The brace scored against Estonia with the Azzurri put 27-year-old winger Vincenzo Grifo in the spotlight and earned him a spot in the history books as he is the first and only player to have scored for the Italian national team without having ever played in Italy. Grifo has in fact spent all of his career in Germany, where he was born from two Italian parents (his mother from Apulia and his father from Sicily), however he had the opportunity to play in the Serie A in the past, as he revealed to "La Gazzetta dello Sport":
"When I was 18, Lazio wanted to bring me in Italy. Tare pushed to sign me, but I was young and together with my parents we made the decision to stay in Germany, closer to my family. It was the first time I was away from my home, so we decided to join Hoffenheim. Then [in 2019], I received an interesting offer from Fiorentina, but while I was considering it they signed Ribery and Boateng so I thought that it was best for me to stay in Germany".
"I would like to play in Serie A one day - Grifo continued - but I have to be rational. At 27, I would only accept a real opportunity. A big club? Never say never. However in the past I already made the mistake of changing clubs and after that I promised myself that I would have not made any more rushed decisions. Finding a coach that believes in you, like Mancini did, is key. My childhood club? My parents bought me a Roberto Baggio's Inter kit with as a gift and I fell in love for the Nerazzurri. But those were only the passions of a young boy, now I am a professional".
