30.10.2020
15:08
El Tigre has included Gianluca Lapadula, a 30-year-old Italian forward, on the roster for his team’s next games heading to Qatar 2022
October 30, 2020 Share on FacebookShare Share on TwitterTweet Share on WhatsAppShare
Gianluca Lapadula, a 30-year-old Italian footballer, has been nationalized from Paruano and was summoned by Gareca for the Qualifiers (EFE)
In mid-August, Ricardo Gareca received the news that Paolo Guerrero suffered a serious knee injury that was going to marginalize him for a long time from the courts. El Tigre lost his benchmark and scorer for the start of the South American Qualifiers heading to Qatar 2022 . But this week a name began to circulate to make up for that loss, one from Italy: Gianluca Lapadula . And this Friday it has been confirmed that he was summoned.
The 30-year-old Italian forward has been called up by Gareca for the next matches against Chile and Argentina . The former AC Milan attacker, with an Italian father and a Peruvian mother, currently plays for Benevento and this week had started the procedures that were successfully completed and allow him to be part of the Blanquirroja .
“We decided to summon him because everything is going well, but I don’t have anything official yet. He is a player who has communicated in the previous weeks and the interest he has in being able to participate made his call possible , ”said the Argentine DT at a press conference.
Ricardo Gareca has finally summoned Gianluca Lapadula to the Peruvian team (REUTERS)
Lapadula , who made his professional debut in 2007 and also wore the shirts of Parma and Genoa , among other clubs in his country, has never visited Peru and does not speak Spanish but has already awakened a lot of enthusiasm in the fans, who see him as the ideal replacement for a Warrior recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee .
In the past, there had already been speculation about his possible call by Peru . It was in 2016, when he wore the Pescara shirt and finished top scorer in the Italian Second Division by scoring 30 goals in 46 games . Gareca almost took him to the Copa América Centenario but was ultimately not considered.
Later Lapadula was summoned Giampiero Ventura to the selection of Italy but it did not get to debut with the Azzurra . He only represented his national team in March 2017 , in a friendly against San Marino where Italy thrashed 8-0 and he scored a hat-trick . But he was never called again.
Gianluca Lapadula against Diego Godin in a Serie A match (REUTERS)
By not playing official matches with Italy, Gianluca Lapadula was still eligible to be called up by Peru and finally the opportunity has come, now that he has scored 2 goals in 5 games with Benevento this season. And he is ready to make his debut in two high-voltage games: in the Pacific Classic against Chile (November 13) and against the powerful Argentina (11/17), where the Peruvian team will seek its first victories in the Qualifiers after drawing with Paraguay and fall against Brazil.
In addition to Lapadula , the other novelty on the list is the Swiss central Jean Pierre Rhyner , a 24-year-old player who also has a Peruvian mother and who plays for Cartagena in the Spanish second division. As he had already integrated the U-20 and U-21 in Switzerland, he had to comply with the process required by FIFA to make the change of association official and he was now fit to play with the Peruvian team.
PERU’S COMPLETE LIST TO FACE CHILE AND ARGENTINA
Goalkeepers: Pedro Gallese, José Carvallo and Renato Solís.
Defenders: Aldo Corzo, Luis Advíncula, Miguel Araujo, Christian Ramos, Luis Abram, Anderson Santamaría, Jean Pierre Rhyner, Alexander Callens, Miguel Trauco and Marcos López.
Midfielders: Renato Tapia, Pedro Aquino, Wilder Cartagena, Yoshimar Yotún, Christofer Gonzales, Christian Cueva, Edison Flores, Sergio Peña, André Carrillo and Andy Polo.
Forwards: Raúl Ruidíaz, Aldair Rodríguez, Gianluca Lapadula.
