Cristian Volpato, a former junior Italy international, switched his football allegiance to Australia just before the World Cup. The 22-year-old winger recalls being rejected by two Australian football academies at age 16, which led him to Italy. His move to the Socceroos was finalized after his Australian passport was expedited on the eve of the tournament.
Connections to 2006 World Cup Heartbreak
Volpato has watched the 2006 World Cup match between Australia and Italy "like a hundred times." In that game, Fabio Grosso won a penalty converted by Francesco Totti, eliminating the Socceroos. Volpato's former agent was Totti, and his coach at Sassuolo was Grosso. "My ex-agent was Totti, who scored, and then my coach is the one who won the penalty," Volpato said. He added that Grosso told him: "He just remembers he didn't even know what he was doing, he felt a bit of contact, he went down."
Decision to Switch Allegiances
Volpato had been in contact with Australian coaching staff for years but made the switch after a match against Parma, where Socceroos defender Alessandro Circati plays. "Something clicked and my heart said: 'Just go, I think you belong there,'" he said. He emphasized he didn't want to be "50-50" about the decision. His mother sold her shop to move with him to Italy after his academy rejections. "I got told from both of them that basically I'm not good enough to play," Volpato recalled. "I was crying in the car ride home with my dad."
Impact and Fan Reception
Volpato made his first World Cup start against Paraguay, playing alongside Jordy Bos on the right flank. He faced online trolling from some Socceroos fans before switching, but now fans have a chant declaring him "one of our own." "I felt like it was right," he said. "I felt like I can be myself, and I can show myself here more." The Socceroos are seeking their first World Cup knockout victory, 20 years after the 2006 loss to Italy. Volpato noted: "Small details can make a big, big difference."
