Following his winner against Lecce, Nicolò Fagioli has become the toast of the town in Turin. Max Allegri introduced the midfielder at halftime at the expense of Weston McKennie, and the young man repaid the coach’s faith by scoring a splendid curler.
This goal proved to be the lone difference between Juventus and their hosts, securing the club’s third straight Serie A win on the trot.
While the 21-year-old has been starving for playing time this season, he was one of the main protagonists for Cremonese last term.
The midfielder played an integral role while on loan with the Lombardian club which managed to seal a historic promotion to Serie A.
Therefore, Cremonese director Ariedo Braida remains fond of Fagioli. The former Milan and Barcelona official revealed the player’s ideal position.
“I never had any doubts about Fagioli’s class. Last year I also got to know a boy with the desire to learn and this is fundamental,” said Braida in an interview with Tuttosport via Calciomercato.
“If you combine talent with the right mentality, then you can think of establishing yourself at the top.
“Everyone was shocked by the goal. But Nicolò didn’t really surprise me, as he has those shots in his technical background.
“To me, his evolution closely resembles that of Pirlo, who went from number 10 to a deep-lying director.
“With us, Fagioli played either high or low on the pitch depending on what we needed. But his best position is probably in front of the defense in a two-man midfield, as he showed in Fabio Pecchia’s 4-2-3-1 formation.”
The 76-year-old announced his desire to reunite with the young player in a rather cheeky manner.
“I publicly launch an appeal to the Juventus managers: If you need someone who makes him play more regularly, Cremonese is willing to sacrifice!”
