Empoli, an emotional goal for Saponara, “I am a person who works in silence…”

Riccardo Saponara’s last goal? December 13^th, 2015. This was followed by injury, ailments, and gossip. As the time passed, Riccardo seemed eclipsed, without a smile on his face, and incapable of reacting. Nonetheless, he never raised his voice, but focused only on training each day. Some within his own city of Empoli began to criticize him. He did not understand why. Today, however, everything suddenly changed. At the end of Pescara-Empoli, Riccardo scored, kneeled, and looked up at the sky with hands in face and tears in his eyes. “It was a mix of emotions. It had been a long time since I had scored. It was a great release due to everything which I endured. I am someone who works in silence and who wants to respond to critics on the field.” With his first goal in almost a year, Saponara can return to smiling.