Adin Licina has taken centre stage in Serie B — and barely weeks into his loan adventure at Cremonese, he has already earned recognition that confirms the speed and quality of his development. The German-born trequartista, born in 2007 and currently on a straight loan from Juventus with no purchase option, will receive the Premio Gianluca Vialli — named in honour of the former Juventus and Sampdoria captain — for the best young talent in Serie B. The ceremony takes place in Rimini on Tuesday 6 October at 18:30, as part of a wider awards event co-organised by AIC, AIAC Emilia Romagna, and the Rimini municipality, with the support of the Vialli family and in collaboration with Rai Sport and Radio TV Serie A.
A Start to the Season That Has Answered Every Question
The recognition arrives after an opening to the season that has settled, definitively, the question of whether Licina was ready for adult professional football. Having spent the first part of 2026 in the Juventus Next Gen in Serie C — after arriving from Bayern Munich’s academy in January — he stepped up to Serie B in the final days of August with all the pressure that a much-discussed transfer and a competitive environment can impose on a 19-year-old.
His response has been exceptional. A spectacular goal in the Coppa Italia against former Juventus player Daffara’s Parma. A goal and an assist in the Serie B fixture against Padova, contributing to a 3-1 victory for Cremonese. A first touch in the Cesena match that went viral across Italian social media within minutes — an instinctive, technically absurd piece of skill that captured everything worth capturing about a player of his profile. The Vialli award, announced this week, is the formal institutional recognition of what supporters, managers, and scouts had already seen.
Juventus’s Plan — Confirmed and Working Perfectly
The decision to send Licina to Cremonese without a purchase option was deliberate, strategic, and designed precisely for this moment. Juventus retained complete contractual control. Napoli, who had made a concrete permanent approach during the summer, were rejected without hesitation. The loan to a club with genuine promotion ambitions in a competitive Serie B environment — under manager Fabio Pecchia — was identified as the development context that most closely replicates what Licina will face at the Continassa in the not-too-distant future.
The plan, barely a month in, is working exactly as designed. The goal is to have him ready to compete for a first-team place under Spalletti by the summer of 2027. The Vialli award is not the destination — it is one early confirmation that the trajectory is correct.
The Award’s Wider Context
Other prizes at the Rimini ceremony include the Legend Award to Roberto Mancini, the Goleador Award to Pio Esposito, the Amico del Cuore Award to Fabrizio Ravanelli — a familiar name in this session — and the Sports Journalism Award to Alessandro Antinelli. The Young Talent Award for Serie C goes to Gioacchino Barranco of Vis Pesaro. Licina, representing Serie B, is in distinguished company — and at 19, he is the youngest recipient of the evening.
