Gianni Bruno (born 19 August 1991) is a Belgian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Turkish club Eyüpspor.[1]

Gianni Bruno
Bruno with Krylia Sovetov in 2016
Personal information
Date of birth (1991-08-19) 19 August 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth Rocourt, Belgium
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
Eyüpspor
Number 99
Youth career
1996–2000 Liège
2000–2007 Standard Liège
2007–2011 Lille
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2014 Lille 23 (1)
2013–2014Bastia (loan) 31 (8)
2014–2017 Evian TG 38 (5)
2014–2015Lorient (loan) 12 (1)
2016–2017Krylia Sovetov (loan) 28 (7)
2017–2019 Cercle Brugge 46 (16)
2019–2021 Zulte Waregem 61 (29)
2021–2023 Gent 9 (1)
2022–2023Sint-Truiden (loan) 30 (18)
2023– Eyüpspor 37 (18)
International career
2005 Belgium U15 5 (1)
2006–2007 Belgium U16 11 (3)
2007–2008 Belgium U17 11 (3)
2008–2009 Belgium U18 6 (3)
2009–2010 Belgium U19 14 (7)
2010 Belgium U20 1 (0)
2010–2012 Belgium U21 8 (3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 27 September 2024

Club career

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Early career

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Bruno was born in Rocourt, a local town in the city of Liège, to Italian parents. As a result, he possesses dual-nationality.[2] He began his career playing for hometown club FC Liège where his father was a coach.[2] After seven years at the club, after Liège endured financial difficulties, Bruno moved to one of the biggest clubs in the country Standard Liège. He spent seven years at Standard and was a two-time national champion at under-12 and under-17 level with the club.[2] Towards the end of his tenure at Standard, Bruno featured with the club's reserve team in a match against Anderlecht. Despite receiving a professional contract offer from Standard, Bruno departed the club to join Lille in France. He justified departing the club citing France's better training methods and Lille's close proximity to his home in Belgium.[2]

Lille

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Bruno began his career at Lille in the club's youth academy in Luchin. After two years in the club's academy, during the 2008–09 season, he began playing on the club's reserve team in the Championnat de France amateur, the fourth level of French football.[3] Bruno was promoted to the reserve team full-time in the following season. He appeared in 27 matches scoring a team-high 11 goals.[4] After playing the 2010–11 season with the reserve team,[5] on 8 June 2011, Bruno signed his first professional contract agreeing to a one-year deal with Lille.[6] He was, subsequently, promoted to the senior team by manager Rudi Garcia and assigned the number 19 shirt.

Bruno made his professional debut on 11 January 2012 appearing as a substitute in a 2–1 defeat to Lyon in the Coupe de la Ligue.[7] Fours days later, he made his league debut appearing as a substitute in another defeat, this time to Marseille.[8]

Bruno was sent on loan to Bastia for the 2013–14 season.[9]

Evian

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At the beginning of the 2014–15 season, Bruno joined Evian Thonon Gaillard on a five-year contract.[10] A few months later, he was loaned to fellow Ligue 1 team FC Lorient.[11]

Cercle Brugge

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On 3 July 2017, Cercle Brugge announced the transfer of Gianni to the organization.[12] He signed a contract for one season.

Gent and STVV

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On 11 June 2021, after scoring 20 goals in the previous season for Zulte Waregem, Bruno joined Gent on a three-year contract,[13] but only scored one league goal in his first season at the Buffalos.

