Cagliari have a long and storied tradition of producing and nurturing top class striking talent and it looks like they may have struck gold once more with Marco Sau.
The 25-year-old could be the next great Rossoblu forward and join the ranks of quality frontmen who have starred for the club down the years such as the immortal Gigi Riva, Roberto Muzzi, Gigi Paras and more recently, David Suazo, Mauro Esposito and Alessandro Matri.
The early evidence suggests that Sau is already well on his way to taking over the void left by Matri upon his departure for Juventus and that has never truly been filled.
Cagliari have been crying out for a strong and skilful centre forward who can supply them with the goals that could keep them in Serie A and with Mauricio Pinilla underperforming and Nene and Thiago Ribeiro not hitting the net nearly as often as Ivo Pulga would like, will be hoping Sau is that man.
The Sardinian outfit are in need of his goals now more than ever in what has been a turbulent season due to their firing of Massimo Ficcadenti and ongoing fiasco surrounding their new Is Arenas stadium.
As a result of the confusion that surrounds the club, the team have suffered on the field and sit just two points above the relegation zone.
They picked up their first win since Halloween at the weekend in a real relegation battle against 18th placed Genoa, despite having gone a goal down.
Who was the man who got the all important equaliser that brought them back into the game? Of course, their number 27.
That goal was his seventh of the season and his third in four games, showing what a magnificent run of form he is on.
He perhaps could be on four in four had he not unselfishly allowed Pinilla to step up and score the penalty that he himself won against Juventus.
Although this is the perfect case of the ‘local boy coming good’ given that Sau was born in Sarogno, just 90km north of Cagliari, it is not just Sardinia who are laying claim to helping him become a star.
Scotland too are insisting they assisted him on his rose to stardom given that Sau played for Gourock YAC as a 13 and 14-year-old when he went to visit his uncle Gianni in Inverclyde.
He even played for then-SPL side Livingston’s youth side and those who coached him at such a young age said that even then his talent was evident.
Keanie Park and other lowly grounds in west-central Scotland may have little in common with San Siro and the Stadio Olimpico at first glance but are all arenas in which Sau has starred and scored.
His goal against Inter at San Siro was a fine example of the magnificent technique that he possesses, lashing home with a magnificent half volley to derail the Nerazzurri’s Scudetto challenge.
And that was just his first one! He followed that goal up with another in the second half by dribbling around two Inter defenders and goalkeeper, leaving them on the ground and looking foolish, before deftly placing the ball into the corner.
The goal that he scored in the capital showed another side to his game. Dribbling past two defenders on the edge of the area, he then struck a well-placed and accurate effort past Federico Marchetti against Lazio last week with a strike that won ESPN’s Serie A Goal of the Week award. Deservedly so.
This past weekend against Genoa, he continued that fine run with an explosive finish after finding space behind the defence and drove the ball low past Sebastien Frey, showing that he is a very fast player across small distances and one whose finishing is naturally instinctive.
His fine run of form has seen him linked with Napoli although that move looks unlikely given their acquisition of Emanuele Calaio from Siena but why would he want to leave the Rossoblu?
He has the chance to become a real hero on the island where he grew up and his impressive campaign since returning from a loan spell with Juve Stabia has already put him within 17 goals of breaking into the club’s top 20 goalscorers.
An indication of just how loved he could go on to become in Sardinia if he can keep supplying the vital strikes.
Priority number one at the moment though is of course, scoring enough goals that can keep Cagliari in Serie A.
I have been following Marco Sau since his days at Manfredonia, Lecco, Foggia, then Juve Stabia in Serie B where he was tremendous scoring 21 goals. I always knew he would be good enough to make the grade in Serie A. A genuine classy striker. Great article and it’s brilliant to see Sau getting the attention he deserves. Minor quibble though; Sau was actually born in Sorgono in the province of Nuoro, Sardinia, but grew up in Tonara, also in Nuoro. Nuoro is roughly 126km from Cagiari. Forza Casteddu!