Who Is Federico Bernardeschi, the Serie B Forward Called Up by Italy?

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: April 24, 2014

commentComment        

For a man who grew up in Italy’s so-called City of Marble, Gigi Buffon certainly has a soft side. The Juventus goalkeeper is fiercely proud of his roots in Carrara, a small community in the north-west of the peninsula known primarily for its rock quarries. He even owns the local football team, Carrarese, which he used to support as a boy.

So when Buffon heard that another Carrara native had been called up to train with the Italian national team last week, he struggled to contain his excitement. The moment the goalkeeper set eyes on Federico Bernardeschi, he wrapped him up in a giant bear hug. He would repeat that gesture several more times before the end of the two-day camp.

Bernardeschi could scarcely believe what was happening (quotes in Italian). Before this call-up he had been a relative nobody, just some 20-year-old kid who had never played a game in the top flight and was now out on loan at Crotone in Serie B.

He was enjoying a productive season, for sure, scoring eight goals for the Calabrian side as it pushed for promotion to the top flight. But most casual Italian football fans had never even heard of him. Now one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time was welcoming him like an old friend.

Together, they reminisced about Carrara, about growing up by the seaside and in the shadow of the Apuan Alps. Recalling those conversations in an interview with Italian-language newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport later in the week, Bernardeschi expressed gratitude that such an experienced veteran would even be willing to spend time talking to an unknown player such as himself.

Then again, perhaps Buffon was just keeping one step ahead of the rest of us. Because if Cesare Prandelli is correct, then Bernardeschi’s talents will not stay a secret for very much longer. Asked during a press conference last week about his decision to call up the youngster, the Italy manager insisted that this was no marketing m...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - International Football

Latest News


Comments

Comments are closed.

Sponsors

Bruins Tickets The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Red Wings Tickets The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.

Penguins Tickets The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New York Rangers Tickets play their home games at Madison Square Garden, they are one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise, and are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six.

San Jose Sharks Tickets The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States.

Toronto Maple Leafs Tickets The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New Jersey Devils Tickets The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Washington Capitals Tickets The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C.

Buffalo Sabres Tickets The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League. Get the Sabres and all of your NHL Tickets here.

NASCAR season is on of the most attended sports in the world. NASCAR Tickets to the best tracks is a must every year. Some of these tracks are: Talladega Tickets, Lowes Motor Speedway Tickets, Pocono Raceway Tickets, located in Ridgeway Virginia you have Martinsville Speedway Tickets and southern US you have two of the most popular Atlanta Motor Speedway Tickets and Texas Motor Speedway Tickets. Don't miss all the racing events this year!

Boston Red Sox Tickets The Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since 1912, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. This is one of the hottest MLB Tickets sales of any team in the major league.

New York Yankees Tickets The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division. Get tickets to one of the hottest games of the season Yankees Red Sox Tickets.

Chicago Cubs Tickets The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League.

Phillies Tickets The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883.

Orioles Tickets The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Do you love wrestling? Get your WWE Tickets and WWE Survivor Series Tickets today!