Esposito brothers, Azzurri duo, ask Inter's Materazzi

Pio Esposito asked his brother Sebastiano whether Marco Materazzi had worn the black‑and‑blue shirt, while the two become the fourth pair of brothers called up to the Italian national team, an honour shared with Aldo and Luigi Cevenini, Beppe and Franco Baresi, and Filippo and Simone Inzaghi.

A tradition of brothers in the national team

The previous group of brothers in the blue shirt included the Ceveninis, two of the most prolific forwards of the 1930s, the Baresis, symbols of the Milanese defence, and the Inzaghi brothers, who have led the national attack in recent years. These names have marked fundamental milestones in the history of Italian football.

During an interview on Vivo Azzurro TV, the two forwards answered a quiz about football history, starting with the question about Materazzi and Inter. Sebastiano answered decisively “Yes, absolutely!”. Pio then listed four other players: Bastoni, Dimarco, Barella and his own name.

The brothers apologized for not having remembered Roberto Baggio, who was called up to the national team when he played for Bologna. They clarified that in 1998, the year Materazzi won the World Cup and the league with Inter, they were not yet born; Pio, born in 2005, was only one year old.

The path of the Esposito brothers

Sebastiano, born in 2005, plays for Sassuolo and is the newcomer in the blue squad, while Pio, although younger, has already been called up by Gattuso and has scored five goals for Inter.

Mancini transforms Italy from depression to optimism with the youngsters

Italy will open its international commitment on Friday against Belgium at the Olimpico in Turin. Pio commented: “Having four matches in two weeks is new for everyone, but we like to play.” Sebastiano added that debuting at home will be “an emotion” and that they aim to bring home points.

The older brother Salvatore Esposito was called up by Roberto Mancini in his first cycle, making his debut on June 11, 2022 in the Nations League against England.

In their first training session with Roberto Mancini, Pio described the coach as “a great forward” who provides technical guidance on the role. Sebastiano reported that Mancini encouraged them to “enjoy it”, also explaining body positioning.

Italy one step from relegation in the Nations League

In a comparison game, the brothers admitted to being disorganized: Pio describes himself as the most touchy and mother‑boy, Sebastiano as the most superstitious and stubborn, but also the most in‑tune. Cristian Giudici’s tweet shared the interview video, while the Fantasy League invites everyone to challenge Italy in the overall standings.