Lorenzo, born in 2004, midfielder on loan from Fiorentina to Las Palmas: “I would like to see Italy at the World Cup and, one day, play in it. The level here is very high, I believe in my abilities, but I faltered at the beginning.”

Lorenzo’s story is one of love and pain. Of passion and study, curiosity and dedication. So many things condensed into 21 years of life, almost all of them dedicated to soccer. From Subbiano, Arezzo, population 6,500, to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, via Florence, Terni, and Salerno. Today, Amatucci, a midfielder, is the third most used player on the Canary Islands team that leads the Spanish Segunda with Racing Stander and Deportivo, but we’ll get to that. First, we need a summary to introduce him, because this young man may have a very bright future, but we don’t know much about his past.

Over to you, Lorenzo.

“I was born in Arezzo but I’ve always lived in Subbiano, nearby. I started playing at four and a half in the local team and haven’t stopped since. At one point, Fiorentina, Empoli, and Siena came looking for me, and I chose the Viola. I was nine and a half.“

And did you move?

”No, I went back and forth. First twice, then three, then four times a week, plus the games. My mother would pick me up from school and take me to the highway toll booth. There, I would get on the bus and go to the field.”

Wow. How long did the journey take?

“About an hour and a half.”

That’s a long way.

“Not at all! I have wonderful memories of those times. I had a lot of fun, both on the journey and at training. I couldn’t wait to get out of school and set off. On that bus, which made several stops to pick up kids here and there, I formed friendships that are still alive today. We didn’t have phones, we chatted and dreamed, it was wonderful. I met my best friend, Niccolò Falconi, who plays in Serie D in San Donato, there.“

And wasn’t he as good as you?

”Absolutely! But the road to success in soccer is very tough. Do you know how many teammates I had who were really talented? Lots and lots! When you get to the top, the details make the difference. Either you’re phenomenal or you have to work very hard. Quality alone is not enough to stand out; you also need a good head on your shoulders. And that means discipline, maturity, and a spirit of sacrifice, all things that are difficult to ask of a young boy. The people around you are important, especially your family, to keep you on the right track.“

And then?

”After middle school, I moved into the Fiorentina boarding school and continued to study and train. We slept in rooms of two or three, always with my friend Falconi, and things were going well on the field. We still have a WhatsApp group with the 2004 boarding school kids, and we always keep in touch. The bond we created there was something that brought us together. There’s Favasuli, who’s at Catanzaro, Biagetti at Torres, Fallou Sene, who’s in Denmark, Kayode at Brentford… I made my first-team debut at San Siro. Italiano brought me on when they were 4-0 up, but you couldn’t ask for a better stadium to make your debut in. Then I made another appearance and in January I went to Terni. In the summer of 2024, I trained with Palladino and then went on loan to Salerno again. This year, I didn’t train with Pioli and went on loan to Las Palmas.

Why the Canary Islands?

“Because I’ve always had a great passion for soccer and the Spanish league. I grew up watching Messi’s Barcelona. My agent is Spanish, and when he presented me with the idea, I had no doubts. I wanted to measure myself against a model of soccer that I had idealized. I wasn’t wrong, it was the perfect choice.“

What do your parents do?

”My father is a factory worker, my mother worked with my grandfather, who has a hydromechanics company, but unfortunately she died last year.”

Pause. The tragedy hits us with full force in our lighthearted chat, turning this story, which until now had been full of roses, upside down and enveloping it in its definitive fatality. Cancer? “Yes.” “How old was she?” “Fifty-one.” “That’s terrible, I’m sorry.” Then, looking at the Las Palmas roster, the name Kirian Rodriguez emerges, the Canarian player who has already had to stop twice, for 8 and 7 months, due to lymphatic cancer. The first time was in 2022 and again this year. He returned to the field on October 5.

“Yes. I knew his story, and when I arrived here, Kirian was the first to come up to me and talk to me.”

Did you know about his mother?

“I don’t think so, I don’t believe so. He is like that, a wonderful person, open, helpful, cheerful. Always smiling and positive, he is never sad, he is busy enjoying what life has to offer. He’s a great example, I get on really well with him.“

I’m curious. Are you studying, by any chance?

”Yes. I’m enrolled in psychology. I take online courses and sit exams. I’m interested in exploring thoughts, behaviors, and relationships, studying people’s minds, how they think. We have free time, so I decided to use it this way.”

And these first few months in Las Palmas?

“Exceptional. Sun, sea, soccer, and study. My girlfriend, who studies in Florence, comes to visit from time to time. My sister has already been here and wants to come back as soon as possible, and my father is also coming, willing to overcome his fear of flying. It’s hard to imagine a better situation.”

And on the pitch?

“It was tough at first. Everything was completely different, and I wasn’t used to it.“

Let’s elaborate.

”Training, playing, methodology, soccer, everything. The way you build strength is much more dynamic and explosive, and then on the field, everything is reduced to very small spaces. You don’t have time to think, and I wasn’t used to that. Here at Las Palmas, the average technical level is very high. I have great confidence in myself and I came here with that mindset. But after the first few training sessions, that confidence wavered… I was lucky to meet a wonderful coach and person, and slowly I gained confidence. I saw that I could do difficult things, or what I thought were difficult things, and that everything flowed naturally.

And you became the third player in terms of minutes played in your team’s league.

“Yes, I only missed one game to go with the Under-21s.”

And then they didn’t call you again?

“No, the coach made other choices, and that’s fine. I won the Under-19 European Championship, and the national team is always a goal.“

Jeremias Recoba, the son of ‘Chino’, is also on the team.

”Yes, he arrived a few days after me, and we bonded immediately because he was the only one who spoke to me in Italian since he was born and raised here. He’s a great guy, it’s a shame he just tore his cruciate ligament, what bad luck.”

Did you know that the Canary Islands are considered a bit like the Brazil of Spain, in terms of soccer? Valeron, David Silva, Pedri… these are the notable reference points.

“Yes, and I’m not surprised. People play a lot on the beach here, and since the climate is fantastic, you can do it practically all year round. The comparison with Brazil is apt, and they love beautiful soccer here.” .

And what does the future hold?

“Uncertain. I’m on loan until June, Las Palmas has the right to buy me back but only if we make it to La Liga, and Fiorentina has the option to buy me back. In the meantime, we’re continuing with this wonderful, tough, and very long championship. Then we’ll see.”

You were born in 2004. You can’t remember the 2006 World Cup, and from then on, Italy began a painful period of oblivion.

“Yes. I don’t have many memories, which is why I hope with all my heart that we’ll make it to the World Cup. I’d like to experience the thrill of watching it, and one day playing in it.”