Chiesa Seizes Opportunity: Can the Liverpool Forward Prove His Worth in Champions League? Hoặc Liverpool's Chiesa Eyes Champions League Redemption After Injury Setback and Squad Snub

"He was a somewhat reserved child, but always alert on the pitch," the club's president, Maurizio Romei, told ESPN. "He was with us when he was very young, but already it was clear he had talent. He played on the wing with the same movements as his father.

"Much like Enrico, Federico would point at his man and then jump in a different direction. Like Enrico, he could also kick with his right and left foot. They have very similar characters and, above all, he has always listened to his father."

After five years with Settignanese, Chiesa joined Fiorentina -- the club his father had represented with great distinction from 1999-2002. He made his debut for the first team in a 2-1 defeat to Juventus in 2016, and went on to make more than 150 appearances for the club before joining Juventus on an initial two-year loan deal in 2020.

"He's always had this confidence and exuberance in the way that he plays," said ESPN senior writer Gabriele Marcotti. "A lot of young players in Italy are discouraged from being free, they get booed when they lose the ball and so on. He really stood out among Italian players when he came through because he wasn't like that. I think he got that from his dad, who was a phenomenal player."

In the summer of 2021, at the delayed Euro 2020, Chiesa followed in his father's footsteps by scoring for Italy at a European Championship, netting first in the round of 16 vs. Austria and then in the semifinals against Spain, with Italy eventually winning the tournament on penalties vs. England.

"For Chiesa, meeting the high expectations will be extremely difficult, but I am convinced that he will succeed," legendary Juventus midfielder Alessio Tacchinardi told Tuttosport in September 2021. "I have heard that in three or four years he can win the Ballon d'Or. I agree. I see the same poison in him that [Pavel] Nedved had inside. He has huge qualities. He can jump his marker left and right. Last year he touched the border of the top players. This year, he can surpass it."

Just four months later, however, Chiesa sustained the ACL injury that would mark the beginning of the end of his time in Turin. Despite scoring nine goals in 33 Serie A appearances in 2023-24 -- his best goal return in Juventus colors -- the arrival of new head coach Thiago Motta in the summer of 2024 saw Chiesa relegated to the club's "bomb squad" before he joined Liverpool for around €15 million on the eve of transfer deadline day.

"His injury history is pretty horrific, so I was surprised when Liverpool signed him, particularly as he is on significant wages," Marcotti said. "Liverpool's sporting director Richard Hughes grew up in Italy, so I think that helped facilitate the deal. At the time, Juventus were desperate for cash and towards the end of his time there, Chiesa was seen as someone who couldn't be relied on. It made sense for Juve to move him on."

Heroic Bournemouth cameo helped to turn the tide

While Chiesa spent most of last season on the fringes of the squad, his diligent attitude quickly endeared him to the Liverpool fanbase, who rewarded him with the ultimate honor of a terrace chant to the tune of Dean Martin's "Sway." It was that song that provided the soundtrack to Liverpool's first win of the 2025-26 season, with Chiesa coming off the bench to score a superb late volley after the Reds' had surrendered a 2-0 lead to AFC Bournemouth at Anfield.

Only weeks earlier, it had seemed like the Italian's departure was a certainty after he was omitted from the squad for Liverpool's preseason tour of Hong Kong and Japan, but his late heroics ensured the champions began their title defense with a priceless victory. It was Chiesa's first Premier League goal, and as he celebrated wildly in front of a jubilant Kop, it was clear that all parties were keen to ensure that it would not be his last.

"Fede is an amazing character," captain Virgil van Dijk said after the win. "It's a reward for all the hard work since he joined the club.

"He's been unlucky with injuries, but I'm really glad he could be important tonight. It's not been an easy time for him, but we're all here for him. We all know what kind of impact he can have, and I'm really pleased that he scored. He's had some difficult moments, but he has great qualities. We all love him. He's loved by the fans as well. When he can produce moments like this, it's something we all want to see."

Chiesa is "here to win"

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Chiesa's match-winning cameo against Bournemouth prompted Slot to admit he had seen a "totally different Federico" to the one he had coached the season prior. After just seven matches in 2025-26, the forward has already managed nearly a third of the amount of minutes he recorded in the entirety of last term, with Slot turning to him off the bench in four of his team's five Premier League games.

"What I always want to see is players that try to work hard," Slot said after the 2-1 victory over Southampton. "So I said at half-time, for me it is completely not a coincidence that Federico picked the ball and assisted on the first [goal] because he was the one, in my opinion, that was most involved in the game, tried the most, worked the hardest. And then it wasn't a coincidence again that he was the man that made a deep run [for the second goal]."

Of course, Slot's decision to initially leave Chiesa out of the Champions League squad in favor of 17-year-old forward Rio Ngumoha suggests the Italy international still has some work to do to convince his head coach he can be trusted in the biggest games. But with Isak still getting up to speed and talisman Salah set to miss a chunk of the season while he represents Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, Chiesa could now get the chance to show what he can do on the European stage.

"I play for a top club," Chiesa said on Tuesday night. "This is maybe one of the top three in the world. It's Liverpool. Of course they are going to sign top players; of course, the competition is high. If I don't want competition, I go to another team. But I want the competition, I want to play here and I think, at the end of the day, competition helps you to become a better player."

Ekitike's impending suspension means Liverpool may need to call on Chiesa again when they take on unbeaten Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday. The forward's terrace chant asserts that he is "here to win," and he now looks primed to help Slot's side do exactly that.