The Atalanta academy, maturity under Inzaghi and the Brazil dilemma: is Vavassori the future of Italy?
The former Atalanta striker, starring in Serie B in Pippo Inzaghi’s Palermo shirt, holds dual Italian and Brazilian citizenship.
Gian Piero Gasperini sent him out on loan, but he is growing up under Pippo Inzaghi: Dominic Vavassori, the Italian-Brazilian talent born in 2005, has made a flying start to his first Serie B season in the colours of league leaders Palermo. Up against fierce competition from forwards of the calibre of Pohjanpalo and Gabrielloni, the 20-year-old is already making his mark for the Rosanero: three goals at the start of the season, a starting spot, the number 9 shirt, and he looks right at home.
The triple passport and the Atalanta academy
He has three passports, Italian and Brazilian, through the origins of his father Luciano, who was born in Brazil and adopted by a family from Bergamo, and Polish, through his mother's side, and can choose between three national teams: an attacking midfielder who can also play further forward, Vavassori can operate anywhere thanks to his outstanding technique, his timing when making runs and the fact that when he takes on a man he beats him nine times out of ten. Atalanta have already enjoyed his brilliant talent, having also seen him called up by Gasperini several times in Serie A, while he established himself in the Under-23 side in Serie C, reaching double figures and qualifying for the promotion play-offs.
Tritium and the crop of 2005-born players
Fourteen goals two years ago, eight last year, for the young forward, a creative second striker who also enjoyed the moment of scoring his first goal in Italy Under-20 colours before making his debut for the Under-21s: developed at Tritium, the Trezzo d'Adda club, he is a predestined talent who will soon reach Serie A, perhaps as early as next year in the Sicilians' shirt. Born in Bergamo with Carioca roots, he owes a great deal to his father, manager of Buraghese, where he grew up before moving to Trezzo and then to Inter, with the sensational crop of 2005-born players. The turning point came with the brace he scored in a friendly win at Zingonia against Atalanta's peers.
The origins
In Bergamo, technique has always come before physicality, and that has suited Vavassori. He's certainly not imposing, but it has never held him back: from the boy once judged too slight to the man making Palermo dream. Dominic has kept his humility, though. You can often spot him in Ornago, his home town, where he helps out during the annual festival, just like all the Buraghese players born in 2005, who are deeply attached to the area, or supporting his sister Isabel, who started out as a dancer and now also plays football, captaining Atalanta Women Under-14s.
Is he Italy's future?
Roberto Mancini is keeping a particularly close eye on him and, over the next few windows, he could return to the senior Italy squad, like other youngsters from Italy Under-21 on the head coach's radar but, for now, called up by Silvio Baldini's Under-21s: Francesco Camarda, Alphadjo Cissè, Luca Koleosho and Antonio Raimondo. Italy must nurture those young talents if they are to build a brighter future after years of falling short of the required standard.
