Elia Caprile has been wearing the Cagliari jersey since January, when the rossoblù took him from Napoli on loan with the right to buy. A successful signing, given that the goalkeeper has resolved a critical issue (that of his role, where neither Simone Scuffet nor Alen Sherri had convinced in the first part of the season) and has been fundamental with his saves to bring Davide Nicola's team close to salvation. But the last step is still to be taken, perhaps as early as Monday in Verona against the team of the city where he was born : "It's not up to me to say what we can do. We definitely have to try to stay compact and defend as a team, then not conceding goals does not only depend on the defenders and the goalkeeper", his words to the official channel of the Lega Serie A.
Caprile grew up in Chievo, before moving to Leeds United. "But my father is from Naples, we lived there when I was little," he recalls. "Coming to Naples and playing there was the fulfillment of a dream. I have never hidden the fact that I hoped to play a game at the Maradona with my parents in the stands: these are emotions that, regardless of the future, will remain within me forever ." His present now is Cagliari, which has a right of redemption set at eight million euros.
The red and blue colors have accompanied Caprile in his young career so far. First the playoff final and Pavoletti's goal in the 94th minute that on June 11, 2023 promoted Ranieri's team at the expense of his Bari, then on December 30 of the same year the penalty saved from Viola in a 0-0 against Empoli . "I can't say if it was destiny to wear the Cagliari shirt," he says. "It is certainly my greatest disappointment and sadness on a footballing level, but it is also part of one of the best moments of my career because saving the first penalty in Serie A will be something I will carry with me forever. Maybe there was something written somewhere."
In January, Caprile met Nicola again as coach. The two had been together in the final part of last season at Empoli, where they had achieved salvation in the last minute of the last day, thanks to the victory in the recovery against Roma that had allowed them to overtake Frosinone. "Knowing the coach helped me to understand the mechanisms of the team sooner," says Caprile. "He certainly knows his stuff in the championships to save yourself, we are linked to the feat of Empoli last year. Having him in the race for salvation is a plus."
Caprile chose the role of goalkeeper in a particular way: "My approach to football is due to the 2006 World Cup and to that whole summer that I, like all Italians, spent glued to the TV. I fell in love with Buffon's gold shirt, with him as a goalkeeper and with the fact that he played in a different uniform than the others . Then I also fell in love with the fact that you throw yourself into the mud and get dirty: these are things that a normal footballer doesn't do". And now Cagliari is aiming to enjoy him for a long time.