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Michele Rocca (born 6 February 1996) is an Italian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Serie B side Latina on loan from Serie A club Sampdoria.
Club career
Born in Milan, Lombardy, Rocca is a youth product of F.C. Internazionale Milano. He was a member of their under-16 side in the National Allievi League (Lega Pro Group). Rocca was signed by Serie B club Novara on a temporary deal on 22 August 2012. He represented their under-17 team in the National Allievi League (Serie A and Serie B Group). The loan was renewed on 9 August 2013. Rocca returned to play for Inter's Primavera side in the 2014–15 Campionato Nazionale Primavera season.
Sampdoria
On 31 August 2015, he was signed by fellow Serie A club Sampdoria for €400,000 fee. Rocca was afforded the number 92 shirt by Sampdoria. On 28 September 2015, he made his Serie A debut in a 2–1 away defeat to Atalanta at Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia. Rocca was one of twelve players included on the bench for Sampdoria when they faced Milan in the Round of 16 of the Coppa Italia on 17 December 2015.
Lanciano (loan)
On 1 February 2016, Sampdoria announced that Rocca had signed a short-term loan with Serie B outfit Lanciano. His first start for I Frentani came five days later in a 0−2 away victory at Vicenza in the league; of which he played 62 minutes before being replaced by ex-Juventus midfielder Manuel Giandonato. Rocca would receive his first yellow card of his senior club career in a 2–0 away league loss to Spezia on 20 February 2016. His eighteenth appearance for the club came in their 1−4 home thrashing by Salernitana in the 2015–16 Serie B Relegation Play-out first-leg. Rocca was included in the starting lineup for the return leg on 8 June at Stadio Arechi in which Salernitana won by a single goal scored by ex-Parma striker Massimo Coda (with the game finishing 5–1 on aggregate to the home side) thus relegating Virtus Lanciano to Lega Pro.
Latina (loan)
In July 2016, Serie B side Latina announced that they had signed both Rocca and Gabriele Rolando from Sampdoria on loan, with an option to purchase the pair on permanent deals.