On June 14, 1996, Enrico Chiesa scored for his Italy in the European Championship group stage match against the Czech Republic. A little over 25 years later, it was the son’s turn.
In the round of 16 against Austria, Federico Chiesa was replaced with a few minutes left of regular time. Five minutes into the ensuing extra time, Chiesa received a high pass with his face – a maneuver that did not look completely controlled. Despite that, the 23-year-old quickly got the ball in order and thundered masterfully into Italy’s lead goal in a match the team eventually won 2-1.
The goal was not only the first of the match – it also meant that Federico Chiesa and father Enrico Chiesa are the first father-and-son duo to score in a European Championship.
– It’s unbelieveble. I can not describe in words how it felt to score a goal for the national team and to be part of playing in the European Championships. It feels fantastic, said Federico Chiesa in the victory interview after the match.
– Enrico Chiesa scored in the 1996 European Championships.
Foto: Mary Evans/Allstar/Richard Sellers/TT
That Chiesa the younger would someday wear the national team jersey was not unexpected. Dad Enrico Chiesa, born in 1970, was not only a striker in big clubs such as Sampdoria, Parma, Fiorentina and Lazio – he was for several years around the turn of the millennium also in the Italian national team. His son Federico Chiesa, who grew up in Florence and graduated from Fiorentina’s academy, has in turn long been seen as one of the country’s greatest football talents.
Former Argentine attacking star Hernan Crespo, who played with Enrico Chiesa in Parma, has said that he saw early on that there was talent in Federico Chiesa.
– I’ve seen him play in their garden since he was little. It’s unbelievable, he has exactly the same style of play as his father, Crespo said in an interview a couple of years ago according to Uefa.
At the same time, Chiesa in this championship has started three of four matches from the bench. Federal captain Roberto Mancini has on the right wing – the big star Lorenzo Insigne is given on the left – instead chosen Sassuolo’s Domenico Berardi, who comes from a great season in the Italian top league.
But after the goal in the round of 16 The question of which of Chiesa or Berardi will be allowed to start the quarter-finals in Munich is one of those that is now being intensely debated among Italy’s more than 60 million inhabitants. According to the newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport, Chiesa’s speed will be one of Italy’s main weapons against Belgium and Sky Sport Italia reported on Wednesday that Chiesa was in the expected starting eleven of the training.
However, national team captain Roberto Mancini has not yet revealed his choice. Chiesa himself has been diplomatic in his answers to the press.
– We all want to show our qualities and do our best for the national team. These are our childhood dreams. The coach chooses eleven of us, but as I said before, we are 26 first-class players, he told Uefa after the round of 16.
– It will be a fantastic evening for us. We’re just trying to live in the moment, Chiesa continued about the quarterfinals.
– Belgium’s Yuri Tielemans is looking forward to the quarter-final against Italy.
Photo: John Thys / AFP
For Belgium is very much about the preparations for the quarterfinals about a fight against the clock. The big stars Kevin de Bruyne and Eden Hazard were both injured in the round of 16 against Portugal and neither of them has been able to train with the rest of the team. It is unclear if any of them will be in Friday’s starting eleven.
According to Fifa’s points system, Belgium is ranked number one in the world. But the nation has never before beaten Italy in a championship.
– I know their midfielders and have played against some of them. Italy has many qualities and I look forward to the battle for midfield. May the best team win, said Belgian midfielder Yuri Tielemans at Wednesday’s press conference.
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