Ivan Provedel was born on March 17, 1994 in Pordenone.
He started playing football as a forward in the Pordenone youth teams. But what he really wanted to be was a goalkeeper so he left and went to play for Liapiave, the only team willing to try him out in that position. In 2010 he signed for Udinese and reached the primavera team. After two years he moved to Chievo Verona.
In the next four seasons he was loaned to four different teams: Pisa in Lega Pro First Division (the former Serie C1), Perugia, Modena and Pro Vercelli in Serie B. In 2017 he was sold to Empoli who were playing in Serie B. They won promotion but he missed the last four months of activity due to injury. He came back and debuted in Serie A against Frosinone on October 21, 2018. By February he lost his place in the first eleven. Empoli were relegated but he stayed on. The lack of playing time translated into a loan to Juve Stabia in January 2020, for six months. Here, on February 7, he scored a goal in the final minutes of Juve Stabia-Ascoli, thus joining the limited group of goalkeepers who have scored goals. It would not be his last either.
In October 2020 he was sold to Spezia and immediately debuted with his new team. He stayed two years in Liguria, until he signed for Lazio in August 2022.
Theoretically he was supposed to be backup goalkeeper to Luis Maximiano, but the Portuguese made a terrible mistake on his debut. After just a few minutes he saved a ball with his hands outside the penalty box. He was sent off and in came Ivan Provedel. He never left and took over the goal for the Biancocelesti. He did very well and was elected best goalkeeper of the season. Not surprisingly with 21 clean sheets. The Biancocelesti came second and qualified for the Champions League.
One of the highlights of his career occurred on September 19, 2023, in Lazio’s first game in the top European competition against Atletico Madrid. Minute 94, Lazio were behind. The referee let Lazio take a corner since injury time was four minutes but almost over. Danilo Cataldi took it and sent the ball towards the front post. Mario Hermoso looked as if he controlled it with his hands and the Olimpico cried out for a penalty. Ball back to Cataldi who passed to Luis Alberto, on the left, just outside the box.
At this point, Ivan Provedel, who had gone forward for the last desperate attempt, started thinking “he is going to cross on the far post, he always does that”. Luis Alberto stopped the ball and crossed into the box.
Provedel had quietly followed all the Spaniard’s moves and knew just exactly what he had to do. The Atlético defenders were not watching him, as a matter of fact, they did not even see him, Ivan was invisible.
The ball was in the air and Provedel, like an experienced centre-forward, went for it. His header beat Jan Oblak. Lazio 1 Atletico 1.
This goal became iconic and went viral all over the world. Provedel was the first goalkeeper to score for Lazio since Lucidio Sentimenti IV, but was the first keeper ever to score in open play (Sentimenti IV took penalties). Only three other goalkeepers have scored in the Champions League: Hans-Jorg Butt, who scored three penalties, all against Juventus, Sinan Bolat, the only other keeper to score in open play in a 2009 game between Standard Liège and AZ Alkmaar, and Vincent Enyeama who scored on a penalty for Hapoel Tel Aviv in a defeat to Olympique Lyonnais in 2010.
He continued to play well in the 2023-24 season and though he did make a couple of serious mistakes, his contribution was always optimal. He suffered a serious injury in the home game against Udinese and was out for a couple of months.
Provedel is an excellent goalkeeper. Reactive, quick, consistent. A great signing for Lazio. In February 2024 he extended his contract until 2027.
Lazio Career (updated October 18, 2024)
Season | Games (goals) | Serie A | Coppa Italia | Champions League | Europa League | Conference League | Super Coppa |
2022-23 | 45 | 38 | | - | 6 | 1 | - |
2023-24 | 40 (1) | 30 | 1 | 8 (1) | - | - | 1 |
2024-25 | 8 | 7 | - | - | 1 | - | - |
Total | 93 (1) | 75 | 1 | 8 (1) | 7 | 1 | 1 |
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