Nicolo Zaniolo, at 20 years old, is not just any good player of the Roma. The midfielder is also the future promise of the Giallorossi, one of the top talents in Italy and someone who some fans already see as the “new” Francesco Totti. But now Zaniolo is experiencing the first major setback of his career.
Not only was it the top match of the 19th Serie A matchday, but it was also a high-quality battle and a drama about two players. While reigning champions Juventus hijacked the points from Rome 2-1, two of the professionals suffered serious knee injuries: Juve defender Merih Demiral (21) and Nicolo Zaniolo (20).
But even though the loss is serious for the currently really good Turkish central defender, it is mainly his AS opponent who is in the headlines. Zaniolo is not only the figurehead of the Giallorossi (contract until 2024), but also an important building block for the future in the Squadra Azzurra trained by Roberto Mancini.
Tears in the eyes, comfort from the colleagues
But all these hopes were put on the back burner in the 32nd minute on Sunday evening. After a great solo, which the celebrated young professional, who came from Inter Milan’s U19s in 2018 for a meagre 4.5 million euros, was followed by a yellow card tackle for Turin’s defensive corner Matthijs de Ligt before tears welled up in Zaniolo’s eyes. The energetic Italian apparently knew immediately that he had been seriously injured. Even during the transport, where he received encouraging words from his colleague Alessandro Florenzi or the sportsmen Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala, the midfielder slapped his hands in front of his face. The diagnosis followed in the evening: cruciate ligament rupture including months of forced rest.
“A rocky road” towards EURO 2020
For the playmaker, who has already played 24 times in the current season and is directly involved in eight goals, the season will in all probability end prematurely and the European Championship dream is therefore history. But his mother, Francesca Costa, who is popular on the Italian boulevard and on Instagram, is directly spreading hope.
In a note, “Mamma Zaniolo”, who had hurried to her offspring in the clinic that very evening, wrote: “He immediately felt the crack and knew it was something bad. But now (after the operation; editor’s note) he is already much better, he laughs and makes jokes. He is himself again. All the encouraging news that he received helped a lot and rebuilt him. The most touching message came from Mancini who said: ‘I’m waiting for you. Coaches Paulo Fonseca, Luka Modric, Mario Balotelli, Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci have also been close to him, Florenzi has even visited the hospital during the night”.
She also spread hope: “Nicolo is handling the situation well now. He told me that such things can always happen and that such negative experiences strengthen you. And of course he wants to continue to be at EURO 2020 at all costs – even though he knows that it will be a rocky road.
