After setbacks and two adventures abroad, Nicolo Zaniolo is back in Italy – and is optimistic about the future
With his move from Inter Milan to AS Roma in 2018, Nicolo Zaniolo, who will play for Atalanta Bergamo in the future, once did everything right – and quickly became a real beacon of hope for the Giallorossi. Comparisons to legend Francesco Totti included.
However, a variety of circumstances – including the 25-year-old suffering two cruciate ligament ruptures in the space of a year (2020) and thus also missing out on Italy’s European Championship title win in 2021 – eventually led to a divorce.
On February 9, 2023, Zaniolo said goodbye to Galatasaray Istanbul. Negotiations regarding a long-term contract extension had stalled – and after the signing of Paulo Dybala, who had received a bombastic reception from thousands of Romanisti and whose partnership with Zaniolo had quickly broken down after a good start, the then Roma coach José Mourinho had also made unhappy noises. His statement at the time: “He told me, the club and his team-mates that he no longer wanted to play for Roma. He said he didn’t want to come back and play with the team, he didn’t want to train with the team. And if a player doesn’t want to wear the shirt anymore, then I have to accept that. “
Only eight goals abroad
For the Roman final hero in the 2022 Europa Conference League (1:0 against Feyenoord Rotterdam), things had continued in Turkey with a contract until 2027. However, he was already loaned out to Aston Villa in the Premier League in the summer of 2023
His balance sheet? Manageable. Five goals in twelve competitive games for Istanbul and three goals in 39 games for the Villans.
Galatasaray and Villa not the yellow of the egg
Now it’s time to return to Italy. On July 5, the reigning Europa League winners (3:0 against Leverkusen) and future Champions League participants Atalanta Bergamo decided to loan Zaniolo from Galatasaray for a fee of 6.4 million euros. Purchase clause included: If the conditions for a purchase obligation integrated into the loan agreement are met, a further 15.5 million euros, to which 2.5 million euros in bonuses could be added, will be due.
According to Italian media reports, the clause applies if Zaniolo plays at least 60 per cent of Atalanta’s competitive matches
And what does the Italy returnee say himself? He wants to prove himself and return to his old Roma days as an up-and-coming attacking star with national team hopes. His last two stops would also help him in this regard. “When I left Roma,” said Zaniolo at a press conference on Thursday, “I wanted to gain experience abroad. Because it helps you develop as a person and a player. I needed this change.”
But in purely sporting terms, the past two years have not been the yellow of the egg, which was not a bad thing for Zaniolo: “There were a lot of negative things, but also some positive ones. I’m not saying that I would like to cancel the last two years. But I’m happy to be back in Italy now and can’t wait to get going again. “
Zaniolo praises Atalanta coach Gasperini
and recently successfully overcame another injury (metatarsal fracture): “I work in the mornings and afternoons. I was completely out for almost two months, but that’s behind me.”
Now his entire focus is on his tasks with Bergamo, a very special club for him: “Atalanta is not only one of the best Italian teams at the moment, but also in the whole of Europe.” Coach Gian Piero Gasperini also makes him happy: “As soon as I found out that there was interest from this club, I didn’t want to hear any other offers. I didn’t hesitate to opt for this project. It’s the right next step in my career, everyone knows how good the coach is at getting the best out of young players. “
