Newest Socceroo Alessandro Circati explains why he chose Australia over Italy before Argentina match

The reason for his choice is as clear as day.

“It was based on my upbringing,” Ciracti told CODE Sports from Beijing just days into his first camp with the Socceroos.

“It was about how I grew up, where I grew up and how I’m shaped as a person now.

“You can ask for your opinion over a club. But when it comes to a national team it’s different. No one understands you and what you believe.”

Circati was born in Italy to Italian parents and moved to Australia as a baby.

Now 19, he is back in Italy and at a famous club in Parma, for whom he has made 21 appearances in the pressure-packed Serie B.

Circati’s eligibility became a hot topic late last year. He had already made two appearances for Italy’s under 20 side but, by the back end of 2022, was leaning heavily towards Australia.

The imposing 190 centimetre defender nearly made himself available for September’s friendlies against New Zealand, but he had just broken back into Parma’s side and gut instinct told him to stay in Italy.

“At the time I was doing really well, I didn’t think it was the right moment to make the decision then,” Circati explained. “I had some more time to think about it, and now the season is done, it’s the right moment.”

Following the heart is one thing but using one’s head is important too for a Socceroo based overseas.

Countless Australian players – including Robbie Slater, Frank Farina and Dave Mitchell – had relationships with their clubs ruined in the 1980s and 1990s, by travelling to the other side of the world to play for their country.

Some didn’t even bother in the first place.

Craig Johnston turned down the chance to be a Socceroo, happy playing for Liverpool and avoiding the mayhem that was Australia football politics in the 80s, although his infamous “it’s like surfing for England” comment about playing for Australia serves as a regret.

But time moves on. Football Australia is much better equipped to attract players, with Graham Arnold personally staying in touch with the likes of Circati, Alex Robertson and Cristian Volpato to get a gauge on their intentions.

Robertson committed in March and, after debuting against Ecuador in Sydney, said it was a decision of the heart to turn down England, Scotland and Peru.

Volpato, impressing with Roma under Jose Mourinho, is yet to make a call. Arnold is set to fly to Italy in August for more talks, and the Socceroos boss will continue the approach should more multi-nationality options appear on his radar.

Circati, with two passports and languages, can’t – and won’t – speak for others.

“My family in Italy, very supportive and understanding of where I was coming from,” Ciracti said of his decision. “Everyone was proud. Dad knew first, and he backed my decision.”

Dad, Gianfranco, is a big reason why Alessandro fell in love with football. Gianfranco spent all but one of his 15 years as a professional footballer in Italy, with the outlier being a season with Perth Glory.

Once his playing days were done, Gianfranco came back to Australia to live and breathe football with his young family, including Alessandro, who soon found himself a regular visitor to Perth Soccer Club’s home ground of Dorian Gardens.

“I got my inspiration from (Gianfranco), wanting to play football. That’s all I wanted,” Alessandro said.

Unlike Christian Vieri, the gun Italian striker who spent part of his childhood in Sydney’s west playing football but idolising Allan Border and the Australian cricket team, Circati had eyes for one sphere only. A football.

Not even WA’s main obsession, footy, could dismantle his focus.

“I can run, tackle, jump, but don’t think I was too accurate,” Circati said of his lunchtime dalliances with a Sherrin.

It all made sense by the time Circati reached his teenage years, swapping Perth SC for Perth Glory’s elite youth academy, where he immediately impressed.

“He was always first there, last to leave, gave everything,” former Glory academy coach and Sydney FC midfielder Terry McFlynn told CODE Sports.

“He had this drive to go as far as he can, with a great mentality.”

Circati laughs when told of McFlynn’s praise.

“Great person!” he said, before explaining McFlynn’s way of not letting him get ahead of himself. “I didn’t think I was the star boy, wasn’t selected in the best things for my age, but didn’t really care about others.

“I just always did my best, sort of always backed myself.”

So much so, Circati decided to try his luck overseas at 17. Leicester City were keen, but the 2016 champions can blame Boris Johnson’s grand political plan. Brexit meant it was too hard to get a work permit, so Circati, with his family lineage, went ‘home’.

Football in Parma, in Italy’s picturesque Emilia-Romagna region, is a story of triumph and hardship. Previous versions of the current ‘Parma Calcio 1913’ won three Italian Cups and three trophies in Europe. But the club went bust in 2015 and had to start at the bottom of Italian football again.

Just last week, Parma narrowly missed out on the chance of promotion back to the top division, Serie A.

“That winning mentality is still there,” Circati said. “No one is satisfied with what we are doing, everyone wants more.”

Guiding Ciracti’s formative steps is Gianluigi Buffon, the legendary Italian ‘keeper still playing at age 45.

“Literally like having a library with you,” Circati said of Buffon. “He knows so much about everything, things you don’t think of, give you information, small details that might make a difference.”

“You just gotta listen. When he tells you what to do, there’s no answering back!”

From an Australian perspective, Parma has an eternal bond with the Socceroos Golden Generation, and not just football reasons.

At the height of their respective careers in the early 2000s, Mark Bresciano and Vince Grella were at Parma, and by then had become culinary experts. Bresciano and Grella were in camp with the Socceroos before the famous 2003 England game and were disgusted at the cheese offering.

“If you have that big a problem with it, bring your own,” Bresciano said to Grella at the buffet in London.

“Righto, smartarse, I might just do that,” Grella responded.

For the next few years, whenever Grella left Parma for international duty, he would bring a big wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus some prime salami, Salame Felino, into camp.

Guus Hiddink became addicted. The team did too.

When relayed this story, Circati, just a bub in 2003, is happy to listen, learn, and laugh about the possibilities.

“If customs allow it, I’ll bring it!“ Circati laughed.

“They are big boots to fill!”

For now, though, he is completely at ease being in camp with the Socceroos ahead of Thursday’s meeting with Argentina.

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Others like Cristian Volpato may follow his lead one day, but it’s none of Circati’s business.

He has satisfied the only one that matters.

Himself.