Bubacarr Marong

Italian football player

Bubacarr Marong
Personal information
Date of birth (2000-01-10) 10 January 2000 (age 24)[1]
Place of birth Sanchaba, Serekunda, The Gambia[1][2]
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Palermo
Youth career
2017–2018 Parmonval
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2019 Parmonval 30 (0)
2019– Palermo 13 (0)
2022–2023 → Gelbison (loan) 13 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14 July 2023

Bubacarr Marong (born 10 January 2000) is a Gambian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Italian Serie B club Palermo.

Club career

Marong reached Italy in 2017 as a refugee from his native Gambia, reaching the Sicilian coast of Trapani after having spent months in Libya to save enough money to pay for the sailing trip.[3] He was then relocated to Palermo, where he was noticed by Salvatore Tedesco, a former footballer and brother of Giacomo and Giovanni Tedesco, as well as Paolo Calafiore, head coach of Eccellenza amateurs Parmonval, based in the Palermo neighbourhood of Mondello, who eventually signed him, and with whom he played 30 games.[3]

In 2019, following Palermo's exclusion from professional football and the club being readmitted to Serie D under a new property, he was signed by the Rosanero for the 2019–20 season, during which he however failed in making his debut; despite that, he was confirmed by Palermo for the club's upcoming Serie C season.

On 11 April 2021, Marong finally made his debut on a Rosanero shirt under head coach Giacomo Filippi, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2020–21 Serie C league game against Vibonese.[4] He was subsequently featured consistently for the ending part of the season, including all of the four promotion playoff games; his performances won him a new four-year professional contract, which he signed in August 2021.[5][6]

On 29 July 2022, he was loaned out to newly-promoted Serie C club Gelbison.[7]

After the loan deal with Gelbison ended, Marong returned to Palermo and was included as part of the Primavera Under-19 squad for the season.[8]

Career statistics

Club

As of 23 December 2021[9][1]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Palermo 2019–20 Serie D 0 0 0 0 — 0 0
2020–21 Serie C 5 0 — 4[a] 0 9 0
2021–22 4 0 3[10] 0 0 0 7 0
Total 9 0 3 0 4 0 16 0
Career total 9 0 3 0 4 0 16 0
  1. ^ All appearance(s) in promotion play-offs.

References

  1. ^ a b c "MARONG BUBACARR" (in Italian). TuttoCalciatori. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  2. ^ "BUBACARR MARONG" (in Italian). Palermo F.C. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Dal Gambia al sogno in maglia rosanero: la storia di Bubacarr Marong" (in Italian). TifosiPalermo.it. 11 April 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  4. ^ "Calciomercato Serie C, Palermo: Marong rinnova fino al 2024" (in Italian). ForzaPalermo.it. 11 April 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  5. ^ "Palermo, Marong rinnova fino al 2024" (in Italian). CalcioRosanero.it. 12 August 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Calciomercato Serie C, Palermo: Marong rinnova fino al 2024" (in Italian). Corriere dello Sport - Stadio. 13 August 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2021.
  7. ^ "MARONG ALLA GELBISON" (in Italian). Palermo FC. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  8. ^ "Palermo, Marong torna in campo con la Primavera: "Credici, il tempo cambia tutto"" (in Italian). Ilovepalermocalcio.com. 24 September 2023. Retrieved 24 October 2023.
  9. ^ "B. Marong". Soccerway.
  10. ^ Coppa Italia Serie C. [1][2][3]
  • v
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Palermo FC – current squad