The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Super Dario all smiles after Italians scupper Auld Enemy in final
It is a good week to be in possession of an Italian passport.
And to also score your first goal for a new club?
Little wonder Dario Zanatta’s smile sparkled like the Henri Delaunay Trophy in the aftermath of Raith Rovers’ 4-0 win over Brechin.
Although a proud Canadian – coming through the ranks at Vancouver Whitecaps before moving to Scotland to join Hearts in August 2015 – his father’s side of the family are as Italian as they come.
His dad Dante hails from the outskirts of Milan, sparking Dario’s fandom of the Rossoneri, but moved across the Atlantic in the 1960s to start a new life on Vancouver Island.
Nevertheless, Zanatta’s allegiances were clear when Italy defeated England on penalties to win Euro 2020 on Sunday night.
“I watched it in town with a few friends and managed to get a bit of the atmosphere,” the 24-year-old told Courier Sport.
“It was a bit of a rollercoaster and the nerves were going when Italy conceded so early.
“But they showed their quality in the end and the right team won the trophy.
“My father’s side of the family are all Italian so I am genuinely half-italian. I have my Italian passport so I can wave that when people accuse me of being a glory-hunter!
“Dad is as calm as they come. I think, living in Canada, he is aware there’s not much he can do. But we Facetimed after the game and, of course, he was absolutely delighted.
“I’ve seen Italy win the World Cup when I was younger and now the European Championships.
“Not many people can say that about a country that means so much to them, so I’m proud of that.”
He added: “That rivalry between Scotland and England fans is a little bit like being Canadian and looking at the Americans – it’s all about them – so it was nice for the Italians to bring them down a peg or two.”
Whether he had an extra spring in his step after watching Giorgio Chiellini clutching silverware at Wembley, Brechin City found the winger utterly impossible to contain on Tuesday night.
Drifting in from the left flank and causing havoc with his direct running, Zanatta scored the third goal of the game and was a constant threat throughout a one-sided contest.
“Watching Italy win the Euros then scoring my first goal of this spell made for a pretty enjoyable couple of days,” added Zanatta, who did find the net six times during a loan stint with Rovers in 2017-18.
“It wasn’t the cleanest I’ve ever scored and it took a little deflection – but it’s a goal and I’m off the mark. We could’ve scored six on the night and, just like in all of our pre-season games, we are creating lots of chances. It’s just about cashing in on those.”