He played here for 2 seasons, then was bought by Napoli for 1 million euros. The dream of breathing the Serie A atmosphere immediately revived in the young man’s heart. However, it all became far away. He was not allowed to play for Napoli for even a minute, when the parent team sent him on loan to Bari, Reggina, Pordenone, Reggina and then Bari.
In the 2022/23 season, Folorunsho cannot help Bari win the promotion play-off series. But 9 goals in Serie B are enough for him to be on the radar of teams in Serie A. The destination is Verona.
In the middle of the 2023/24 season, despite having to say goodbye to 16 Verona players, they still managed to survive relegation thanks to Folorunsho’s impressive performance. His most memorable moment was his masterpiece in the match against Juventus with a spectacular volley that beat goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny. The goal was voted into the Top 5 most beautiful goals of the season and was replayed repeatedly on Italian television channels and public screens on the street.
“I told Michael to forget this goal. But I’m very satisfied. We worked together at Reggio. Today can be considered Michael’s debut because his role has changed . He has many opportunities to improve and needs to work more. However, I cannot deny that he possesses many qualities of a modern football player,” coach Marco Baroni said without hesitation. praised his student after the match against Juventus.
In March 2024, Folorunsho was called up to the Italian national team for the first time by coach Luciano Spalletti. After that, he continued to appear on the list to attend EURO 2024. There was a time when many people thought his name would be removed. But no, Folorunsho is still here, silently making efforts. And the match between Italy and Bosnia mentioned above was the first mark.
“Folorunsho is a monster. He gives you different solutions in terms of physical strength, has the ability to shoot from long range and head very well. Set-piece situations are always part of football matches. We can solve the match if we have more courage in these plays. Folorunsho was called up for certain situations. In addition, he is also good in many other aspects such as arguing with opponents and then striking,” coach Spalletti explained why he decided to call Folorunsho.
Strangely enough, Michael Folorunsho is on the payroll of Napoli, which signed a contract with him since 2019 but has yet to play a minute for the parent team. Before landing at Hellas Verona, Folorunsho was sent by Napoli to Bari – Reggina – Pordenone – Reggina – Bari on loan. Currently, he is 26 years old. But it doesn’t matter, from the lowest ranks to gradually climb to the top, that is heroic and inspiring.