RICCARDO ORSOLINI SEEMED destined for greatness when he made his debut for Serie B's Ascoli as a 19-year-old dribbling phenom. It was 2016, and he was beginning to forge a special relationship with the right wing, where he loved to cut in and release like a certain Arjen Robben. He floored one defender and sent him flying with a spin-o-rama for the ages in a YouTube compilation that's racked up hundreds of thousands of views. A move to Juventus in 2017 was hardly surprising.

Around that time, Federico Chiesa was making a name for himself at Fiorentina, powering up the wing with similar gusto. For a while, the conversation was about who was better.

Chiesa won the early round as Orsolini struggled to adjust to Serie A. He spent a season on loan at Atalanta — before they really took off — and joined Bologna when they were nothing more than mid-table fodder. His career was slipping away as Chiesa's was cresting. When Chiesa helped Italy win Euro 2020, there was no contest.

Their stock flipped after that. Injuries destroyed Chiesa's momentum and hurt his explosiveness, while Orsolini finally became a starter. He helped turn Bologna into Champions League contenders, scoring at least 10 times in each of the last three seasons. No Italian player has more than his 33 Serie A goals in that time.

But he's still fighting for respect. Despite posting career numbers, Orsolini hasn't played for the Italian national team in almost a year. From predestined to underestimated, the 28-year-old has spent a decade trying to break into Italy's greater footballing consciousness.

"I don't need to convince anyone," he said in March. "I'll carry on doing my thing."