The former Napoli star scored his debut Champions League goal for Atletico against Eintracht, earning a thunderous ovation at the Metropolitano. “Great Jack,” commented Di Lorenzo.
“I’ve dreamed of it many times, but I never thought it could be this beautiful.” This is how Giacomo Raspadori expressed his joy on social media after scoring his first goal for Atletico Madrid. The former Napoli forward broke the deadlock in the Champions League match against Eintracht Frankfurt, setting the stage for Simeone`s team to achieve a dominant victory. It was a night of Champions League magic and intense emotions, and Jack savored the standing ovation he received from his new stadium, the Metropolitano, upon his substitution.
Raspadori wore the light blue jersey of Napoli for three seasons, a period marked by two Scudetto titles. He arrived in the summer of 2022 from Sassuolo for approximately 35 million euros during the Castel di Sangro training camp, a move initially met with skepticism as the season began with the historic departures of club icons Insigne, Mertens, and Koulibaly. Yet, Antonio Conte always lauded him: “Raspadori is a serious, diligent, and always available young man within the group; whenever he was called upon, he always performed his duty.”
Raspadori and His Crucial Goals
Beyond his reputation as a “good guy,” Jack has also earned the moniker of a scorer of crucial goals. Last season, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia`s departure and Neres`s injury in the second half of the season, Antonio Conte placed his trust in him, utilizing him both alongside Lukaku in a 3-5-2 formation and, on rarer occasions, as a left-winger in a 4-3-3. This trust was consistently repaid. His two match-winning goals were fundamental in a tight Scudetto race: Raspadori broke the deadlock in both the home game against Venezia and, with a free-kick, in the seemingly cursed match at Via del Mare.
Equally memorable and significant were his goals during the 2022/2023 Scudetto season: one against Spezia at the Maradona in the 89th minute, but even more so the stoppage-time goal at the Stadium against Juventus, which effectively gave fans permission to flood Capodichino to kick off the Scudetto celebrations. Let`s not forget his free-kick at San Siro against AC Milan, which salvaged a draw for Napoli in a game that seemed lost after Giroud`s first-half brace.
Fans do not forget. “You would have equalized against Milan in the 90th minute,” “How much I miss you, Jack,” “My brother Jack” are just a few of the comments from Napoli supporters on his Instagram post featuring his new Atletico jersey. This wave of nostalgia is powerful and is also evident among his former teammates. Captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo commented “Great Jack” accompanied by applause and heart emojis. True to his character, Raspadori responded: “Captain, I love you.”
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