Bonaventura Jokes After Finding Italy Breakthrough Against Malta

Fiorentina talisman Giacomo Bonaventura kicked off a spectacle at Stadio San Nicola in Bari as Italy thrashed Malta 4-0 in a must-win Euro 2024 qualifier. Back to the national team after a three-year hiatus, the 34-year-old slotted home a spectacular shot from long range to open the scoring, setting the tone for a goal fest in Puglia.

It’s been almost half a decade since Bonaventura last featured for Italy. He couldn’t have hoped for a better way to mark his return to the national team than scoring a stunning goal to open his international account. As bizarre as it sounds, this was the veteran’s first-ever goal for Gli Azzurri. To his credit, it was a state-of-the-art debut goal.

Bonaventura dedicated his well-deserved call-up to his father, who died last year. By extension, the goal was in his honor as the Italy midfielder shared his overwhelming feelings with the press in the aftermath.