While he was raised in Argentina, Retegui is now fully committed to the Azzurri.
He told La Gazzetta dello Sport: “Yes. It’s wonderful here. It is thanks to my great-grandparents, those on my mother’s side were originally from Canicatti, that I play for Italy today.
“I knew I had joined a team with an important history, where strong Argentinians like Diego Milito played.
“Today I want to thank everyone, the club that wanted me, coach Gilardino who called me on the phone during the negotiations to tell me he was counting on me, my teammates who helped me fit in quickly, the fans, who are so warm that they look like Argentinians.
“When we play at the Ferraris, we become really strong. When I score under the Curva Nord it’s beautiful, even more when the loudspeaker repeats my name many times after a goal.”
Retegui added: “I think that everything that happens to us is the result of destiny. For example, I played my first game on the national team at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona in Napoli, and you all know what Maradona means to us Argentinians.
“I debuted and even scored, against an opponent as strong as England. If this isn’t destiny… My story is all a series of coincidences, as if someone had written it for me.”