The Weight of Famous Footsteps

A penalty kick can change a life. Ask Francesco Totti, who performed magic from the penalty spot. And who knows if the one taken by Christian Comotto, with a 'cucchiaio' during AC Milan's Asian tour against the Australians of Perth, is just the first of a very long series. His goal went viral on social media within hours, a technical gesture well-known to Roma fans, which, due to its audacity, sparked some controversy. 'He’s already got a big head,' tweeted the usual serial haters. Yet, it is an encouraging sign in Italian football, which in recent years has lost flair and creativity. He is the son of Gianluca Comotto, former defender of Fiorentina and Torino. Allegri wanted him with the team for the training camp, knowing that after the tour he will end up on loan to Spezia in Serie B. Being a 'son of' does not always mean having a free pass to the golden world of football. Ask the other Cristian, Totti's son, who a few weeks ago decided to hang up his boots and pursue a career as an executive. Still in football but in his father's and uncle's company where he will learn the secrets of the trade. Becoming a Serie A footballer, having a famous father in the football world, is not a given. There is certainly a preferential path that can be exploited, but if the qualities do not emerge, it is better to let it go. THE MALDINI DYNASTY This is not the case for Daniel Maldini, son of Paolo and grandson of Cesare, who managed to debut in the Azzurri and attract attention first at Monza and since last February at Atalanta. Still in Serie A, at Inter, there is Marcus Thuram, son of the French world champion Lilian, former defender of Parma, Juventus, and Barcelona. At Juve, there is Timothy Weah, third son of George, in Napoli Giovanni Simeone, son of Diego (about to move to Torino), and others like Conceição and Terracciano. At Roma, Justin Kluivert passed with very little fortune, his father Patrick, when his son arrived in the Giallorossi, let slip that in a few years he would become a Barcelona star. Instead, from 2023, after a series of unsuccessful loans, he ended up in the Premier League at Bournemouth. Shane, the younger half-brother, reached Barcelona with the dream of following in his father's footsteps. HEAVY HERITAGE Perhaps the point is precisely this: the weight of so much skill probably limits these young people who feel almost obliged to do something great like their fathers. In the history of football, very few sons have managed to match, and even fewer to surpass, a champion father. This happens because a true champion is not made at the table: he is born with innate qualities, with raw talent that no training, however hard, and no advice, however precious and privileged, can really replicate. Charisma, instinct, and the ability to make a difference in decisive moments are qualities that belong to a few chosen ones and are not always transmitted through family heritage. Trying to become champions like their fathers are Louis Thomas Buffon, firstborn of Gianluigi, a striker for Pisa and the Czech Republic U18 national team, or Tobias Del Piero, son of Alex, a central midfielder born in 2007 who plays for Sanremese alongside Oan Djorkaeff (midfielder). The hope of reliving the emotions of the past remains alive. A video that went viral on social media, showing Luca Celico Leite, a 17-year-old son of Ballon d'Or winner and world champion Kaká, has fueled the fans' dreams. In his dribbles and the way he caresses the ball, there is much of his prodigious father, and who knows, he might be the one to succeed in surpassing him.