Pforzheimer Vincenzo Grifo on his way to the European Football Championship – sport

Freiburg. His double European dream continues. On Monday, Vincenzo Grifo was nominated for the Italian national team’s friendly match against San Marino on May 28. So his chances of participating in the subsequent European Championship (June 11 to July 11) shouldn’t be bad. Next Saturday, the attacking man will fight with Freiburg in Eintracht Frankfurt to enter the new conference tournament.

Europe is looming

If Baden wins at the Hesse stadium and the three teams directly in front of them fail in the table, they can still reach seventh, leading to qualification for the new European Championship, on the final day of the match. It will be the culmination of another strong club season – and one of Grifo’s advantages. He has already scored 19 goals this season. Only Papiss Demba Cissé (22 goalscorer) has achieved more for Freiburg since the start of the detailed data collection in the Bundesliga ten years ago.

Praise from Coach Mold

“He’s been developing very well in recent years – also in terms of character,” SC coach Christian Streich recently said of Grifo.

“I am very happy with him. He has become really mature and is very useful to the team.”

Christian Streich

Just as it happened in a 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich last Saturday, when the two SC goals came back. “For me personally, it just works,” the 28-year-old said on ARD after the draw about his current height. “Of course I am happy that I can help the team like this.”

After a recession in the first third of the year and then contracting the Coronavirus at the end of March, Grifo finally turned him over again and scored two goals and four assists in the past four matches alone. It would be hard to understand if national coach Roberto Mancini would work without Grifo like this in EM.

“I am very happy that I can be a part of the national team. It makes me feel proud and I feel very fit. Now is the time to beat the gas and prove yourself. After all, the team will be downgraded,” Griffo said on Tuesday in an interview with BZ.

For Grifo, who was born in Pforzheim, playing for his parents’ homeland has always been the ultimate goal. When he made his debut with Squadra Azzurra in a friendly against the United States in November 2018, he even wore the prestigious number 10 on his Vieri back. “Now my shirt has been hung in the hallway.” And in the European Championships, he’s likely to return to the dressing room.