Al Genoa there is a footballer who is standing out more than others for his contribution and he is Andrea Pinamonti. Those who know him very well are Carlo Odorizziformer Grifone midfielder and originally from Cles like the class of ’99, who he spoke about on The 19th Century: “I was sports councilor in the valley. I had the idea of making a selection with the strongest young people in the area, from there Andrea went to try out with Chievo and they took him. He had the numbers, some extra qualities: the sense of position, how he treated the ball, he fought and if he got the ball he always scored. And his role is not easy, they only evaluate you for goals, you don’t look much at the performance, he always does it.”
The boy became a man.
“Yes, he’s like that, he talks a lot with his teammates, he asks for the ball, he’s matured a lot, he’s 25 years old and the last few championships have served him well. He’s grown as a player and as a man, I see a great personality. And he’s tougher physically.”
He seems to care a lot about the shirt, has the return made him responsible?
“The first time Pinamonti came to Genoa we went to visit him in Neustift with his father, Massimo, who I know very well since we live a few kilometers away. Andrea was already happy then to be in the rossoblù, perhaps also because of my past. This is a shirt that feels. But when you play with the North and you see people in the stands who live there for Genoa, I think it’s inevitable to feel this bond.”
Can he aim for the national team?
“Yes, and I’ve been saying it for some time. This year he can make a further leap in quality and enter the ranks of Azzurri center forwards.”