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There are defeats that leave deep wounds and others that become the starting point for something even bigger. The week experienced by Costantino Favasuli belongs to the second category.
In the space of a few days, the Calabrian winger from Catanzaro went from the disappointment of a promotion to Serie A which only escaped due to a cruel regulation to the indescribable emotion of his debut with the senior national team. A path that tells better than any statistics the growth of one of the most interesting young people in Italian football.
The final lost due to a detail
Catanzaro had cherished the dream of Serie A until his last breath. In the playoff final against Monza the Giallorossi managed to win the return match, bringing the two matches back into balance, but the Brianza team’s better placing in the regular season rewarded the latter. A bitter epilogue for a team that came close to achieving the feat and for a Favasuli who was the protagonist of a season at the highest level.
For many players, a similar disappointment would have taken weeks to get over. For him, however, the time for reflection lasted just a few hours.
From Monza to Coverciano
Once the playoff final was over, Favasuli immediately reached the blue training camp in Coverciano. The interim coach Silvio Baldini had allowed him to finish the adventure with Catanzaro before joining the national team involved in the friendlies against Luxembourg and Greece.
The call-up already represented an important reward for the 22-year-old from Africo, fresh from a season that established him as one of the most reliable wingers in Serie B. But the best was yet to come.
The debut as a starter and the applause of Italy
Against Luxembourg, Baldini immediately gave him a starting shirt. A courageous choice that Favasuli repaid with a convincing performance, among the most appreciated of the entire Italian evening. The debut thus turned into a real national consecration.
At the end of the match, won by Italy, the Calabrian winger did not hide his emotion: he defined his debut as “a child’s dream” and wanted to thank Baldini, but also Catanzaro and coach Alberto Aquilani, recognizing the fundamental role played in his professional growth.
Words that testify to the strong bond with the Giallorossi club and with a land that continues to follow its path with pride.
In a few days Favasuli went from the pain of a missed promotion to the joy of wearing the blue shirt. Serie A will still have to wait, but Italian football has already discovered one of its new protagonists. And for the boy from Africo, the best is probably yet to come.