Zaniolo’s Substitution Delay Reminiscent of Seedorf Incident

During Atalanta’s home match against Empoli in the 17th round of Serie A, an unexpected incident occurred reminiscent of a famous episode involving Clarence Seedorf. Mateo Retegui, Atalanta’s Italian-Argentine striker, was forced to leave the field due to a left thigh adductor injury just 21 minutes into the game.

Manager Gian Piero Gasperini immediately called for Nicolò Zaniolo to replace Retegui. However, Zaniolo, like some great players before him, was caught off guard by the sudden substitution and wasn’t prepared to enter the game.

This situation brought to mind a memorable Milan derby where Clarence Seedorf delayed his entry as a substitute for Gennaro Gattuso because he wasn’t wearing his cleats on the bench. This delay forced Gattuso to stay on the field longer than intended, resulting in a second yellow card and subsequent expulsion that dramatically altered the course of the match.

Zaniolo found himself in a similar predicament. Fortunately for him, Retegui was unable to continue playing. The former Roma and Inter forward was on the bench without his soccer shoes on, as the match had just begun. Consequently, when Gasperini called him to replace his injured teammate, Zaniolo had to first put on his cleats and then change into his game attire, causing a slight delay in the substitution process.