Academy Corner: Matteo Papaccioli

“My passion for football started at an early age, I used to enjoy watching matches with my father. As a good Brazilian, I have always admired Neymar. I like his cheerfulness and determination on the pitch.”

Matteo Papaccioli, a young 15-year old midfielder of the Como 1907 under-16 team, kicked the ball for the first time in his native Brazil. He played until the age of 10 in the “Fustal” and “Taubatè” clubs and subsequently moved to Italy with his family to train to become a professional footballer.

“I’m very happy on the Como 1907 team. I’m part of a beautiful group of coaches and players, who help each other and treat each other as brothers. As I said, my goal is to become a professional footballer. Who knows, maybe someday, I will make my debut on Como’s first team!”

In February, Papaccioli was selected to play on the Italian national team, and here he recounts his experience: “At the end of training, the coach called me aside and handed me a letter where I was listed on the squad list to play a friendly against Belgium. At that moment I was over the moon; I was surprised, happy, scared, excited, confused, with my pulse racing. The first thing I did was to call my parents to share the exciting news.”

“Being part of the national team is a great challenge, the biggest obstacle, as often happens, is believing in oneself. Como’s coaches and managers have always encouraged and helped me on my personal path of growth, so much so that I feel confident even playing on the national team.”