Famous surnames often turn out to be a big burden in the world of sports. The history of football is peppered with cases of sons of celebrated fathers who have found it tough to live up to the great reputations of their fathers. Very few have come on top in such a big challenge and the next one who will be looking to make that list is Giovanni Simeone, who plies his trade in Italy with Genoa.
The striker is the eldest son of one of Argentina’s best ever players, Diego Simeone, who is also one of the best in managers in Europe at the moment.
In fact, the job for Giovanni will be a bit harder because of the fact that his father is still very much a celebrated figure in Europe. However, the junior Simeone’s first season in European football suggests that he can still live up to the challenge.
Diego Simeone was regarded as a fighter on the pitch, and one of the very best when it comes to working hard and achieving success.
The elder Simeone did that throughout his exceptional career as a player and is now doing the same as a manager. Every child looks up to his parents for inspiration, which is why we can presume that Simeone junior is also a player who is full of determination. Now aged 21, he is one of the brightest prospects in world football right now and could be a star in the making.
Background
It is always difficult for a child to have a normal life when his father travels around the world for the sake of his career and Giovanni also had to face the same. He was born in Madrid while his father was playing for Atletico Madrid, the team Diego manages right now. As his father changed clubs, he then moved to Italy and then back again to Spain.
However, his youth career started in Argentina, a country where football is much revered. Every Argentine dreams of playing for either Boca Juniors or River Plate and Giovanni started his career at the latter when his father was the manager of the club.
In the process, he racked up 30 appearances for River Plate and 34 for Club Atletico Banfield on loan.
At Banfield, he started showing his proficiency in front of goal, notching up 12 goals from 34 games. Capped at the under-20 level for Argentina and having also represented La Albiceleste in the 2016 Olympics, the 21-year-old is already recognised at the international level already.
He impressed for Argentina in South American Youth Football Championship in 2015 which Argentina won and he was also the top scorer in the competition.
After eight years of his football education at River Plate, Simeone finally moved to Europe in the summer of 2016.
Arrival in Europe
Most non-EU players find it hard to adjust to European football in the early days. The football environment in Europe is much different to South America and the rest of the world, and the transition period is usually much harder for a young player, but in his first season in Europe, Giovanni has performed like a seasoned campaigner.
The reason probably is that he has stayed in both Italy and Spain for a long time when his father used to be a player. But, he deserves the plaudits for the football he has been playing at Genoa this season.
Giovanni’s stock was really high when he was making a name for himself back in his native Argentina. He could have joined a bigger club than Genoa when he decided to take the big step to Europe but the move reflects his intelligence.
Young players who are still developing need to play on a regular basis which he knew was possible at Genoa. With 11 goals from 21 games along with 2 assists, he has taken to Serie A and European football very well.
Style of play and strengths
His father was known to be a tough tackling footballer with determination and drive. Diego Simeone was a dirty player during his playing career and his Atletico Madrid team play in the same way, which might not be attractive but is very effective.
However, Giovanni Simeone might be able to change the perception of the 'Simeone' name in the coming years. Argentina have produced some of the best attackers of the game over the years and Giovanni certainly has what it takes to add his name to that famous list.
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Giovanni’s frame is exactly the same as his father - 5’11” - and the striker is a brilliant header of the ball, winning almost 1.9 aerial duels every game this season on an average, according to WhoScored. When one considers the average height of Serie A defenders and the emphasis on defence in Serie A, the number is quite a good one.
11 goals from 21 games in all competitions suggest that he is a lethal finisher and as he gathers experience, he will be a much better player. A right footed striker, Giovanni mostly relies on his athleticism to score.
He is not the tallest, neither the fastest, but his ability to pick the pockets of defenders in a packed defence is his formula to success. He is very much similar to Serie A star Gonzalo Higuaín in terms of his style of play. Blessed with a natural instinct to score, his ability to position himself is really impressive.
Weaknesses
Even though Giovanni is such a highly-rated forward, there are certain areas where he needs to improve on in order to become a world-class forward. One aspect is his passing. His passing accuracy this season has been just 66.4%, which is nowhere close to the desired number.
He also needs to improve his upper body strength in order to not get dispossessed easily. The Argentine has been dispossessed 1.3 times in every game on average this campaign, which is not an impressive record at all. 2.2 unsuccessful touches every game is also a figure he would like to improve on.
In general, South American players are blessed technically, which clearly is not the case for Giovanni. Physical strength and technique can be developed with training and experience but the attitude to win is an impressive trait that Simeone possesses which can’t be taught. Going by the signs he has shown since arriving at Genoa, he surely will go a long way.
Future
Still only 21, the sky is the limit for the Argentine wonderkid. If he can work on the few areas where he lacks in right now, we will get to see another world beater ‘Simeone’ in the coming years. In his first season in Europe, Giovanni has made a strong mark for himself and if he can keep up his good work, his future looks really bright.
Argentina have some exceptionally gifted young strikers with the likes of Paulo Dybala, Mauro Icardi and Luciano Vietto and it will be extremely hard for Simeone to make his way into the national team but he certainly has the quality to do that in the future.
At club level, he can also reach the very top but it is still early days in his career and should not consider a move right now. His sole focus should be to improve his game and play on a weekly basis. At Genoa, the 21-year-old is flourishing quite well and should keep up his good work.
