Romano Floriani Mussolini, the great-grandson of former Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, made his Serie A debut on Friday as a substitute for Cremonese in a match against Sassuolo, contributing to a 3-2 victory. The 22-year-old right-back was brought onto the field with eight minutes remaining and won the penalty that led to the decisive goal by Manuel de Luca, propelling Cremonese to the top of the Serie A standings with two consecutive wins.
Prior to this match, Floriani Mussolini had not played in the season opener, where Cremonese defeated AC Milan 2-1. On his debut night, he expressed his emotions, stating, “Too many things happened in too little time, I don’t think I’ll ever forget the night because I’ve always dreamed of making my debut in Serie A.” He emphasized his intention to make a difference in the match.
Wearing the number 22 jersey with “Romano” on the back, Floriani Mussolini previously advanced through the youth ranks at Lazio but did not make a first-team appearance in the top division for the club. His loan history includes stints at Pescara in the third division for the 2023-24 season and at Juve Stabia in the second division during the 2024-25 season.
In December, reports indicated that some supporters celebrated a goal he scored for Juve Stabia with fascist salutes, a claim the club denied. Upon joining Cremonese, he remarked that he was focused on playing football and suggested that his surname affects others more than himself. Historical context reveals that Benito Mussolini was the founder of the National Fascist Party in Italy, leading the country from 1922 until his removal in 1943 and later aligning with Hitler during WWII. He was executed in 1945.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/c2l74klqpkwo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss