FRANCAVILLA. After receiving the MVP award on the last day of the championship in the match against Fiorentina, in which he scored the first goal of the championship, he is preparing to return to the field next Saturday, in the match that Torino will play at home against Cagliari. Sebastiano Vlad Di Paolo, 18 years old next October, born in 2006, is the Abruzzo star who lights up the Granata sky. Having arrived two years ago from Alcyone Francavilla, Sebastiano has become a cornerstone of the 2006 Toro team, coached by Larocca, who play in the national category championship, a single group of Serie A and B clubs.
Di Paolo, a dual Italian and Romanian national, is already projected towards the future: he is constantly called upon in the Primavera to train with his older colleagues, and has already collected 4 call-ups so far in the top youth league. His first springboard was the Viareggio Tournament: 4 goals in 5 games, always starting on the left wing of the Toro U18. “Scoring is beautiful, against Fiorentina I scored my first goal in the league and I’m happy, but the performance comes first,” says Sebastiano. Yes, but his exploits in Viareggio have also inflamed the market, so much so that his name is already on the notebooks of the most important clubs in the Romanian Serie A, ready to knock on Cairo’s door next summer.
More than once this year he also trained with Juric’s first team, including giants like Zapata, Sanabria, Linetty, Ricci and the other protagonists in Serie A: “Great experience. What struck me? The way of thinking: everything is faster, the pace is crazy even in training. And on a physical level they are all impressive.”
Sebastiano, left-footed, is an attacking winger, although in Turin he practiced playing as a fifth in the 3-5-2 or as a full-back winger in the 3-4-2-1. “Here I have a great opportunity to learn to play in different ways and in multiple roles, even if I was born as an offensive player,” says the young native of Francavilla. “This club is a dream for everyone: nothing is ever missing and it pays attention to everything. Here I attend a public evening school, in a technical institute aimed at tourism. Wearing this shirt is truly something important, you feel the weight of history and experience unique sensations on the pitch. We youth players realize this.”
Sebastiano Di Paolo’s tale in football began with Alcyone, under the guidance of coach Antonio Ronci, who is the point of reference for him today: “I owe a lot to Ronci. In fact, I owe him everything. We have spoken every day since I arrived here in Turin two years ago. He is always ready to give me valuable advice and, if he needs it, to help me. I also thank the lawyer Luigi Toppeta, who followed me when I moved to Toro and is still close to me today.”
