Inter are hoping that Hellas Verona striker Giovanni Simeone can “rehabilitate” his family legacy by doing them a favour in the title race.
This according to Turin-based newspaper Tuttosport, who suggest that the Nerazzurri would see a goal by the Argentine as going some way to make up for his father Diego Simeone’s goal which killed their Scudetto dreams in 2002.
Inter suffered one of the most infamous defeats in their history on the final day of the 2001-02 season, when Lazio beat them 4-2 to knock them from the top of the Serie A table to having to settle for a third place finish.
The Biancocelesti’s equalizing goal was in fact scored by current Nerazzurri coach Simone Inzaghi, whilst the winner that killed off Inter’s Scudetto hopes was scored by Diego Simeone.
The former midfielder, who has moved on to coaching with Atletico Madrid, has watched his son develop into an accomplished striker in Serie A, with stints at Genoa, Fiorentina, and Cagliari on his resume.
The 26-year-old has enjoyed the best season of his career from a goalscoring perspective this campaign with Verona, and could be the danger man for his team as they try to upend Milan’s title hopes with a win at the Bentegodi.
A Verona win would be a massive favour for the Nerazzurri, who need their city rivals to drop at least three points in order to have a chance of finishing top of the table.
If those points were to be taken from the Rossoneri partly thanks to Simeone, Inter could well see it as poetic, making up for his father’s goal twenty years ago.
