The rise of Chiesa:
FEDERICO ALMOST QUIT FOOTBALL BUT JUVEN NTUS PAL RONALDO HAS SHOWN HIM HOW TO REACH TOP YOUNGSTER IS ADDING STARDUST TO AZZURRI
He is the magician who bends it like Beckham or pulls a rabbit from the hat like Bergkamp every time he is unleashed atWembley. And sorcerer’s apprentice Federico Chiesa’s journey to the Euros final with Italy was inspired by the conjurer who casts spells around him every week at Juventus – Cristiano Ronaldo.
Chiesa’s star turn for the Azzurri is not just keeping it in the family after his father, Enrico, scored at the same tournament 25 years earlier.
He is now the face of 60 million dreams in every shade of azure blue.
The 23-year-old came off the bench to inspire Italy’s 2-1 win against Austria in the last 16 with a stunning goal straight from the Magic Circle’s juggling manual: head-trap, right foot, left foot, bang. It was reminiscent of Dennis Bergkamp’s quarter-final winner for Holland against Argentina at the 1998World Cup – pure class.
And when Italy spent much of their return to Wembley on the back foot in Tuesday night’s thriller with Spain, it was Chiesa who sprinkled stardust on a thunderous semi-final.When Leonardo daVinci mixed vivid colours on a
canvas, when Luciano
Pavarotti cleared his throat for a recital of Nessun Dorma, and when they built that tower in Pisa without using a spirit level, none was more artistic than Chiesa’s bending, spellbinding effort to break the impasse.
A chip off the old block? Chiesa’s dad capped a fine move to score against Czech Republic at Euro 96, but the rising son’s was even better than that.
He pulled up with cramp in extra-time but exhaustion did not prevent him from dedicating his goal and Italy’s success in the penalty shoot-out, to his teammate Leonardo Spinazzola, whose tournament ended after he ruptured an Achilles tendon in the quarter-final against Belgium.
“Without a doubt it was the best night of my career,” said Chiesa.
“Playing for my country in matches like these, representing 60 million people out there, is an unbelievable dream and I would never have imagined it. I’m very proud to have scored another goal at this tournament like my dad, and I dedicate this win to Leonardo. We hope we can give him satisfaction in the final, too.
“It was a very tough game in the semi-final and Spain are a top team, but we’ve proved to be a strong group and now we have a few days to recover.”
Chiesa admits he was once close to giving up on his dream of being a professional footballer before he broke into the first team at Fiorentina.
He told Italian magazine Undici: “For two or three years I struggled to get any playing time because my physique was not as developed as others of my age.
“When you are 14 or 15 years old, it feels like this desperate disappointment.
“I thought many times about giving up, but my family always believed in me and, ultimately, so did I.
“When I wasn’t playing, I would try to think, ‘I’ll play in the next one’. Working hard in training really did pay off, it’s the motivation that got me to Serie A and makes me want to improve week by week now.
“It’s the same attitude as Cristiano Ronaldo.
“An exemplary professional like him proves if you want to reach the top and stay there, every tiny detail is crucial.”
Playing for Italy is an unbelievable dream