Daniele Paponi has a knack for making a good first impression.
The Impact’s striker earned an assist in his first ever start in MLS - a clever, desperate set up for fellow attacker Marco Di Vaio’s insurance goal in a 2-0 win over the Chicago Fire on April 27 at Stade Saputo.
When he opened his account in MLS, despite losing the game 4-3 to the Colorado Rapids back on June 29, the 25-year-old former Bologna-man bulged the mesh on two occasions, including a spectacular curler from outside the box that found the top right corner.
And although these goals are memorable ones, Paponi made a name for himself when he scored his first ever goal in Serie A with a scorpion kick at just 18 years of age.
“My first goal in Serie A will always stay with me,” said Paponi, who was wearing a Parma jersey at the time. “The goal was instinctive, I didn’t have time to think about it, but afterwards I was ecstatic. It’s something I’ll never forget.”
Exciting goals, humble man
Despite the excitement and extravagant nature of his goal scoring prowess, Paponi is a soft-spoken and humble person off the pitch, choosing to spend much of his down time with his family.
“My family and I are still in discovery mode, so we like to go for walks around the city,” said the Impact’s no. 35. “With my daughter (18 months old), we like to discover new parks around the city so she can play. Montreal is a very beautiful city and we have enjoyed our time here so far.”
Living in Old Montreal, near the Old Port, has given the Paponi family a number of options to visit and spend quality time together, but there is one place that stands out for them.
“The Notre-Dame Basilica is extremely beautiful. It’s an incredible and historic part of Montreal. We like to visit the surrounding area as well; it’s lovely all around and makes my family happy.”
The contentment of Paponi’s family is what directs the young striker in the career choices he is forced to make and thusly, he has decided to pay homage to them through his body ink.
“I have two tattoos. One spells DEA, which are the initials of my fiancée, my daughter and myself, and the other is a rose which has the initials of my parents and my brothers.”
Soon, Pappo - as he is referred to by his teammates - will have to make another trip to the tattoo parlour.
“I have no choice but to get another one. We are expecting a second child and we recently found out that it’s going to be a boy. We are really excited and once he’s born, I’ll add his initial as well.”
You never get a second chance to make a first impression
Despite Paponi’s humble nature, his ability to make a good first impression extended past the pitch when meeting the future mother of his child.
After being introduced at a party, Paponi wasted no time in making his interest known.
“I remember I was with a friend and we were planning our summer vacation when Daniele overheard and invited us to go to Mallorca, Spain with some of his friends,” said his fiancée Erika, in an interview earlier this summer. “We accepted because we love to travel, but let’s just say we met while on holiday and started dating as soon as we got back home.”
As Paponi’s family continues to grow both in size and in spirit, the former Italian U21 striker hopes to cultivate his goal total in MLS as he begins to feel more comfortable with his new surroundings.
Moreover, they don’t have to be the pretty kind.
“Truthfully, right now I hope to score some ugly goals for the Impact, but a bucket full of them, and help the team reach the playoffs!”
