Who is Antonini Lui, the defender attracting Catanzaro and others

Matias Antonini Lui, Taranto FC’s defender, has caught the attention of Serie B clubs following his exceptional performances for the Serie C side. Under the command of Head Coach Eziolino Capuano, Antonini Lui has shown significant growth, seamlessly transitioning from a midfielder to a central defender, and seems to be thriving in his new position. Interest in Antonini Lui has reportedly been expressed by several Serie B clubs – including Brescia and Catanzaro. However, Taranto insists on receiving the right price for someone as crucial to their team as Antonini Lui, with the club’s demands proving to be the stumbling block. Even with the transfer window still open for the foreseeable future, the right offer could make all the difference.

Hailing from Brazil, Antonini Lui started playing football as many Brazilian children do, his technical prowess seemingly ingrained in him from an early age. He honed his skills on the streets of Porto Alegre, playing for Dream Soccer – a club setup by Luis Figo – before being scooped up by Gremio. The young player’s increasing fame attracted attention from Italy, leading to an important move to Meda. His career continued to ascend, catching the eye of Inter and convincing the Nerazzurri to bring him to Appiano. Antonini Lui advanced from the youth sector and edged his way into the first team, debuting at San Siro in the 24th Berlusconi Trophy.

From Milan, Antonini Lui made a move to Cagliari in Sardinia, again playing primarily with the Primavera team before making a few appearances with the first team. He would then return to Gremio, before a stint at Arezzo in the Serie D, which led to him captivating Taranto. Now, Antonini Lui is dreaming big with the Apulia-based club, with his performance indicating he’s ready to compete at a much higher level.

Eziolino Capuano, Antonini Lui’s coach at Taranto, spoke highly of his defender, as reported by Bresciaingol.it, mentioning, “For us, he is not for sale, as our president has also said. This player is not even suitable for Serie B – I am convinced, as I was about Parisi, that he is a player for Serie A, even the Premier League. Brescia’s interest is very pleasing to us because it’s a great club; however, there are several Serie B and some Serie A teams interested. It’s not an easy operation, unless Brescia gives the right value to the player, which I haven’t heard in the rumours. Seeing Antonini Lui playing in Serie C is like seeing Belen being a bartender in a local Brescia bar instead of at an important one.”