Andrea Capone’s first professional goal for Monopoli, scored with a backheel against Foggia, carried more than the usual weight of a landmark afternoon. At 24, the former Milan academy prospect has already travelled from the promise of the Primavera to a long knee rehabilitation, spells abroad and in the lower divisions, and now a fresh start by the Adriatic coast.
A goal after the long road back
Capone learned he would start against Foggia only in the pre-match meeting. He then marked the occasion with the first senior goal of his career, a finish which made the moment still more memorable.
“It was an overwhelming feeling,” he said. “Starting was already a dream coming true, and that goal helped me leave many things behind. Scoring with a backheel made it even more special.”
His first thoughts were for himself, before turning to the people who accompanied him through a difficult few years:
- his brother Christian;
- his parents and girlfriend;
- the fitness coach with whom he has worked extensively during his recovery and return.
Monopoli has become a place where he feels settled. He had recently visited the town while holidaying in Puglia before accepting the club’s offer in the summer. The appeal, he explained, was both sporting and personal: a concrete but ambitious project, a setting which expects players to improve season after season, and the restorative quality of life by the sea.
The injury that changed a Milan prospect’s route
Four years ago, Capone was among the leading figures in Milan’s Primavera side. At 20, he was training regularly with the first team and believed the club were preparing to bring him into Stefano Pioli’s squad after the youth campaign ended.
That path stopped abruptly in April, during one of the final Primavera matches against Bologna, when he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury. The recovery kept him out for more than a year.
“My first thought was to quit,” Capone admitted. “That is what can happen after such a serious injury. Suddenly you face a choice: walk away, or give even greater attention to every detail, from food to the gym and work on every part of the body. I chose sacrifice, because stopping would have hurt me more.”
His route back did not immediately provide stability:
- He moved to Croatian club Varazdin, but felt he needed a project in which he would receive closer support and returned to Italy.
- A short period at Pescara followed, though he required regular football after the extended rehabilitation.
- Two years ago, Club Milano gave him the confidence he was seeking, despite the side being bottom of Serie D at the time.
- At a club close to home, he scored and rebuilt belief, then continued that process with Pro Palazzolo last season.
- With confidence restored, he sought the step up that has taken him to Monopoli and Serie C.
His principle became straightforward: join the first club to show genuine faith, without being guided by division or league position.
Memories of Milan and a family ambition
Capone still carries strong memories from his years in the Milan environment, particularly the group which went on to win the Scudetto. Sandro Tonali and Rafael Leao, he said, were not only decisive players but generous presences around younger footballers, offering advice and making academy players feel part of the group.
He last spoke with Leao in the summer, after posting a video compilation of his Serie D goals. Leao replied with a joke, reflecting the playful relationship Capone describes between the pair. When asked about Leao following his move to Turkey, Capone said he had not been in contact since then.
He also recalled the standards set by Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paolo Maldini.
- “Ibrahimovic demands a great deal, but training with someone like him means you do not worry about taking a few extra shouts in a small-sided game.”
- “Maldini was a reference point for me. While he was there, everything around the club was in order. He helped me during my injury, and I have a good relationship with his son Daniel.”
Capone trained with the first team during Gennaro Gattuso’s spell in charge and remembers the intensity of those sessions. Gattuso was less severe with the younger players, he said, although he recalls some sharp lessons delivered to Tiemoue Bakayoko.
He sees today’s Milan as a club in reconstruction, playing differently from previous teams, although Monopoli’s Serie C schedule does not always allow him to follow closely.
Intermediate targets before the biggest dream
Christian Capone is now at Trento, hundreds of kilometres north of Monopoli, though his season was interrupted before his debut by a knee injury. The brothers rarely get the chance to meet during the campaign, particularly with their clubs at opposite ends of Italy.
Their shared ambition is to one day play for the same side. Both operate in similar roles, so Andrea believes it might require a particularly imaginative coach willing to field two attacking midfielders. He speaks warmly of Christian, adding that his brother and Neymar were his childhood idols.
For Capone, the longer-term aim remains a return to San Siro as a protagonist. But the injury taught him to build progress through smaller objectives, preserving the motivation to improve each year.
His immediate target is clear: reach double figures for goals in Serie C this season. It is another stage in a career that once appeared to be heading directly towards Milan, before taking a far less predictable route through Croatia, Serie D and now the coast of Puglia.
