On Saturday, June 15, 2024, Michael Folorunsho achieved a milestone he had long aspired to: making his international debut for Italy at Euro 2024 in Germany.
The 26-year-old midfielder came on as a late substitute for the impressive Nicolò Barella during Italy’s 2-1 comeback win over Albania.
Born in Rome to Nigerian parents, Folorunsho now finds his international future firmly tied to Italy. His journey to this point, however, was far from straightforward.
Advertisement
To order your copy, send a WhatsApp message to +1 317 665 2180
Eligible to play for both Italy and Nigeria, he was repeatedly overlooked by the head coaches of both nations. Notably, he could have played for Nigeria at the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year if then-coach Jose Peseiro had selected him.
A representative of Folorunsho revealed the frustrations with Nigeria’s former coach.
“Folorunsho was keen on playing at the AFCON and I tried to make it happen by texting the coach, but he didn’t reply,” he told OwnGoalNigeria.com.
“When I called, he picked and I introduced myself as a representative of Folorunsho and after a brief chat, he promised to get back to me.
“Days went by and I called him but he didn’t pick up and didn’t return my calls. It was two weeks later that the list of Nigeria for the tournament was made public. That’s how we got to where we are at the moment.”
Italy’s manager, Luciano Spalletti, had a different perspective.
Familiar with Folorunsho from their time together at Napoli, Spalletti marked him out as a talent to watch.
He called Folorunsho up in March but did not debut him in the friendlies. Despite this, Spalletti included him in the final Euro 2024 squad, and against Albania, he trusted him in added time to help secure the win.
Advertisements
“He is a beast,” Spalletti once said of Folorunsho. “He offers different solutions physically, has a good outside shot, and excels in heading, which is crucial in set-piece plays.”
Folorunsho’s journey to the Italian national team has been a testament to resilience.
He began his youth career with Lazio, playing for their Under-19 squad and getting a call-up for a Coppa Italia match against Inter in 2017. However, he found himself in Serie C with Virtus Francavilla by mid-2017.
At Virtus Francavilla, he made his professional debut on August 26, 2017, against Lecce.
Over two seasons, he played 60 games, scoring seven goals and becoming the team’s standout player. His coach, Gaetano D’Agostino, recognized his potential early on.
“He was a ‘runaway horse’, but I saw great potential in him,” D’Agostino said. “I told him, ‘If you don’t make it to Serie A, you’re an idiot.’”
His performances earned him a move to Napoli in 2019 for one million euros.
However, breaking into Napoli’s first team under managers Carlo Ancelotti, Gennaro Gattuso, and even Spalletti was challenging.
This led to several loan spells in Serie B with Bari, Reggina, Pordenone, and finally Hellas Verona.
At Hellas Verona, under coach Marco Baroni, Folorunsho’s career flourished.
Advertisements
He played various roles, scoring five goals in 34 games and helping the team avoid relegation. His unique goal celebration, the ‘Folo Mask’, has gone viral.
“My best friend suggested I create something unique to celebrate goals,” he explained. “The ‘Folo Mask’ brings together elements from the most important people in my life.”
Italy’s next challenge is against Spain on Thursday, June 20. While Folorunsho may not start, he could see more playing time.
And one of his signature long-range shots might just introduce the ‘Folo Mask’, not seen at the AFCON, to the rest of Europe.
SANYA ONAYOADE is a graduate of Mass Communication and a Master of Communication Arts degree holder from the University of Ibadan. He has attended local and international courses on Media, Branding, Public Relations and Corporate Governance in many institutions including the University of Pittsburgh; Reuters Foundation of Rhodes University, South Africa and Lagos Business School. He has worked in many newspaper houses including The Guardian and The Punch. He was the pioneer Corporate Affairs Manager of Odua Telecoms Ltd, and later Head of Business Development and Marketing of Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO Plc).
He has led business teams to several countries in the US, Asia and Europe; and was part of an Aviation investment drive in West Africa. He has also driven media and brand consultancy for a few organizations such as the British Council, Industrial Training Fund, PKF Audit/Accounting Firm and Nigeria Stability and Reconciliation Programme. He is a Fellow of Freedom House, Washington DC, and also Fellow of Institute of Brand Management of Nigeria. Sanya is a member of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) and Project Management Institute (PMI).