On 11 July 2022, Bruno moved on a season-long loan to Sint-Truiden,[14] scoring 18 league goals in his debut season with the Canaries, a new one-season club record, surpassing Désiré Mbonabucya, Yuma Suzuki and Eddy Koens.[15]

Eyüpspor

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On 14 August 2023, Bruno moved to Eyüpspor in the second-tier TFF First League.[16]

International career

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Bruno is a Belgian youth international and has played for all levels for which he has been eligible. In total with the Belgian youth international teams, he has attained 59 caps and scored 33 goals.[2]

Career statistics

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As of match played 13 January 2024[17]
Club Season League National cup[a] League cup[b] Europe Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Lille 2011–12 Ligue 1 10 1 2 1 1 0 0 0 13 2
2012–13 Ligue 1 13 0 1 0 2 1 2[c] 1 18 2
Total 23 1 3 1 3 1 2 1 31 4
Bastia (loan) 2013–14 Ligue 1 31 8 2 0 0 0 33 8
Evian TG 2014–15 Ligue 1 17 1 0 0 1 0 18 1
2015–16 Ligue 2 21 4 1 0 2 0 24 4
Total 38 5 1 0 3 0 42 5
Lorient (loan) 2014–15 Ligue 1 12 1 12 1
Krylia Sovetov (loan) 2015–16 Russian Premier League 11 2 0 0 11 2
2016–17 Russian Premier League 17 5 0 0 17 5
Total 28 7 0 0 28 7
Cercle Brugge 2017–18 Belgian First Division B 12 3 2 0 14 3
2018–19 Belgian Pro League 34 13 1 0 35 13
Total 46 16 3 0 49 16
Zulte Waregem 2019–20 Belgian Pro League 27 9 5 3 32 12
2020–21 Belgian Pro League 34 20 1 0 35 20
Total 61 29 6 3 67 32
Gent 2021–22 Belgian Pro League 9 1 2 0 5[d] 2 16 3
Sint-Truiden (loan) 2022–23 Belgian Pro League 30 18 3 2 33 20
Eyüpspor 2023–24 TFF First League 17 9 0 0 17 9
Career total 295 95 20 6 6 1 7 3 328 105

References

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  1. ^ Gianni Bruno at Soccerway
  2. ^ a b c d e "LOSC – Interview Gianni Bruno" (in French). Espoirs du Football. 4 July 2011. Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  3. ^ "Lille Reserve: Saison Football 2008/2009" (in French). Stat2Foot. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  4. ^ "Lille Reserve: Saison Football 2009/2010" (in French). Stat2Foot. Archived from the original on 19 March 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  5. ^ "Lille Reserve: Saison Football 2010/2011" (in French). Stat2Foot. Archived from the original on 9 May 2012. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  6. ^ "Gianni Bruno: "Une grande chance"" (in French). FootLille. 8 June 2011. Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  7. ^ "Lyon v. Lille Match Report" (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 11 January 2012. Archived from the original on 14 April 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  8. ^ "Marseille v. Lille Match Report" (in French). Ligue de Football Professionnel. 15 January 2012. Archived from the original on 5 June 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  9. ^ "Gianni Bruno prêté par le LOSC" (in French). sc-bastia.net. 4 July 2013. Archived from the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 4 July 2013.
  10. ^ "Gianni BRUNO, nouveau joueur de l'ETG FC !" (in French). etgfc.com. 30 July 2014. Archived from the original on 27 December 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  11. ^ "Gianni Bruno prêté au FC Lorient" (in French). fclweb.fr. 15 January 2015. Archived from the original on 16 January 2015. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
  12. ^ "Cercle Brugge: After 10 years former international yought is back". Archived from the original on 9 January 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  13. ^ "BIENVENUE GIANNI!" (in Dutch). K.A.A. Gent. 11 June 2021. Archived from the original on 24 September 2021. Retrieved 11 June 2021.
  14. ^ "Gianni Bruno naar STVV op uitleenbasis" [Gianni Bruno to STVV on loan] (in Dutch). Gent. 11 July 2022. Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  15. ^ "BRUNOOO, BRUNOOO, BRUNOOO!". Sint-Truiden. 21 April 2023. Archived from the original on 30 April 2023. Retrieved 22 April 2023.
  16. ^ "GIANNI BRUNO VERHUIST NAAR TURKIJE" [GIANNI BRUNO MOVES TO TURKEY] (in Dutch). KAA Gent. 14 August 2023. Archived from the original on 14 August 2023. Retrieved 7 September 2023.
  17. ^ Gianni Bruno – French league stats at LFP – also available in French (archived)
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