men's footballers Category:US Salernitana 1919 players Category:AC Bellaria Igea Marina players Category:US Triestina Calcio 1918 players Category:Ravenna FC players Category:SS Virtus Lanciano 1924 players Category:FC Südtirol players Category:FC Lumezzane players Category:Giulianova Calcio players Category:L'Aquila 1927 players Category:Vigor Lamezia players Category:Taranto FC 1927 players Category:Cavese 1919 players Category:Campobasso FC players Category:ASD Nocerina 1910 players Category:Serie B players Category:Serie C players Category:Serie D players Category:Men's association football forwards Category:Footballers from Naples Category:Living people Category:1984 births Category:21st-century Italian sportsmen