Nicolò Zaniolo’s father admits the Roma and Italy talent is ‘really struggling’ after his second ACL tear of 2020. ‘Some Ronaldo comparisons have been made.’
The 21-year-old tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in January, had only made a handful of appearances following his comeback in July when he suffered an identical injury to the left knee.
Nicolò Zaniolo’s father admits the Roma and Italy talent is ‘really struggling’ after his second ACL tear of 2020. ‘Some Ronaldo comparisons have been made.’
The 21-year-old tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in January, had only made a handful of appearances following his comeback in July when he suffered an identical injury to the left knee.
“Nicolò is really struggling, he has negative thoughts, which are entirely understandable,” his father and former player Igor told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“He’s only 21 years old and is naturally scared he won’t get back to the way he was. He worked well with the Azzurri and his club, so I think it was just bad luck. Once again, it wasn’t even a tackle from an opponent, he just felt his knee buckle and stopped.”
With two such serious knee injuries to both legs in a short space of time, thoughts do go back to Inter’s Brazilian Ronaldo and a career blighted by setbacks.
“Some Ronaldo comparisons have been made, but I couldn’t tell you if there were commonalities or not. I’m worried too, but after the first few days, I’m sure Nicolò will rediscover the fire he always had.
“Psychologically, this time is more difficult than in January, and the mental aspect makes a big difference in the recovery process.”