The 16-year-old scored seconds after coming on as a substitute for Roma for the first time: “I’ve learned a lot from Gasperini.” His father Antonino: “We’re all very excited, now we have to keep working.”

Sixteen years old, just a few days away from turning 17 on February 10. Antonio Arena made Roma history with a goal that smacked of symbolism despite the final defeat. He did so just seconds after coming on to the pitch to the comforting applause of an almost resigned Olimpico crowd. Instead, Arena set the stadium alight, a stadium he had only seen on television and on a few occasions from the bench, before the final disappointment and a near-miss. He did it in front of his father Antonino, who was in the stands, as he had been since his debut at Ucchino Football in Australia, then with Western Sydney Wanderers and finally at Pescara: “We are all very excited, now we have to keep working. We want him to continue collecting these kinds of experiences. He is young and still has to grow,” he said after the game.

“This is a wonderful moment. I was a little nervous, but I just focused on playing. Wesley made a nice cross and I scored right away. I won’t forget this evening,” said the Italian-Australian excitedly after the match. The 2009-born player’s thanks go above all to Gasperini: “I’ve played four games on the bench with him and done some training. They are really tough, but I have already learned a lot. I want to keep working and hope to continue like this. My mindset remains the same; nothing changes after today’s goal. I still have a long way to go.“

A sign of maturity. He also has it when it comes to naming an idol: “It’s Ronaldo ‘Il Fenomeno’, he was a complete player. I like to watch lots of strikers to learn, but he was the best. Who do I resemble? I like to attack deep, but I want to be myself and become stronger and stronger.”