Roma wing-back Nicola Zalewski explains why he chose to represent Poland with a special memory of the 2022 World Cup.
The 20-year-old was born and raised in Italy to Polish parents and would’ve been eligible to play for the Azzurri.
However, it was always his dream to wear the Poland jersey and he achieved it at the World Cup, reaching the Round of 16.
“Teresa, Jessica and Ewa. My grandmother, my sister and my mother, with the brightest star in the sky shining along with them. And my shirt on their backs,” wrote Zalewski on Instagram.
“This is the most beautiful image I take back from Qatar.”
The bright star is his father Christopher, who stood weeping with joy in the stands when Nicola made his debut for Poland in September 2021 and succumbed to cancer only a few weeks later.
Zalewski made two appearances at the World Cup, while this season he has 16 in the Roma jersey between Serie A and the Europa League.