He received his Italian passport in May 2009, which eliminated the need to obtain a work permit, thus making him a more appealing potential signing for European clubs.

[1] Cervi was drafted by the Chicago Fire with the twelfth overall pick of the 2008 MLS SuperDraft,[citation needed] but he did not sign for the club after rejecting a $32,000 contract offer from Major League Soccer.

[10] Cervi was named in the United States national team's 21-man World Cup Qualifying roster for the home-and-home series with Barbados on June 15 and 22, 2008.

[citation needed] Cervi is eligible to only represent the United States internationally due to his appearances against Honduras and Turkey.

[citation needed] Despite having a number of call-ups to his name, Cervi never appeared in a match for the senior national team of the United States.

[citation needed] After leaving Celtic, Cervi studied at the University of Denver and graduated with a degree in Finance and Accounting.