The curious case of Federico Gatti

09/30/2024 06:55 PM

Gatti is here to stay, for better or worse

Love him or hate him, Federico Gatti has become an instrumental part of Thiago Motta's squad to begin the 2024-25 season, and to date is playing some of the best football of his life. His defensive prowess, domination of attackers, and impressive use of size has been on full display through the first six weeks of the new campaign.

But this was not always the case for Gatti.

From humble beginnings, to the trial-and-error of his first few seasons at Juventus, to his brilliant form at the present, Gatti's story is one that for years will be part of the lexicon of the beautiful game.

This is the career of Federico Gatti, one of the most interesting players in the Italian top flight.

At 17, Gatti was employed as a bricklayer, having grown up in the commune of Rivoli in northern Italy. Growing up he showed an aptitude for football, but economic conditions pushed his father out of work, forcing him to begin working to support his family. While times were becoming increasingly difficult, he still believed that he could make it to the professional level. Gatti employed a rigorous schedule of work, training, and near midnight dinners, only to wake up in the small hours of the morning to do it all over again. After years of playing in Serie D and Serie C, and at the age of 24, all that work paid off with a big league signing to the most successful Italian club in history.

Only to immediately be loaned back to the Serie B club, Frosinone, that he played the first half of the season for.

The story of the-now Juventus captain is one of perseverance, grit, and above all else, dedication to the game. However, once Gatti achieved his goal of becoming a part of the starting XI of the Bianconeri, nothing was perfect. In his early tenure at the club, Gatti polarized the fanbase and confused viewers with his performances. Starting with his first season at Juventus, the 6-foot-4 centre-back only saw the pitch only eighteen times across the 2022-23 season in Serie A, The Champions League, The Europa League, and Coppa Italia. His defending was solid if not unremarkable, but it was in his match against Sporting CP in the Europa League that Gatti made a name for himself with a game winning right-footed shot in the 73rd minute of the match. However, Juventus' season would end unremarkably, with a fifteen point penalty, ban from International competition, and a failed run at the UEL cup.

It was the 2023-24 season that saw the majority of the ups and downs that would be the spark Gatti needed to start performing so well in the following season. Most notably, a wildly embarrassing own goal in a loss against Sassuolo stimulated much ire from fans and pundits alike, questioning his ability to function in Serie A. In another turn of bad luck for Gatti, the center -back netted the deciding own goal in a deadlock match between first-place Inter Milan and second place Juventus during the beginning of the Bianconeri's 2024 slide. This match would be a negative turning point for Juventus, with their form becoming less than stellar in the following matches.

However, Gatti also had some brilliant moments in that same 23-24 season. His performance as a back became better, Gatti began to grow in his composure, and importantly netted three match winning goals against Monza, SSC Napoli, and Fiorentina, respectively. As the season went on, then manager Max Allegri continued to praise the defender from Rivoli, and his starting role for the remainder of the season and for the following season were solidified.

In the 23-24 Coppa Italia, Juventus' defense led by Gatti and Bremer were in stellar form, only allowing in two goals from the start of the Round of 16 to the Final, which the Old Lady eventually won against powerhouse Atalanta. In a humorous turn of events, some of the most interesting news came immediately after the final, where a video of a jubilant Gatti surfaced, showing him accidentally ripping the suit jacket of a Juventus executive during the celebration of the victory.

To date, the 24-25 season has been quite good to the Juventus backline, not conceding a single goal in their first six Serie A matches. Gatti has grown into a fantastic addition to the club, aiding Juventus in mitigating threats while supporting the attack up front. He even has been named captain multiple times this season.

But what has changed since last season for Gatti? It is easy to speculate, but it seems that the defender is the ultimate poster child for learning from one's mistakes.

From own goals to game winning headers to a recent captainship on the starting eleven, the former bricklayer has solidified his crucial role on the squad through intense effort and an unwavering love of the Black and White. It is safe to say that the story of Federico Gatti is one that inspires athletes everywhere to not give up on their dreams of performing under the pitch lights in top flight leagues of the most beautiful game.