He is a 1998 Commonwealth Media Awards winner and the Author of A Decade Of Democracy.
Morak Babajide-Alabi
Continental Editor, Europe
Morak Babajide-Alabi is a graduate of Mass Communication with a Master of Arts Degree in Journalism from Napier University, Edinburgh, United Kingdom. He is an experienced Social Media practitioner with a strong passion for connecting with customers of brands.
Morak works as part of a team currently building an e-commerce project for the Volkswagen Group UK. Before this, he worked on the social media accounts of SKODA, Audi, SEAT, CUPRA, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. In this job, he brought his vast experience in journalism, marketing, and search engine optimisation to play to make sure the brands are well represented on social media. He monitored the performance of marketing campaigns and data analysis of all volumes of social media interaction for the brands.
In his private capacity, Morak is the Chief Operating Officer of Syllable Media Limited, an England-based marketing agency with head office in Leeds, West Yorkshire. The agency handles briefs such as creative writing, ghostwriting, website designs, and print and broadcast productions, with an emphasis on search engine optimisation. Syllable Media analyses, reviews, and works alongside clients to maximise returns on their businesses.
Morak is a writer, blogger, journalist, and social media “enthusiast”. He has several publications and projects to his credit with over 20 years of experience writing and editing for print and online media in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Morak is a dependable team player who succeeds in a high-pressure environment. He started his professional career with the flagship of Nigerian journalism – The Guardian Newspapers in 1992 where he honed his writing and editing skills before joining TELL Magazine. He has edited, reported for, and produced newspapers and magazines in Nigeria and the United Kingdom.
Morak is involved in the development of information management tools for the healthcare sector in Africa. He is on the board of DeMiTAG HealthConcepts Limited, a company with branches in London, Lagos, and Abuja, to make healthcare information available at the fingertips of professionals. DeMiTAG HealthConcepts Limited achieved this by collaborating with notable informatics companies. It had partnered in the past with Avia Informatics Plc and i2i TeleSolutions Pvt.
Out of work, Morak loves walking and also volunteers on the board of a few UK Charity Organisations. He can be reached via http://www.syllablemedia.com
Ademola Akinbola
Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
Brief Profile of Ademola Akinbola
Ademola AKINBOLA is an author, publisher, trainer, digital marketing strategist, and a brand development specialist with nearly three decades of experience in the areas of branding, communication, corporate reputation management, business development, organizational change management, and digital marketing.
He is the Founder and Head Steward at BrandStewards Limited, a brand and reputation management consultancy. He is also the Publisher of The Podium International Magazine, Ile-Oluji Times, and Who’s Who in Ile-Oluji.
He had a successful media practice at The Guardian, Punch and This Day.
He started his brand management career at Owena Bank as Media Relations Manager before joining Prudent Bank (now Polaris Bank) as the pioneer Head of Corporate Affairs.
The British Council appointed him as Head of Communication and Marketing to co-ordinate branding and reputation management activities at its Lagos, Abuja, Kano and Port Harcourt offices.
In 2007, he was recruited as the Head of Corporate Planning and Strategy for the Nigerian Aviation Handling company. He led on the branding, strategic planning and stakeholder management support function.
His job was later expanded and redesigned as Head of Corporate Communication and Business Development with the mandate to continue to execute the Board’s vision in the areas of Corporate Planning and Strategy, Branding and New Businesses.
In 2010, he voluntarily resigned from nacho aviance to focus on managing BrandStewards, a reputation and brand management firm he established in 2003. BrandStewards has successfully executed branding, re-branding and marketing communication projects for clients in the private and public sectors.
Ademola obtained a M.Sc. Degree in Digital Marketing & Web Analytics from Dublin Institute of Technology in 2016, and the Master of Communication Arts degree of the University of Ibadan in 1997. He had previously obtained a Higher National Diploma (with Upper Credit) in Mass Communication from Ogun State Polytechnic, Abeokuta.
He has published several articles and authored five management books.
He has benefitted from several domestic and international training programmes on Brand Management, Corporate Communications, Change Management and Organizational Strategy.
Hello. Do you want to keep receiving our stories via WhatsApp? Send us a message!
