Federico Chiesa, a forward for the Italian team, expressed his hopes for Euro 2024 to mark the revival of his career during a television interview on the eve of the championship. The forward poignantly reflected on a knee injury that he suffered six months post-Euro 2020, which halted his trajectory in football.
“Dreams of making my mark among the world’s elite footballers were dashed when I ruptured my cruciate ligament, which led to a lengthy recovery period. But my eyes are set on reclaiming my position among the cream of the crop,” he expressed. But unfortunately, this summer didn’t turn out as expected for him.
Although the 26-year-old showcased promising performance in Italy’s first match against Albania by securing a 2-1 victory, he, along with his team, found themselves underwhelmed by Spain. His efforts to make an impact in the last-16 match versus Switzerland were in vain after being absent from the final group game against Croatia.
Such performance led to certain comparisons by Italy’s manager, Luciano Spalletti, who likened Chiesa’s situation to “our Jannik Sinner” – the budding tennis star recently crowned his first champion, skyrocketing straight to the top of the men’s solo league.
This brought rise to questions such as why such a talented footballer like Chiesa fell short without any outstanding goals or assists in a significant championship and how Juventus could let him leave for a mere £10 million to Liverpool.
Several factors are at play here. Chiesa’s lucrative deal at Juventus is nearing its end, and the club has shelled out over €150 million in transfers in the season while reshuffling to accommodate the tactical modus operandi of their newly-appointed manager, Thiago Motta. This prompted Juventus to make hard-hitting financial choices, seeing the departure of other promising players like Matías Soulé, Dean Huijsen, and Samuel Iling-Junior.
However, the complete story is yet to be uncovered. Chiesa presents himself as the type of player who could potentially thrive within Motta’s dynamic game plans, since they demand players routinely alternate roles. Throughout his four-season stint at Juventus, Chiesa demonstrated his adaptability by occupying all positions on the front line, including either flank as a winger, as a No 10, as a lone centre forward, and even as a wing back.
Despite contract disputes, Chiesa was included in top-team training after his post-Euros break. However, he was forced to train separately from the squad two weeks ago. It is reported from Turin that Motta wasn’t impressed with Chiesa’s defensive efforts. Despite over 100 games for the Bianconeri, there are still questions about Chiesa’s overall skill set. Despite his impressive speed, power, and ability to use both feet, he has yet to perform to his full potential.
When Chiesa first transferred to Juventus from Fiorentina in 2020, high expectations were the norm. The transfer deal, initially a loan then made permanent, was valued around €45 million. The fact he was the son of former Italy striker Enrico Chiesa, who led Parma to a Uefa Cup victory in 1999, also ignited intrigue. However, Federico’s statistics of ten goals and nine assists in his final season with Viola offered a more realistic reason for optimism.
Chiesa’s most successful season at Juventus occurred during his first year with the club, where he managed to score 14 goals and provide ten assists across all competitions (adding to his tally from Fiorentina prior to his transfer). His rise to prominence was further highlighted during Euro 2020, where he stepped up from the bench to replace Domenico Berardi and scored important goals against Austria and Spain – solidifying his status as one of Europe’s rising stars.
Unfortunately, a cruciate ligament injury in a match against Roma in January 2022 set him back. After spending eight months on the sidelines, Chiesa has found it hard to regain his earlier form. Numerous smaller injuries along with changing coaching methodologies have adversely affected his performance.
Chiesa’s most prolific period with Juventus was during Andrea Pirlo’s tenure, with the team’s offensive strategy playing to Chiesa’s strengths. However, under the more defensive-minded Massimiliano Allegri over the last three seasons, the forward’s have often struggled, being tasked with pulling off individual feats while positioned further from the goal.
There was an instance at the beginning of last season where Chiesa seemed on the brink of making significant progress. Allegri shifted Chiesa’s position to the centre of the action, taking on the No. 10 role behind Dusan Vlahovic. In the initial five league matches for Juventus, Chiesa hit the back of the net four times, prompting the manager to set a goal range of “14 to 16″ for the entire season. However, Chiesa only managed to secure nine during the league, complete with a humble three assists.
Unfavourable comparisons are easily drawn in such situations. Despite Juventus’s strong defensive concentration, Chiesa managed an average of 2.3 shots per game. In stark contrast, Teun Koopmeiners, who might take on a similar function for the Bianconeri this season following his transfer from Atalanta, yielded 12 goals from 1.6.
However, every shot is not alike. The significantly low average XG score of Chiesa’s attempts (0.08 per attempt, according to FBref), is partially due to the fact that his efforts were typically from long range and gained more so from personal efforts rather than planned teamwork.
However, it is also a fact that Chiesa has faced criticism throughout his career for overreaching, and playing without keeping his head up. This might provide some insight into why Motta, who favours a football style that necessitates players to constantly be aware of each other’s positions, wasn’t overly keen to retain him.
The context of Chiesa’s performance throughout the past three seasons is inseparable from the player himself: an individual who had to bounce back from major injuries, under a manager whose style of play did not match his own capabilities. Nonetheless, it is reasonable to question whether Chiesa’s expectations have been unduly heightened by his reputation and a few standout moments, versus delivering a consistent performance.
How many football forwards at age 26 would be compared to Sinner after they’ve reached double digits in a top-flight season? Chiesa admitted his unease with the comparison. He recalled in one of his interviews during his time at Fiorentina, his father’s words: “One only becomes a Serie A player after making no fewer than 300 appearances.” As of now, Chiesa counts 235 appearances to his name.
The allure of a new beginning and an opportunity to move slightly out of his father’s shadow is clear to see, especially considering that Enrico also managed to net a goal at Anfield, during Euro 96. Looking at it from Liverpool’s angle, a £10 million wager on a player who potentially could still experience his peak years, is quite the bargain. Prior to the Euros, Chiesa expressed his desire to prove his worth to everyone. The responsibility now lies on his shoulders to harness this new opportunity.– Guardian.