Behrami: “Zaniolo is Being Unfairly Targeted. Can’t Players Celebrate Anymore?”

Nicolò Zaniolo continues to be a topic of discussion in Italian football. The Atalanta forward has been finding consistency in his performances and has recently scored against both Roma and Cagliari. In both instances, the former Roma player celebrated enthusiastically, which some perceived as provocative towards opposing fans. This led to a reprimand from his coach, Gasperini.

While many have criticized the player, Valon Behrami, a former Lazio and Genoa player now working as a pundit for DAZN, offers a different perspective:

“There’s nothing wrong with how he celebrated. He didn’t provoke anyone; he celebrated naturally. He moved towards another section of the stands for personal reasons, as he did in Rome. I don’t understand this controversy anymore. Now a player can’t even celebrate? He scores, looks at the crowd – which all players do – and simply celebrates.”

Behrami continued, “It’s become a major issue now. If he can’t celebrate against Roma because it’s his former team, and he can’t do it normally in Cagliari, then we might as well stop celebrating altogether. In my opinion, this is just an excuse to divert attention from the fact that Atalanta didn’t play their usual dominant game.”

The former player also noted, “Cagliari played very well, exposing Atalanta’s weaknesses. The fans’ reaction is normal; it energizes their own team. In my view, Zaniolo is being unfairly targeted, just as he was with his goal against Roma.”