2015 still in the 4th league
A 2-0 win over Hungary secured European champions Italy first place in Group 3 of the UEFA Nations League A and a place in the semi-finals of next year’s title. At least a small consolation for Roberto Mancini and his team after missing the World Cup. Right-back Pasquale Mazzocchi had a special reason to celebrate as he won at Budapest’s Puskás Aréna. The 27-year-old came on at the beginning of injury time for regular player Giovanni Di Lorenzo (29) – the provisional peak of a special development in the past 14 months.
Mazzocchi, one of the winners in today’s Serie A market value update, where he is up 2 million to 3.5 million euros, is already the 15th debutant in the “Squadra Azzurra” this year – and the first in the History of US Salernitana 1919. Last season, the club from the city in Campania managed to stay up in the league, which had been thought almost impossible, with an impressive run in the second half of the season. Another important factor was Mazzocchi, who only came from direct rivals and later relegated Venezia FC in the winter for a million euros.
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With his speed, his dynamism and, above all, his will, he left his mark on the team coached by Davide Nicola, scored his first Serie A goal in a 2-2 draw on Matchday 5 of the season and shone a week later against record champions Juventus – also 2:2, whereby the “Old Lady” only scored the equalizer in added time, but then did not even win because of a very controversial referee decision. Mazzocchi, nominally right-footed, usually even plays on the left side for Salernitana this season, so there is one more option for national coach Mancini.
“Pasquale Mazzocchi must be one of the most far-sighted footballers ever,” wrote the English Serie A commentator after the Hungary game Patrick Kendrick at Twitter. “Swapped one fight for relegation for another when he left Venezia for Salernitana in January. Venezia got relegated, Salerno stayed in and now he’s an Italy senior – chapeau.”
Esordio in azzurro per Pasquale #Mazzocchi #UngheriaItalia #NationsLeague #National #azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/CpSV6otaZq
— Nazionale Italiana (@Azzurri) September 26, 2022
Italy’s national player Pasquale Mazzocchi: 2015 still in the 4th division
Coming from the youth of Benevento Calcio, Mazzocchi gradually worked his way up – via the Primavera of Hellas Verona, the then fourth and third division AC Bellaria Igea Marina, Pro Piacenza 1919, Rimini and Parma Calcio 1913 to Serie B to the traditional club AC Perugia Calcio. There, the winger was considered a solid second division professional – but again showed will and recommended himself for the ambitious Venezia in a season in which Perugia was almost relegated to Serie C (2019/20).
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“He represented the football that we wanted to embody,” said former sporting director Mattia Collauto at “Tuttoveneziasport.it“ about Mazzocchi. “He was brave, aggressive, didn’t let himself get down in difficulties and in his own way became a leader who was appreciated by everyone, including the fans.” Collauto understands that the Neapolitan-born was sold to Salernitana last winter not until today: “I don’t want to be polemical, I just want to tell the truth. It was simply a decision by the President, it was his will not to use the player again. (…) “It was unthinkable for us, but the President wanted it that way and he is in charge. He wanted to make that decision and I was forced to let him do it. It was a pointless operation because we were reinforcing a direct competitor with no replacements in a January transfer market where the best clubs are keeping their best players. If you don’t bring in a better player to raise the level, it’s a move that doesn’t make sense in the market.”
For Mazzocchi, however, this step ultimately turned out to be the right one. “He deserves the nomination,” emphasized his current coach Nicola before Mancini called. After the Hungary game, the player told the broadcaster “RAI” (quoted via “Il Mattino‘) himself about his debut: ‘It was great. I hoped to the last that the coach would bring me, had an incredible desire to make my debut. I’m happy that I did it in a positive moment for the team and I’m happy that we won and will play in the final round. My parents are already celebrating and I can’t wait to join them.”
He described his unusual career path with the words: “When I look back, I have always traveled uphill. When you come from such difficult backgrounds, it’s never easy to climb the ladder. This point is not an arrival, but a departure: You always have to earn this jersey. Now I’m going back to Salerno because on Sunday we have a crucial league game against Sassuolo. I will frame the Azzurri jersey and show it to my children in the future.” Mazzocchi also made an impression on his teammates in the Italian national team – not only in training but also at the initiation ritual with an extraordinarily good singing performance. It somehow fits into Pasquale Mazzocchi’s unusual career path.
Pasquale Mazzocchi is the first song initiation where a player looks like he’s seriously trying out for American Idol
pic.twitter.com/RVq0gYJ9b1— Francesco (@FRANCESCalciO_) September 20, 2022
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