Argentine striker Giovanni Simeone fulfilled his childhood dream of scoring in the European Champions League after helping his new side Napoli beat Liverpool 4-1 in the first round of Group A competition.

Luckily, the son of Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone had the opportunity to fulfill his dream as manager Luciano Spalletti had to bring him in before the end of the first half due to an injury to Nigerian Victor Osimhen while Italy were leading 2- . 0 with a missed penalty.

And the 27-year-old, loaned out this season from Hellas Verona, quickly made his mark by scoring his team’s third goal in the 44th minute, fulfilling a dream he’s had since he was thirteen or fourteen years old.

To that end, Simeone Jr made his best start at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium and scored his first Champions League goal, 25 years and 361 days after his father Diego set his record in the mother continental competition in his first participation . when he scored a brace for Atlético against Steaua Bucharest Romania (4-0) in 1996.

Simeone Jr seemed very touched after scoring a goal and saying he kissed his forearm, and in fact, he adopted a tattoo of his mother’s continental competitions logo on his left forearm since he was a teenager.

Simeone followed through on a promise he made in 2021 in an interview with the British newspaper The Guardian when he said he would get a tattoo if he scored in the Champions League.

At the time, the Argentinean said: “I was thirteen years old (it was reported at a press conference on Wednesday that he was 14) when I got my first tattoo. You have to be eighteen (to get a tattoo), but I was a big fan. In the Champions League, I got the badge when I was thirteen.”

He continued, “My father was against the issue and my mother asked, ‘Why?

And he said: “I was thirteen years old, and my position was:” Europe, Europe, Europe.

At the post-match press conference, Simeone spoke about his feeling that he would score on Wednesday, revealing that he spoke to his father Diego before the match: “We always do that. We talk before every game, just two minutes before every game. . We have always done this and will continue to do so.”

– “I tried so hard to be here, and here I am” –

“I have always dreamed of playing in the Champions League. Here I am 12 years later. I got this tattoo because I wanted to be here, score and receive this ball (competition logo). I’ve always dreamed about it. Now I don’t have much to say. I’ve tried so hard to be here, and here I am.”

Having lost two very influential pillars, Belgian captain and historical goalscorer Dries Mertens (Galatasaray, Turkey) and Lorenzo Insigne (Toronto, Canada), Napoli hired Simeone on loan from Verona with an option to sign him permanently after his brilliant performance in last season. scoring 17 goals in the 35 games he played in the Italian league.

He made his debut for Napoli as a substitute in a goalless draw against his former club Fiorentina on 27 August and has so far played a total of 17 minutes in two league games for the southern team.

And after confirming he was Liverpool’s node by dropping him for the third consecutive time in his stronghold, Napoli Yemen added a second win outside their stadium against Scottish Rangers on Tuesday in hopes of continuing their good run at local level. . , as he is currently in second place, two points behind leaders Atalanta and scoring goals against defending champions Milan, who will become his rival after Continental Merit in Glasgow.

Simeone hopes Spalletti will rely more on him to help the club achieve their dream of winning the league title for the first time since 1990, when he won it for the second time led by another Argentine legend, the late Diego Armando Maradona. who also led the southern team to its only continental title in 1989 in the Confederation Cup.