15 November 2022
Just three weeks to transform his season.
Nicolò Fagioli was given an opportunity to prove his worth in the final weekend of October. He grabbed that chance with all his talent, so much so, he's now enjoying his first experience as part of the senior Italy squad.
Nicolò's rise confirms the notion that talent given time will shine.
Serie A Matchday 12, The Via del Mare Stadium, Lecce.
Nicolò steps onto the pitch for the start of the second half. An unexpected substitution for those watching oblivious to the events unfolding in the Juventus dressing room, where Weston McKennie's complaints of a muscle injury meant fresh legs were needed in midfield.
The match was decided by a flash of magic from the 21-year-old in the 73rd minute. A goal that recalled the technique of a legendary number 10 in the black and white stripes, an idol of self-confessed life-long Juve fan Fagioli - none other than Alex Del Piero.
I've been waiting a lifetime for this goal with this shirt, it was a dream come true! I wanted to go and celebrate with the bench and with my teammates, they helped me a lot. It can be said that it was a goal "alla Del Piero". Nicolò Fagioli
Nicolò's first Serie A goal came 20 months since his top-flight debut, at the Allianz Stadium against Crotone in 2021.
Why such a gap? Simple. After three seasons with the Juve Under 23, three seasons which included the detection and treatment of a cardiac arrhythmia, he was loaned to Cremonese in Serie B for season 2021-22.
The talented midfielder proved pivotal in Cremonese's return to Serie A after a 26-year absence. As fate would have it, Fagioli's first goal in Serie B came against Parma and one of the senators at Juve when he was first called up to the First Team, Gianluigi Buffon.
This summer, Juventus ensured that after 33 appearance in such a convincing campaign in the second division, Nicolò's bright future would remain in black and white with a contract extension until 2026.
As if the winner against Lecce wasn't enough, Nicolò backed up his first Serie A strike immediately with another - a goal that sealed the outcome of the Derby d'Italia.
Over and above his goal scoring exploits, it was Fagioli's overall performances that impressed. Awareness, passing, positional sense and tackling ability combined in one package, and Juve's slipping into a higher gear coincided with the continued selection of Nicolò in the Bianconeri's starting XI.
Everything that happens can be viewed as an opportunity. The fact that players were out has given the likes of Miretti, Fagioli and Iling a chance. Massimiliano Allegri
Further wins against Hellas Verona and Lazio wrapped up Nicolò's three weeks as a First Team regular.
In fact, it was after the hard-fought win in Verona that Fagioli received the news every players dreams of - a call up to the national team - only that, exhausted after having given his all again, he was sound asleep when Roberto Mancini announced his Azzurri squad for the upcoming friendlies.
Awoken by the insistent chirping of his telephone, Nicolò's must have though he was still dreaming when he read the flood of messages congratulating him on his call up.
From blue sky thinking at 14 years when he first set foot at Juventus to donning the sky-blue shirt of Italy in the international friendly against Albania after having shone on the big stage in the black and white stripes - truly stuff dreams are made on.
