Italia don set history for football again. For di Nations League match against Turchia, coach Roberto Mancini put Pio Esposito and Sebastiano Esposito for starting eleven. Di game dey happen for Atatürk Spor Kompleksi inside Bursa. Turchia side na Vincenzo Montella dey handle.
Na first time since 1915 wey two brothers go start together from first minute for senior Italia national team. Some records still talk say e don pass 26 years since Inzaghi brothers Simone and Filippo play together for Azzurri. But di difference clear: di Inzaghi brothers play for same match interval under Giovanni Trapattoni for 2000, but dem no start from first minute. Di Esposito brothers don rejoin a thread wey break for 111 years.
Before dem, Italia don field brothers before. Giuseppe and Felice Milano, Aldo and Luigi Cevenini, and di famous tandem of Filippo and Simone Inzaghi. Di last time two blood brothers start together from first minute na 1915, when Cevenini brothers face Svizzera.
Mancini no just do am for sentiment. E dey manage tight calendar. Italia get away trip to Parigi against Francia and later match with Turchia for Bologna. Because of that, Mancini leave ten Azzurri for Coverciano, with part of staff to run special work program. Dat one open door for fresh formation and give di two young attackers big chance.
For di 4-3-3 wey Mancini draw, work split clear. Pio dey play as central pivot for attack. Sebastiano dey operate from wide, to give depth and width. Di choices follow wetin dem dey do for club. Pio don already score two goals for Inter dis season. For national team, e get nine caps and five goals. Sebastiano move go Sassuolo for summer and e score for di home win against Juventus. Bursa match na im first start for Azzurro.
Sebastiano talk before di game say: ‘To come play for national team sweet well well, but to do am with your brother sweet pass.’ Pio also yarn say: ‘Na new thing for everybody, we get four high-level matches and we can’t wait to start. Say plenty new faces dey inside na good thing, we need enthusiasm to restart.’
Sebastiano still explain how Mancini take dem. E say di coach tell dem make dem enjoy di moment and give dem field advice to improve. ‘Emotion plenty, but both of us get small recklessness wey go help us,’ na wetin e talk.
Di family story no end with Pio and Sebastiano. Salvatore Esposito, di eldest of di three brothers, na midfielder born in 2000 and e dey with Sampdoria. He wear Italia shirt for 2022, when e debut against Inghilterra. Dat one also happen for Nations League. Di parents, Agostino and Flavia, dey behind di journey, as di two brothers remember for federal channels before di match.
