Dreams Do Come True

Three minutes. That is all it took for Giovanni Pablo Simeone to realize a 12-year-long dream. A dream that came true on one of the grandest stages in world soccer. Not only did Simeone score in a Champions League game against Liverpool, but he also did so in the stadium named after his late fellow international, the great Diego Armando Maradona.

Clearly, the hunger and the “giant slayer” mentality run in the Simeone family. At Atletico Madrid, Giovanni’s father Diego Simeone has proven that intensity and aggression, coupled with unity and cohesion, can bring extraordinary success, but it is Diego’s days as a player that give us a real glimpse into the mentality of Argentine soccer culture. A hardworking, tenacious leader with a great sense of positioning and a high soccer IQ; he would describe his style of play as “holding a knife between his teeth.”

The natural instinct that enabled Diego to become one of the most successful box-to-box midfielders of his era is what we saw in Giovanni’s first goal for his new club, Napoli, and in the Champions League. He bursts into tears right after scoring. Having dreamed of this moment since he was 14 years old, his passion was clear as he burst into tears while kissing the Champions League ball tattooed on the inside of his forearm.

The reaction Giovanni showed symbolizes “the fight” this journey has been for him, against the doubters, against the difficulties, against the odds. Speaking to the Italian press, he said: “I knew, I knew because I was ready. I just needed one chance, I had it, and I did not miss.” Giovanni’s tattoo is ultimately a pledge and a commitment toward soccer and toward making history in the biggest club competition in the world, and as if there were not already enough history in Diego and Giovanni’s story, this goal made them only the sixth father-son duo to both score in the Champions League, truly remarkable.