Once off the radar for Roberto Mancini, Atalanta midfielder Matteo Pessina successfully played his way onto the UEFA Euro 2020 squad and into the hearts of the Azzurri supporters, writes Matt Santangelo.
From a bench player in Serie C with his hometown club Monza to joining Milan and bouncing around all over Italy’s various tiers, Matteo Pessina has experienced a lot of his homeland.
At his current club Atalanta where he has settled and found career stability, swiftly become one of Gian Piero Gasperini’s most trusted players since returning from his brief, yet successful, loan spell at Hellas Verona.
This past campaign, the 24-year old midfielder emerged as yet another beneficiary of Gasperini’s tutelage and the Atalanta way, amassing 40 appearances across all competitions.
Those who frequent Calcio have established Pessina as a quality Serie A midfielder over the past few years. Yet, it is hard to find many who believed he was capable of making a real impact on the international stage beyond the one-off friendly or occasional cameo in a qualifier. But a lot can change in a year, and look to the Monza-native as proof.
Italy’s talent pool in the ‘centrocampo’ has been well-stocked in the last few years. You have mainstays such as Paris Saint-Germain’s Marco Verratti, Chelsea’s tempo-setter Jorginho and the now reigning Serie A Midfielder of the Year for Inter in Nicolo Barella; a trio as good as just about any across Europe, and with a tremendous balance to it.
Then, you have the rising star Manuel Locatelli, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Bryan Cristante, Stefano Sensi and Nicolo Zaniolo, the two latter who can offer quite a bit when health is on their side.
The pathway into the midfield rotation for Roberto Mancini at EURO 2020 was simply non-existent around this time last year, then the pandemic hit, postponing the tournament.
Had the Euros taken place last summer, Pessina would have been watching on his couch or while on summer holiday in a rather exotic travel destination. Instead, the postponement presented him and so many other ambitious footballers with a dream of representing their country on the largest platforms afford to a professional.
https://football-italia.net/belgium-vs-italy-live-build-up-and-team-news/
Last November, in the midst of yet another top four charge for Atalanta, Mancini summoned Pessina for duty, where he eventually made his senior debut off the bench in a friendly win over Estonia. Then, this past May, the former Como and Spezia loanee bagged his first two goals in a 7-0 thumping off San Marino.
Though his appearances were often limited or in matches of less significance, Pessina displayed all that he can bring from a midfield position, with his exceptional work rate, late runs into the box and ability to muster up chances for goal.
From a skill-set standpoint, Pessina offers variety and is a bit of a wildcard in that there aren’t many in the current setup who bring the elements he does.
Mancini understood his value and potential importance in the selection process for the EURO 2020 squad, enough to include him in his preliminary roster as an insurance policy in the event of an injury to one of the aforementioned names. Sure enough, after initially being left off the final roster, Sensi’s injury opened a seat on the bus to the Euros for Pessina, an opportunity he has undoubtedly seized at every turn.
First coming in for some mop-up work late in the eventual 3-0 win over Switzerland, Pessina became one of eight changes to the starting XI vs. Wales, scoring the winner from a lovely set-piece routine. Days later, Italy received two sparks from the bench in extra time, the first from Federico Chiesa and the second via Pessina, whose goal wound upstanding as the match-winner to see the Azzurri past Austria into the quarter-finals.
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“I arrived as the extra man but didn’t dwell on it too much because I always felt part of the group, even as a back-up,” Pessina later explained in his presser.
“The great thing about this team and coach is that ability to make everyone feel important.”
Important he has been for Italy, and in a way, perhaps his inclusion feels reminiscent of when Antonio Conte brought Emanuele Giaccherini to Euro 2016.
It was a decision that was met with some confusion, but one that Conte had his reasoning for and eventually was able to rationalize as the former Juventus man emerged a national hero with a goal and assist.
Scoring twice thus far in his first experience at the European Championships, Pessina’s become a key man for Italy. By no means was the road to this point linear nor the traditional path for someone now in his position, but he is another case of how you must be ready for blessings – and that comes with patience and persistence.