The National Team goalkeeper Gigio Donnarumma and the young Inter striker Pio Esposito, together with his brother Sebastiano, grew up on the same synthetic grass field near the Menti stadium, in Castellammare di Stabia. According to the Gazzetta dello Sport, those who followed the boys’ development on that pitch reveal the behind-the-scenes stories of their football beginnings.
Ciro Amore, president of the Club Napoli football school where Pio started, recalls: “He stayed with us for a very short time; he never got tired, he would run around the sports center with the ball at his feet. He was almost five years old, but his talent was already evident. He was the strongest of the three brothers.”
Donnarumma could have followed the same path as the three Esposito brothers. “There was already an agreement with Inter,” confirm Amore and coach Angelo Panariello. “A couple of times a year, Gigio played some tournaments with the Nerazzurri. The club was convinced, we were about to close the deal. Then everything stopped.”
What made the difference was Adriano Galliani. The boy was a Milan fan and dreamed of wearing those colors. Not everyone knows that he also had some trials with Juventus, but the Bianconeri rejected him.
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