Nico Paz failed a penal in the last play and failed to break the goalless tie between the As 1907 and the Atalanta. The match, on date 23 of the Serie Aended with the young Argentine soccer player in tears, receiving immediate support from his teammates, fans and his coach, Cesc Fabregas.
He Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium witnessed one of the most emotional moments of the season. After a hand of Scalvini In the 98th minute, Paz took responsibility for granting the victory to the local team. His shot from eleven meters was saved by Marco Carnesecchiwho threw himself to his right in the face of the low attempt, which sought to be cornered. And the final whistle found the son of Pablo Paz (World Cup player with Argentina in France 98) in tears, while his teammates and the fans – who chanted his name repeatedly – tried to comfort him.
The public reaction was immediate. An ovation sought to lift the spirits of Paz21 years old, who remained crouched in the center of the field for a long time.
Several of his companions surrounded him and offered him words of encouragement in a situation that is not new for the attacker, who had already lived through similar experiences: he was the third one to die since he took charge of the execution.
The coach Cesc Fabregas He minimized the burden on the player and reaffirmed his confidence in Paz’s youth and bravery, emphasizing recent examples in the elite. “I have failed, Messi did, and so did Terry in important finals. “This is part of football, it can happen to anyone.”commented the coach, underlining the collective nature of error and learning.
The former attacking midfielder stressed that the support includes all the young people who dare in decisive situations. “If they are trying to judge a footballer for missing a penalty, they don’t count on me. The important thing is to try and learn in the process,” said the Catalan coach, Messi’s former teammate at Barcelona.
The tie, although frustrating, keeps the As in European positions (sixth, with 41 points) and with five units ahead of Atalanta in the standings. Fàbregas’ team was superior after the expulsion of Honest Ahanor in the eighth minute, controlling 79% of the possession and generating 28 scoring opportunities, compared to the rival’s six. However, the superiority did not translate into goals.
For Paz, the missed penalty represents his third error from the eleven meters with the shirt of the club in which he finished consolidating himself as a great figure. The Italian cast paid him more than $6,500,000 for his role. Real Madridthe institution that trained him and has the possibility of re-fishing him. His high level sparked the interest of other European giants, such as Inter Milan, although everything indicates that in the middle of the year he will return to the White House to prove his worth. In addition, he is usually part of Lionel Scaloni’s calls for the Argentine team, so he is a candidate to be part of the list of those who will compete in the 2026 World Cup.
Meanwhile, Fabregas He insisted on his message of support and learning, turning the moment into a call for resilience: the way in which setbacks are faced defines the career of a true competitor.
