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Talents Calendar
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It is an incredible sign when the trophy cabinet is already filled at 17. Despite not even being a striker, Samuele Inácios has won the Golden Boot at the U17 European Championships and was also among the top goalscorers at the U17 World Cup. In Italy, the hope is that he one day could become the new playmaker of the Squadra Azzura and Borussia Dortmund.
Football has been in Inácio’s blood. The son of the Brazilian forward Piá was born in Bergamo, his mother's home. When he was five, he started playing football in a suburb of Bergamo and was quickly discovered by Atalanta, where his father and uncle Joelson became professionals. “The fact that my dad made people happy inside the stadium is something that has impacted me,” Inácio said. “When we were kids, we played in parks and dreamed about being involved in big matches.”
While visiting La Dea, Inácios worked meticulously to fulfill his dreams and fill the trophy cabinet with titles and individual honors. What makes Inácios stand out? He combines Italian mentality and tactical discipline with Brazilian creativity. Not surprisingly, he was quickly linked with several top clubs.
Despite attractive offers from Manchester City, Atlético Madrid, or Bayern Munich, Inácios opted to leave Atalanta in the summer of 2024 and join Borussia Dortmund. The BVB scouts loved his intelligence, his ability to play with both feet, and his ability to read and create space. Where he was lacking were physical attributes and intensity. Athletic training isn’t a big focus in Italy.
It wouldn’t take long for him to get used to his surroundings in Dortmund, where he moved to the BVB-Jugendhaus. He quickly got used to the pace in Germany, though, and moved from the U17 to the U19. To help with his integration, he learns German five times a week. Even though he is not taking apart the league like Youssoufa Moukoko, the Italian ranks high among the decision-makers in Dortmund, and he was also rewarded with a call-up to the FIFA Club World Cup last summer.
Dortmund talent Inácio is an old-school no.10
When asked about his role models, Inácio names both European and South American players. On the one hand, there is Kevin De Bruyne, whose vision, tactical intelligence, and quick thinking he admires. On the other hand, there is Neymar, whose creativity and love of the game Inácio loves. Among Dortmund players, he names Serhou Guirassy. In other words, he takes a little bit from all sorts of players.
“He is an old school no.10, good in the attack with great dribbling,” Dortmund director of sport Lars Ricken said to German outlet Sport1 after the U17 World Cup, in which Italy finished third in the group stage. “He is very dangerous in front of the goal and can play a good final pass. He also works very hard for the team against the ball. He is the whole package. Samuele was voted Man of the Match in all three of Italy’s games. That’s unusual. But it didn’t surprise us. We know what he can do.”
Inácio has all the qualities to become an old-school no. 10 while also being agile and dynamic. “Samuele reads the game very well,” his former U19 head coach Mike Tullberg said in an interview with Ruhr Nachrichten. “He has a great eye for his teammates; he plays the sort of pass nobody expects.” Tullberg describes him as a modern playmaker seeking a balance between creativity, directness, and efficiency. Inácio is technically gifted, hard to separate from the ball, has temperament, and is full of energy. “He is one of those young people who remind us why football remains a wonderful game,” the Italian federation said in their player description.
Tullberg, however, also adds that Inácio still has some work to do. “He still lacks physical power; that’s something he has to develop.” If he manages that, then the doors will open for him to celebrate goals at Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park. Perhaps then the fans can witness his “mask celebration,” where he holds a hand in front of his face. It is a gesture he has used since he was a little boy watching his father.
