Iago Falque: Torino’s true superstar
During the 2016 summer transfer window, Torino made their highest profile acquisition in decades.
On transfer deadline day, I Granata announced the loan signing of England’s first choice goalkeeper, and one of the most recognisable footballers in the United Kingdom: Joe Hart.
The one-year loan signing of the England international prompted the U.K.’s media circus and football fans across Europe to begin a new fixation upon the proverbial mid-table Italian club. While coverage and viewers of Torino games have risen exponentially in the two months since Hart’s move to the club, results have also drastically improved.
After finishing 12th in the Serie A table last season, just seven points clear of the relegation zone, I Granata have started their 2016/17 campaign in astonishing fashion. Toro currently sit four points adrift of the top three, ahead of both Inter and Fiorentina in the league table. In weeks five and six in the calcio calendar, Joe Hart’s new club also racked up famous victories over A.S. Roma and Fiorentina.
Due to Hart being undoubtedly the most recognisable face in the Torino squad to the casual football fan, the England international has been cited as the catalyst for the club’s recent upturn in fortunes on the peninsula. However, Hart arguably has not been the summer signing who has made the biggest impact in the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino.
"While Joe Hart has grabbed the headlines, another loan signing has grabbed the goals for I Granata."
While Joe Hart has grabbed the headlines, another loan signing has grabbed the goals for I Granata.
A 26-year-old journeyman, unveiled in front of a tenth of the journalists, cameramen and fans that Joe Hart was, has been Toro’s true star man during the first three months of the 2016/17 Serie A season.
“Iago Falque is a wonderful lad who is doing really well right now and that calls me into question.” Luciano Spalletti
After a disappointing season at Roma in which he scored a measly three goals in all competitions, Iago Falque arrived in the Piedmont city on a one-year loan deal with little fanfare and little expectations. However, with five goals and three assists in his first seven games in the Granata jersey, the Spaniard has already proved himself to have been the shrewdest acquisition made by Gianluca Petrachi during the summer.
Alongside Adem Llajic and Andrea Belotti, Falque has been an integral member of the second highest scoring attack on the peninsula so far this season. Due to the former Tottenham Hotspur man’s incredible form, Torino have outscored S.S.C. Napoli, A.C. Milan and current Scudetto holders’ Juventus – who recently acquired predatorial goal scorer, Gonzalo Higuain, for a fee in the excess of £89 million – at the start of their 2016/17 Serie A campaign.
Can this form continue? There is no reason to suggest that it cannot.
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The 26-year-old’s form has been derivative of the fact that, for the first time in his career, he has been given the responsibility to be a team’s main offensive outlet by Siniša Mihajlović.
Under new pressures and with this new responsibility, Iago Falque has shown that he can lead an offense and can be the difference for Toro against supposed superior opposition – as exemplified in his man of the match performances against both Roma and Fiorentina.
Although Joe Hart will undoubtedly be the focal point of English language coverage of Torino throughout the 2016/17 Serie A season, whether or not this season proves to be a successful one for I Granata will be dependent more upon the form of Iago Falque rather than the England international.