‘l’ultima Bandiera’: Domenico Berardi Raises Final Flag For Loyalty In Football | Nicky Bandini

The man pinch nan moustache held his teammate successful a headlock and stared down nan TV camera lens. “Berardi!” he yelled, jabbing a digit astatine nan backmost of his colleague’s bonce. “BE-RAR-DI!”

It felt for illustration that infinitesimal successful a kids’ movie erstwhile nan large relative drags his meek related backmost into framework aft beating up nan schoolhouse bully. Mess pinch him again and spot what happens. Only, Tarik Muharemovic is 9 years younger than Domenico Berardi. And it was nan older player, again, who had spent this day tormenting his peers.

Berardi had conscionable scored nan last extremity of Sassuolo’s 3-0 triumph distant to Atalanta. An astonishing result, connected nan look of it. Atalanta won nan Europa League a twelvemonth agone and person qualified for nan Champions League successful 4 of nan past six seasons. Sassuolo played past play successful Serie B.

That is not nan full picture. Atalanta besides changed head successful nan summer, Gian Piero Gasperini leaving aft 9 years to return complete astatine Roma, pinch whom he now sits apical of Serie A. His were reliable shoes to fill, and truthful acold Ivan Juric has struggled to do so. Atalanta and Sassuolo began nan play level connected points, joint-11th successful nan table.

Still, nan Bergamo nine had only mislaid 1 of their first 10 convention games and owned 1 of nan stingier defences successful nan division, earlier Berardi turned up and tore them to ribbons.

Berardi knee slides successful beforehand of a motion that reads: ‘This is important.' Photograph: Michele Maraviglia/EPA

He had opened nan scoring pinch a first-half penalty, aft Andrea Pinamonti was brought down by Atalanta’s goalkeeper, Marco Carnesecchi. Berardi past group up Pinamonti for Sassuolo’s 2nd conscionable aft nan interval, driving down nan correct flank earlier cutting backmost inside, shedding some opponents who attempted to way him and squaring nan shot for his teammate to finish.

The last extremity arrived astatine nan extremity of a beautiful squad move, Sassuolo navigating retired from nan back. Berardi was progressive successful nan buildup, dropping successful to springiness Ismaël Koné an option. His return walk was clumsy, but Koné and Kristian Thorstvedt made it activity betwixt them. Berardi dashed connected done nan middle, getting nan shot backmost from nan Norwegian and dispatching it beyond Carnesecchi.

It was nan 126th Serie A extremity of his profession – 1 much than Gonzalo Higuaín ever scored and only 1 less than Andriy Shevchenko. Not bad for a subordinate who mostly lines up connected nan wing, and who besides has 86 assists. Only 2 progressive players, Ciro Immobile and Paulo Dybala, beryllium up of Berardi connected nan league’s all-time scorers’ list. He is nan only personnel of that trio ne'er to person played successful nan Champions League.

Berardi remains that rarest of footballing beasts, a one-club man. He joined Sassuolo’s academy aged and ne'er left. After signing a statement hold successful nan summertime done to 2029, he was celebrated successful nan Italian property arsenic “l’ultima bandiera” – virtually nan past flag, aliases banner. In shot parlance, 1 last illustration of a shape of loyalty that nary much spot successful nan modern game.

A charming story, and an incomplete one. It was only past October that Berardi gave an question and reply to La Gazzetta dello Sport successful which he confessed that he had wanted to subordinate Juventus a twelvemonth earlier but was fto down by nan clubs failing to work together terms. He said that playing successful nan Champions League was his enduring dream, and that for “for 3 years it’s each I’ve thought about”.

“I want to perceive that Champions League euphony from nan pitch,” he continued. “It’s a profound ambition that I want to satisfy.”

Berardi is much than bully capable to person deserved that stage. The 1 clip he did get nan chance to trial himself successful continental nine competition, erstwhile Sassuolo qualified for nan Europa League successful 2016, he scored 5 times successful 4 games. He has 8 goals successful 28 appearances for Italy. Again, we are not talking astir a centre-forward.

Perhaps his communicative would person gone otherwise without nan achilles tendon tear he sustained past March, little than a week aft returning from a knee injury. In different timeline, a patient Berardi mightiness person insisted it was clip to spell erstwhile Sassuolo dropped down to Serie B successful nan summertime of 2024.

Atalanta's Ademola Lookman looks disappointed arsenic Sassuolo observe Berardi’s opener. Photograph: Spada/LaPresse/Shutterstock

Then again, possibly not. By nan clip Sassuolo were relegated, Berardi was weeks distant from turning 30. A decade had passed since he burst connected to nan segment pinch 16 goals successful his first Serie A season. He could, and did, blasted his club’s board for nan astir caller illness of negotiations pinch Juventus, but a move would person happened overmuch sooner if he had pushed for one. The Bianconeri held an action to motion him for respective years, agreed arsenic portion of different subordinate trades betwixt nan clubs.

Timing is everything. “Right up to 26 aliases 27 years old, I didn’t consciousness mature,” said Berardi past year. “I ever wanted to play, truthful I rejected nan thought of playing for a squad wherever location would beryllium turnover and I’d person to beryllium connected nan bench. Maybe that was a deficiency of religion successful my ain ability. I didn’t judge successful myself 100%.”

That, too, is understandable, erstwhile you retrieve that Berardi was not 1 of those kids whose talent was recognised and lauded from a young age. At 16 years old, he was bouncing betwixt section amateur teams adjacent to wherever he grew up successful Cariati – a mini municipality tucked distant astatine nan backmost of level of Italy’s boot.

Cosenza, 1 of fewer adjacent master sides, had shown an liking but a alteration of ownership location led to a displacement successful priorities. A general connection to subordinate their academy ne'er materialised.

His large chance arrived by chance. During a sojourn to spot his older relative Francesco, studying successful Modena, Berardi joined successful a crippled of five-a-side pinch nan older boys. He dominated it truthful thoroughly that personification took notice. Pasquale Di Lillo called up his friend Luciano Carlino, a coach astatine nan clip pinch Sassuolo’s younker team. A proceedings was arranged. The rest, arsenic they say, is history.

And present, and early arsenic well. Perhaps Berardi will yet person his chance to play successful nan Champions League, but nan determination to motion specified a agelong woody successful nan summertime suggests it is nary longer his apical priority. He has spoken much precocious astir Sassuolo arsenic a family. “This is home,” he said aft putting pen to paper. “It makes maine proud to beryllium nan bandiera, because they don’t beryllium immoderate more.”

Certainly, he hopes to get backmost to representing Italy, thing he has not done for 2 years. Berardi mightiness ne'er person played successful nan Champions League, but he did gain a winners’ badge pinch nan Azzurri astatine Euro 2020. In coming form, he could only beryllium an plus to a broadside whose way to nan 2026 World Cup is now almost definite to spell done nan playoffs. His tally for this play is already astatine 4 goals and 3 assists.

Numbers are ne'er nan full story, but Berardi’s do only look much awesome erstwhile you retrieve that he has ne'er had nan supporting formed that nan champion of his peers person enjoyed astatine clubs competing for trophies. Sassuolo this play person immoderate absorbing young talents – Muharemovic among them – and person played pinch cohesion nether Fabio Grosso.

Still, Berardi – BE-RAR-DI! – continues, arsenic he ever did, to guidelines apart.