World Soccer - UK (2021-10)

PLAYER

BIOGRAPHY

FE

Words:NickBidwell

s l of

ai readyto

s goalkeeper

ain...

ashissibling’s understudy;

utabsolutelynotleast,

gihimself, morecommonly

n as “Gigio”.

“It’samazingthata town of 60,000

inhabitants hasproducedsomany

SerieA goalkeepers,”declaredIezzo

inaninterview on a Neapolitanradio

stationbackin 2015 , theyearGigio

madehistop-flightbowforMilanat

theincrediblytenderageof 16 years

and 24 2 days.“It’sa fairystorythat

Gianluigiwentinthespaceoftwo

years from theClubNapoliacademy

toa SerieA spotwithMilan.

“Ofcourse,Donnarummahadthe

talentandthe physicalattributes.But

likeso many of us,hehadthebenefit

ofa greatgoalkeepingeducation.In

Castellammare,theydoa fantasticjob

withgoalies.Weallgrewup at the

schoolunderoneindividual– Ernesto

Ferraro,a realmanofsportwho

dedicatedhimselfto thistask.”

Aninstitutioningrassrootsfootballin

theCampaniaregionofsouthern Italy,

Ferrarowasnotmerelyanastute

A

n
ro
ent.
e in its
now-how,
whatItalian
lytermafabbrica
oalkeepingfactory.
rnofthecentury, no
veof itsalumnihavegone
y slidprofessionalcareers:
o Mirate,who,apartfrom
ringfo arma,Bolognaand
oa,was alo a back-upfor the
natinal teamformerNapolicustodian
Genao Iezz; AlfonsoDeLucia
(exParma,Monza andLivorno);
Donarummas elderbrotherAntonio,
a grduate of the Milanacademy who