Cagliari President Massimo Cellino isn’t afraid to take a chance, but he outdid himself when he sold star names David Suazo, Mauro Esposito and Antonio Langella last summer and replaced them with three Serie A novices – Joaquin Larrivey, Robert Acquafresca and Alessandro Matri.
Of the three new faces, Matri was probably the least heralded. A Milan youth product, the 23-year-old marksman arrived in Sardinia with two years at Serie C outfits Prato and Lumezzane, along with a prolific spell during Rimini’s miraculous Cadetti campaign on his CV. The sum total of his top-flight experience consisted of one outing for Milan on the final day of 2002-03 when the Rossoneri fielded a weakened side a few days after their Champions League Final against Juventus.
Despite his lack of credentials, Matri certainly isn’t short on confidence. “Playing in the lower Leagues was crucial as it taught me to believe in my ability to score regularly,” he recalled. “When I received the call from Cagliari I left with enthusiasm because I knew that youngsters have a chance to break through at this club.”
And Alessandro’s self-belief has proven well founded. In a relegation-threatened side he has already found the net several times, outshining Acquafresca and Larrivey in the process. His exploits haven’t gone unnoticed by the peninsula’s scouts, but he has eyes for only one side. “I spent my spell as a youth player at Milanello and obviously I hope I’ll return there,” he revealed. “I would be close to my family again as they still live in Lodi, near Milan. My father Luigi and mother Pinuccia sell cheese in the markets and my brother Alberto works in a bank. At the moment I don’t see them much, but they would be happy if I returned. Like all my relatives, they are Diavolo fans.” He may have some work to do, but who knows – maybe the Rossoneri’s striker search could lead them to their former prodigy…
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