Nicola Profeta
Personal information
Full name Nicola Profeta Cabrales[1]
Date of birth (2006-02-27) 27 February 2006
Place of birth Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela
Height 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s) Defensive midfielder, central defender, left-back, winger
Team information
Current team
 Deportivo Cali
Youth career
Centro Gallego
Garotos de Mello
Ciudad Vinotinto
2017–2023 Deportivo Cali
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2023– Deportivo Cali 2 (0)
International career‡
2022 Colombia U15 3 (0)
2023 Colombia U17 4 (0)
2023– Venezuela U17 7 (1)
2023– Venezuela 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 24 December 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 24 December 2023

Nicola Profeta Cabrales (born 27 February 2006) is a Venezuelan footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Colombian side Deportivo Cali.

Early life

Profeta was born in Puerto La Cruz in the Venezuelan state of Anzoátegui to a Venezuelan mother and a father with Italian citizenship.[2][3]

Club career

Having taken an interest in football from the age of three, Profeta began his career in his native Venezuela with academy sides Centro Gallego, Garotos de Mello and Ciudad Vinotinto.[4][5] In 2017, his family travelled to neighbouring Colombia for a vacation, and while in the country they decided to stay, due to the Crisis in Venezuela.[4] Shortly after making the stay permanent, Profeta joined the academy of professional side Deportivo Cali.[4]

International career

Youth

Colombia

Profeta is eligible to represent Venezuela, Colombia and Italy at international level. Having represented Colombia at the 2022 Bolivarian Games, where Colombia finished in third place, Profeta was named in the Colombian under-17 squad for friendlies ahead of the 2023 South American U-17 Championship.[6] He was named captain of the side for the tournament, but his performances failed to impress as Colombia were knocked out in the first round, finishing bottom of their group with only one point.[6]

Venezuela

In July 2023, it was reported that Profeta had switched his international allegiance to Venezuela, accepting an early approach from the Venezuelan Football Federation (FVF) to represent the nation at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup.[6][7] This was confirmed on 31 July by the FVF, when Profeta was called up to a training camp at the National High Performance Center on Margarita Island.[8] The following month Profeta stated in an interview with Colombian radio network RCN Radio that, despite "taking advantage of the personal opportunity that Vinotinto [had given] him", he had not closed the door to a potential call-up by Colombia in future.[9]

His first action with the Venezuela under-17 side came at a friendly youth tournament in Niigata, Japan, where Venezuela beat the under-18 side of Turkish side Galatasaray, the Turkey under-17 national team, the Japan under-17 national team, a representative side from the Niigata Prefecture and the New Zealand under-17 national team to win the tournament.[10] Despite his earlier comments, in which he stated that he could one day represent Colombia in future, he stated in an October 2023 interview that "Colombia is already the past, that is already behind us" and that he was "building a new future" with Venezuela.[11]

Senior

Profeta made his international debut for Venezuela on 11 December 2023, coming on as a second-half substitute for Jesús Bueno in a 1–0 friendly loss to Colombia.

Style of play

A versatile player, Profeta is capable of playing as a defensive midfielder, central defender, left-back or winger.[10][12]

Career statistics

Club

As of 24 December 2023.[13]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Deportivo Cali 2023 Categoría Primera A 2000–0020
Career total 2000000020
Notes

    International

    As of matches played 24 December 2023.
    National teamYearAppsGoals
    Venezuela 202310
    Total10

    References

    1. 1 2 Nicola Profeta at WorldFootball.net
    2. ↑ Ariza, Diego (17 March 2023). "Él es Nicola Profeta: capitán de la selección Colombia sub-17 que jugaría para Italia" [This is Nicola Profeta: captain of the Colombia under-17 team who would play for Italy]. infobae.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 November 2023.
    3. ↑ Torres, Eudo (26 July 2023). "Nicola Profeta, capitán de la Sub-17 de Colombia, jugará con Vinotinto" [Nicola Profeta, captain of the Colombian U-17, will play with Vinotinto]. radiofeyalegrianoticias.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 November 2023.
    4. 1 2 3 "El Profeta del fútbol" [The football prophet]. blog.cambridgecali.edu.co (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 November 2023.
    5. ↑ "Nadie es 'Profeta' en su tierra…" [Nobody is a prophet in their own land…]. solovenex.com (in Spanish). 20 March 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
    6. 1 2 3 "Nicola Profeta, capitán de Colombia sub 17, jugaría con Venezuela" [Nicola Profeta, captain of Colombia sub 17, would play with Venezuela]. colombia.as.com (in Spanish). 22 July 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
    7. ↑ "Colombia perdería una de sus joyas: muy cerca de cambiar de Selección" [Colombia would lose one of its jewels: very close to changing the National Team]. futbolred.com (in Spanish). 22 July 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
    8. ↑ "FVF confirmó que Nicola Profeta se sumará a la convocatoria de la Vinotinto Sub-17" [FVF confirmed that Nicola Profeta will join the Vinotinto U-17 squad]. mazo4f.com (in Spanish). 31 July 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
    9. ↑ "Nicola Profeta: "Nunca le cierro la puerta a Colombia, ni Venezuela, ni en ningún otro lado"" [Nicola Profeta: "I never close the door to Colombia, nor Venezuela, nor anywhere else"]. pasionxeldeporte.com (in Spanish). 9 August 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
    10. 1 2 Puerto, Guillermo (19 September 2023). "Nicola Profeta, el canterano campeón con Venezuela" [Nicola Profeta, the youth champion with Venezuela]. futbolete.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 November 2023.
    11. ↑ "Nicola Profeta: "Colombia ya es pasado, eso ya quedó atrás"" [Nicola Profeta: "Colombia is already in the past, that is already behind us"]. laligadelostalentos.com (in Spanish). 24 October 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
    12. ↑ Puerto, Guillermo (18 October 2023). "Deportivo Cali: ¡Es el momento de Nicola Profeta!" [Deportivo Cali: It's Nicola Profeta's time!]. futbolete.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 November 2023.
    13. ↑ Nicola Profeta at Soccerway
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