Argentinian forward Facundo Colidio, now leading River Plate`s attack, spent two years in Inter`s Primavera setup. Purchased for €7 million and sold for €5 million, he will be one of the main threats in the upcoming group match.
Snapshots from Inter
Facundo Colidio`s career includes an overhead kick goal worthy of a Panini sticker album. Right from his first start in the black and blue shirt, he impressed Luciano Spalletti with a technical gesture reminiscent of Carlo Parola`s famous pose. Today, Colidio plays for River Plate and has already scored on his Club World Cup debut. On Thursday night in Seattle, he will face his former teammates as he attempts to secure first place in the group for the Argentinians. Among the familiar faces, he will meet Sebastiano Esposito again, with whom he played in the Primavera in 2018-19, and Piero Ausilio, the sporting director who discovered him at Boca Juniors and brought him to Inter for seven million euros in the summer of 2017, the year Spalletti became coach and Bastoni was signed (only to be loaned back to Atalanta). Colidio, originally from Rafaela, Argentina, was presented as a young talent courted by Real Madrid, Manchester United, Arsenal, and other major clubs. Described as a dynamic forward, possessing good technique, and with a ritual photo alongside Messi on his Instagram profile, he embodied the profile of the promising young South American arriving in Italy. Arriving at just 17 years old, he was entrusted to Stefano Vecchi in the Primavera team. His first start, on November 5, 2017, against Verona, was marked precisely by that overhead kick under Spalletti`s watchful eyes.
The Nerazzurri Journey
His first season in the Primavera was highly successful: he won the category`s Supercoppa, scoring two goals in the final, conquered the Primavera championship by beating Fiorentina, and also won the Viareggio Tournament (though he missed the knockout stage due to national team commitments). A notable record: 32 appearances, 2 assists, and 9 goals, with a celebration that still distinguishes him today – a “C” mimed with his hands dedicated to his girlfriend Clara. In the 2018-19 season, he was called up three times to the first team under Spalletti, scored 12 goals and provided 6 assists, reaching two finals (Supercoppa and Primavera championship) but without winning them. He stood out in the Youth League, scoring two goals against Ansu Fati`s Barcelona. His connection with Inter ended in 2019 when the club decided to send him on loan to Sint-Truiden in Belgium, where he scored only three goals in two years. He returned to San Siro but found no space, acting as a “bit part player.” In January 2022, he moved to Tigre in Argentina, forming a strike partnership with Retegui. Inter definitively sold him in 2023 for 5 million euros before his move to River Plate. In the last two years, he has totaled 25 goals and won two trophies, including the Argentinian championship. The Inter experience remains a distant but positive memory, marked by meeting numerous teammates like Zaniolo, Zappa, Esposito, Corrado, Mulattieri, Bettella, Salcedo, and Odgaard (who won the Coppa Italia with Bologna this year). A different phase of his career.
