Torriani’s sister reminisces on his Milan journey: “My heart is full of pride” | OneFootball

During the summer, AC Milan seemingly uncovered an answer to questions they did not know yet existed in the goalkeeper department – Lorenzo Torriani, and hopes are high for his future. After an incredible summer, his sister, Chiara, detailed his journey, and her emotions watching him grow.

When Marco Sportiello injured his hand in the United States, there were questions about the near and far future. Who would immediately step in to take his place, and who would cover his position? The answer revealed itself in the following game.

Of course, Torriani would.

Starting the game against Manchester City, many came forward to applaud the young goalkeeper’s performance, not only as a goalkeeper but as the first stage of buildup, with some even drawing comparisons between him and a young Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Torriani impressed during the other games in the tour, and the idea of him being the deputy to Mike Maignan quickly rose in popularity. Speaking to Calciomercato.com, his sister revisited memories of his journey to now, and how the family are managing the newfound fame, so to speak.

Lorenzo is almost two metres tall…

“I am seven years older but half his size, when we go around I look smaller; and if we hug each other we make people laugh, because I reach his pelvis and he squeezes my head. Tall and thin, he has taken our mother’s constitution. Although in reality he’s had a boom in the last three years, reaching almost two metres.”

How did he get into football?

“As a child my parents made him go swimming to follow my path, the turning point came thanks to a friend who played for Cologno: they had run out of goalkeepers, so seeing Lorenzo’s height he asked him if he wanted to go and play for them in goal. He was six years old, and that was the beginning of everything. Although he would occasionally get distracted watching the planes go by, there were those who had already seen something special in my brother.”

As an older sister, are you afraid of the criticism that can come at Lorenzo?

“My job has always been to make sure he has a figure at his side with whom he can talk about everything, so I also tend to protect him and actually that is one of the things that scares me about his future. After the American tour I went and read all the comments on social media to see what people were writing. But I know that unfortunately in the world of football this also happens.”

What’s the other?

“The fear that he might get sucked into living in a context almost bigger than him. I must say that Lorenzo is not the kind of guy who gets his head up, he has always been down-to-earth; but now he is living in such a big reality that I wouldn’t want him to be influenced by external factors.”

What is your relationship?

“Close, very close. Now that we are older, it has become even stronger, almost a friendship.”

What did friends and relatives write to you after seeing Lorenzo in goal for Milan?

“My friends are more excited than me, I still can’t realise what happened. By the way, they are all Milan fans, some of them stayed awake at night to see him in the friendlies against City, Real and Barcelona.”

It must not have been easy to stay up at night to see him play…

“Considering that I had to wake up every morning at 6am to go to work, I would go to bed early and then set my alarm for the game. At the final whistle I would try to put myself back down before going out, but the adrenalin was so high that I couldn’t sleep any more.”

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Do you have any superstitious rituals at home before your matches?

“Of course, my mum and I are very fond of it: if the previous game went well, we put ourselves in the same position. But we reached our peak during a peewee tournament in Holland.”

Tell us about it…

“I always followed my brother around Europe with my parents, that day Lorenzo was in goal and the first half had gone well; in the second half they were losing, so my mother went to change her shirt to put on the one she had on in the first half. And in the end they won.”

How does it feel to hear Ibra mention your brother?

“Very strange… But the surreal thing is that by now everyone recognises him on the street. A few days ago we were at the supermarket and there were people stopping him to ask for photos and autographs: he was laughing, I was marooned because I was so ashamed.

“We are both a bit shy, although Lollo is now getting used to living in the spotlight. It also makes an impression on me that outside Milanello the fans shout the name Torriani'”

On social media, you posted a photo of Lorenzo’s first bench at San Siro (Milan-Genoa, May last year): what emotion was that?

“I took the field in the warm-up and started crying from emotion. He was clearly a bit emotional too, but what he felt was doubled inside me. My heart was full of pride, especially thinking back to all the sacrifices he made to be there.”

What kind [of sacrifices]?

“An adolescence lived differently from his peers: to be a footballer he gave up parties, weekends with friends, evenings out…”

Lorenzo’s first game in America was with Manchester City, what did you say to each other beforehand?

“We have our own ritual, mine and his. And it has always worked: I write to him ‘Oh I recommend the five goals’ almost as if to tease him about getting five goals. That’s how I did it for the match with City too. Lorenzo was only supposed to play one half and when Fonseca decided to let him play the full 90 minutes he got a mix of anxiety and excitement, but as soon as he came out onto the pitch he was lucid and focused.”

How did the five-goal ritual come about?

“I think it was born before a derby, I had jokingly told him to take five goals from Inter. It went well that day and from then on we continued to use it.”

What are his feelings after a leading summer?

“He is very calm, he is living this moment with great serenity and humility. At the same time, however, he doesn’t feel anxiety and is aware of his qualities.”

What does he tell you about the Rossoneri dressing room?

“We don’t talk much about football because my father takes care of that. But he told me that one of the players who has been closest to him is Florenzi, he tries to protect all the youngsters. Sportiello has taken him on as his protégé, Morata often pays him compliments and Maignan is seen a bit like the daddy of all the boys.

“I must say that I am happy with this atmosphere, because being one of the youngest I was afraid he would be snubbed by the other players.”

Last June you signed he signed his first professional contract, how did you celebrate?

“We went out for dinner and an ice cream all together, that day Lollo also went out with his friends; doing this job he gets to see them very little, so when he can he takes advantage of it.”

Did you give him a present after his promotion to the first team?

“Of course, I bought him the shirt with which he went to sign his first professional contract.”