From Castellammare to the Azzurri: The Esposito Brothers Stay True to Their Roots

Roberto Mancini called up a 34 players to his new Italy squad as the Euro 2020 winner returned to the Azzurri bench after three years away.

Mancini was a controversial choice, and prompted the resignation of Paolo Maldini and Leonardo from their roles with the Italian Football Federation only weeks after accepting jobs to reboot the Italian game.

Yet, here Mancini is, back again, and his call-up included nine new faces. The likes of Bologna goalkeeper Massimo Pessina, Roma defender Daniele Ghilardi, Brentford full-back Michael Kayode, Monza defender Eddy Kouadio, Cagliari midfielder Alessandro Romano and Sporting’s Issa Doumbia have all been given the nod. 

As has another new face, but with a familiar sounding name, Sebastiano Esposito. The middle child of the Esposito family, Sebastiano is the older brother of Inter Milan striker Francesco Pio and the younger brother of Sampdoria midfielder Salvatore. 

Sebastiano is owned by Cagliari but has been sent on loan to Sassuolo this season after the Sardinian outfit signed him from Inter. However, his stay on the island on a permanent basis was brief as, following a contract dispute with Cagliari, he was shipped to Reggio Emilia.

The forward had impressed last season with Cagliari, scoring seven times from 35 games as the Rossoblu easily secured their Serie A status for another season. 

Since moving to Sassuolo, the 24-year-old has scored a beautifully-taken goal in the 3-2 win over Juventus, showing that Pio isn’t the only one in the family who can find the back of the net.

This is the first time Italy has had two siblings in the same squad since the Inzaghi brothers in the early 2000s. Back then, Pippo and Simone were at the top of their game with Juventus and Lazio respectively. The only time they played for their country at the same time was when they featured in a November 2000 friendly against England in Turin, sharing the pitch for 11 minutes.

Pio was the only Esposito on the pitch in the defeat by Belgium on Friday but the Esposito brothers could become only the fourth set of siblings to line up for the Azzurri. Moreover, with Salvatore already having won a cap four years ago, also under Mancini, the family would make history by becoming the first trio of brothers to play for Italy.

While Salvatore has played for Italy once, Pio hit the ground running, scoring five times in nine games before Friday’s loss in Rome. Yet the Inter hitman’s future could have been very different had the brothers been able to persuade him.

“When he was little, we always put him in goal. He was short, Salvatore and I were a bit bossy with him,” Sebastiano told Vivo Azzurro TV. “We almost convinced him to become a goalkeeper. Thank goodness that didn’t happen.”

The three brothers all grew up in Castellammare di Stabia, a city around half an hour’s drive from Naples and where star performer Gianluigi Donnarumma was born and bred. 

“For us it is a source of pride. We have seen many beautiful cities, especially me, abroad as well,” Sebastiano said. “But it remains the most beautiful city in the world. Every time we can go back, we do, and we help the people there.”

Despite the brotherly love, the Espositos aren’t afraid to give one another a gentle ribbing when things don’t go according to plan on the pitch.

“There have never been arguments between us, the bond is built on love. But when Pio misses a chance, we tease him. And that happens often,” said Sebastiano.

The brothers all graduated through Inter’s youth system before branching off to find their various paths to stardom: Salvatore went to SPAL then Spezia and is now at Samp. Pio also had a stint at Spezia before returning to Inter and convincing boss Cristian Chivu to keep him at San Siro after the Nerazzurri failed to land Ademola Lookman from Atalanta.

Sebastiano, meanwhile, has had the more circuitous route, having been sent out on several loans, including to teams in Switzerland and Belgium, before landing at Sassuolo.

The brothers owe their accumulated success to their parents, Agostino and Flavia. “They have always put us, their children, before everything else,” Sebastiano said. “We are very fortunate to have such wonderful parents. There have never been any arguments between us, and we have always shared a very strong bond built on love.”

Castellammare has had a long history of producing top-level footballers, in addition to Donnarumma, the likes of Fabio Quagliarella, Antonio Mirante and Francesco Baiano also hail from the town.

The brothers opened a football pitch in their hometown in 2024 to give young players the same opportunities they had.

“I was on a video call with my cousin and didn’t miss a moment of it. It was incredibly emotional, even from a distance. Seeing the entire neighbourhood, our families, and everyone gathered at the pitch where we grew up, it brought a tear to my eye,” Pio told the Italian Football Federation’s official website at the time.

“We wanted to send the message that you should never forget where you come from, especially when your origins gave you everything.

“That pitch taught us so much, not just about football, but about life. It was where we learned the values of sportsmanship, friendship, respect, and community.”

A city that mostly lies in the shadow of Naples, Castellammare has its own unique charm. Known for its thermal waters, with the city having natural springs that date back to the time of the Romans. Moreover, the city has several Roman villas including the well-preserved Villa San Marco and Villa Arianna, both of which were buried in the volcanic eruption that consumed Pompeii in 79 AD.

With the Gulf of Naples close, Castellammare offers majestic views from the top of Monte Faito, a small mountain range on the Sorrentine Peninsula. The city installed a cable car to the top, which takes around 10 minutes and costs €10.

The town’s team, Juve Stabia, have been punching above their weight for the past few years and have come close to an unlikely promotion to Serie A, making it as far as the play-off semi-final in 2025.

Yet the town’s main claim to fame these days is the success stories of Donnarumma and the Espositos. They like to remain rooted to their origins, evident in the fact that when Sebastiano got up to sing his initiation song on his first night in the new Italy set-up, he sang O surdato ’nnammurato, one of Massimo Ranieri’s – a son of Naples – best-known songs. 

And who knows, perhaps one day if Salvatore makes it back into Serie A with Sampdoria, we could see all three of the brothers line up for Azzurri.