Giovanni Simeone was too young to get a tattoo, but he got one anyway.
At age 13, the Argentine branded his inner arm with the Champions League ball logo. He had a clear vision for what would happen in the future, as he outlined in this passage from a Guardian story last year.
“I was 13 when I got my first tattoo,” Simeone said. “You’re supposed to be 18, but I was such a fan of the Champions League that I got the logo done at 13. My dad didn’t want me to. And my mum said: ‘Why?’ I said: ‘Because the day I play and get my first goal in it …’” Simeone looks at the screen and pulls up his sleeve to reveal his arm, leaning towards it lips first. “‘… then I’m going to kiss the tattoo,’” he concludes, a smile stretching across his face. “I was 13, and my attitude was: ‘Europe, Europe, Europe.’”
The forward, son of Argentine legend and current Atlético Madrid manager Diego Simeone, has had a winding career in Italy, with stops at Genoa, Fiorentina, Cagliari, Hellas Verona and finally, his current club Napoli.
At age 27, Simeone made his Champions League debut against Liverpool on Wednesday, coming on as a sub in the first half. Three minutes after entering the field, he scored.
LIVERPOOL, WYD?! 🙈
IT'S 3! pic.twitter.com/IqbKGxy952
— CBS Sports Golazo ⚽️ (@CBSSportsGolazo) September 7, 2022
True to the promise he made to his teenage self, Simeone kissed the Champions League tattoo on his arm.
“I was 14 years old, my dream was always to play the Champions League, from the very beginning,” he told Prime Video after the game (we’ll cut him some slack for potentially forgetting his exact age).
“Twelve years later I’m here. I got this tattoo because I had the dream of getting this far, scoring a goal and kissing this ball. It was exciting. Every time I saw this tattoo as a child I dreamed this moment. I’m excited, I did a lot to get here and now I’m here.”
A man of his word, @simeonegiovanni pic.twitter.com/RRRjnsbZ9j
— Sid Lowe (@sidlowe) September 7, 2022
Napoli beat Liverpool 4-1 on the night, capping off a dream Champions League debut for Simeone.
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