All eyes were on the August 29 Serie A clash between newly-promoted sides Cremonese and Sassuolo, billed as a historic meeting between Indonesia internationals Emil Audero and Jay Idzes. But it was the debut of Benito Mussolini’s great-grandson, Romano Floriani Mussolini, that ultimately stole the headlines.
The match marked the first time two Indonesian players faced each other in a top-five European league. Goalkeeper Audero—on loan at Cremonese from Como—and defender Idzes, who joined Sassuolo from relegated Venezia in the summer, both started and played the full 90 minutes. The game, held at Cremonese’s Stadio Giovanni Zini, also doubled as Idzes’ first appearance for Sassuolo.
But the spotlight shifted late on when Romano Floriani Mussolini, also a summer loan signing at Cremonese from Lazio, came off the bench in the 82nd minute. The 21-year-old defender won a decisive late penalty, which Manuel De Luca converted to secure a 3-2 victory for Cremonese.
Romano is the great-grandson of Benito Mussolini, the dictator who ruled Italy from 1922 to 1943 and infamously aligned with Adolf Hitler during World War II. Aware of his controversial family legacy, Romano has made efforts to distance himself from it, choosing to play with “ROMANO” on his shirt instead of the Mussolini name.
A Lazio academy graduate, Romano has yet to make his senior debut for the capital club. He has instead spent recent seasons on loan, first with Serie C side Pescara in 2023/24, then with Serie B’s Juve Stabia in 2024/25. His spell at Juve Stabia sparked controversy in December 2024 when, after scoring a winner against Cesena, sections of the club’s supporters celebrated with fascist salutes—an act the club swiftly condemned.
In the end, all three players had moments to remember. Audero produced several key saves to keep Cremonese in the contest, Idzes impressed on his Sassuolo debut with precise passing and dominance in the air, while Romano marked his Serie A bow with the decisive contribution that sealed Cremonese’s second win in their opening two matches.