Leonardo Bonucci returned to one of the most difficult periods in his life — the illness of his second son Matteo in 2016. In the podcast “Il Fienile” with host Luca Zaia, the former Italian international spoke about the fear, uncertainty and emergency surgery that his family went through. Today, at 12 years old, Matteo is in good health.
The nightmare began after the 2016 European Championship, during a family vacation in Formentera, Spain. The child developed unusual symptoms that initially puzzled doctors.
„In the morning, a whitish liquid came out of him. After the second such episode, we called the doctor on duty. They suspected meningitis, but he had no fever“, Bonucci recalls.
After the family returned to Italy, the boy's condition worsened, with motor disorders also appearing. Subsequent examinations at the hospital revealed a serious problem that required immediate surgery.
“After the examinations, the doctor informed us that Matteo had an eight-centimeter formation near the cerebellum — the size of a glass. Out of desperation, I punched the wall with my fist. He had to be operated on urgently. The operation was supposed to last three hours, but it lasted more than seven“, the former footballer said.
After the first complex operation, Matteo had to undergo two more medical procedures to drain the cerebrospinal fluid. It was a period of immense stress for the family, but they received support from people from all over the football world, regardless of their club affiliations.
Bonucci's wife, Martina, also found a way to help other families facing similar trials. She walked 575 kilometers along the Po River to support a fundraising campaign for the Regina Margherita children's hospital in Turin.
Today, the story has a happy ending. Matteo is in good health, and the experience remains one of the most difficult memories for the Bonucci family.