Antonio Arena, who is the striker born in 2009 who scored goals in the Italian Cup against Torino

Service info immediately. Antonio Arena, 16 years old, Italian-Australian, Roma striker scored against Torino in the round of 16 match of the Italian Cup and the U17 national team. Now, the investitures. Number one: Silvio Baldini, coach of the U21 national team and former Pescara player, without half measures: “You will hear about him, he will lead the way”. Number two: Gian Piero Gasperini, Roma coach. Here he is already at the start of the championship: “He intrigued me in training and therefore, seeing as there is room on the bench, I will bring him to start getting to know him better”. The contexts. Baldini praised him after Pescara-Lucchese on March 8th, a night to remember: debut and goal in Serie C, first in 2009 to score in the pros, beating Verratti’s record for precociousness in the Abruzzo shirt. He was 16 years and 25 days old. He’ll say, “This is amazing, I still don’t believe it.” To understand the significance, when Amedeo Amadei scored the youngest goal ever, he was only 103 days younger than him. Gasp’s words are more recent. In the conference before Roma-Pisa they asked him: why Antonio Arena? Well, here’s why. Another record: first class of 2009 called up to Serie A.

antonio arena, 2009 predestined

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In November Arena was at the World Cup in Qatar with the U17s, scoring two goals and an assist which contributed to the Italians’ third place. Antonio, as mentioned, is half Italian and half Australian. He owes his blue passport to his paternal grandparents, father Antonino’s parents (at the Olimpico on the day of his son’s first goal for the Giallorossi), who left Taurianova (near Reggio Calabria) and flew to Australia. There, precisely in Sydney, his climb begins. The first steps in Ucchino Football, then Sydney Wanderers where he was noticed by the Pescara scouts in 2022. And off to an intercontinental flight. For the series: I give up everything and go to Europe. All according to plan, to be honest. “I always enjoyed playing football and when things got more serious, my family and I decided that I would come to Europe to try a new experience,” he said in an interview a few years ago. The year was 2023, the rest is recent history: debut and goal in Serie C, the move from Pescara to Roma, the first bench in Serie A, the national team and, now, the first goal in the Italian Cup. Last summer everyone wanted him, in Italy and abroad, including teams from his beloved Premier League. Roma won. And how much Gasperini likes him as he has spoken well of him since the beginning of the year and calls him up more and more often, even if his reference championship (until now) was the Primavera in which he had already scored 5 goals so far.

who is antonio arena, roma striker

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What player is Antonio Arena? He is an attacker and has both 9 and 11 characteristics. He is physically strong, attacks space, manages the game, leaves his mark and scores goals. And zero fear. As a child he studied Ronaldo the Phenomenon, today he remembers another Ronaldo, CR7, the Portuguese one. For certain movements on the pitch, and above all for the dedication to work: “For me football is dedication, sacrifice, passion”. He lacks nothing. Arena is a football nerd, the classic front row student. Training is never enough, if there is a free day he goes to the gym to build muscles and in fact in terms of physicality compared to his peers he is light years ahead. So, football nerd. And in any case he doesn’t do badly at school either. After the goal against Lucchese, he spoke to the Gazzetta like this: “We play away against Pontedera on Tuesday, I hope I don’t have to be questioned.” Honorable mention for Italian, a language unknown to him until 2023 which he speaks great today. Also because he already knows how it will end. Listen to him: “I dream of playing in Serie A, the Champions League and even the World Cup.”