The special premiere of the FCS brothers

Playing alongside one's own brother in professional football – that's something few can claim. For the two South Tyroleans Simone and Federico Davi, this dream came true on Wednesday – starting for the first time.

02 October 2025

From: dl

Due to Nicola Pietrangeli's injury, Federico Davi was briefly called into FC Südtirol's starting lineup. The 23-year-old made his Serie B debut on Wednesday evening in Pescara and immediately impressed with his remarkable composure on the ball. This is all the more remarkable given that the younger of the two Davi brothers was deployed in an unfamiliar position, on the left side of the three-man defense. His brother played right alongside him on the left flank.

Federico Davi returned to FCS in the summer of 2024 after two years on loan in Serie C. While his brother, three years older, has long been a fixture, Federico has only made brief appearances to date. "I'm happy for my brother. I've never had to play in central defense before, and neither has my brother Federico. Now we're forming the back three together – and in Serie B. We all played a great game," Simone explained at the press conference afterward.

Federico Davi takes his chance

After Hamza El Kaouakibi was substituted, Federico Davi moved into his position on the right of the back three. Simone also moved inside after Karim Zedadka was brought on, playing on the left wing. Together with Raphael Kofler, the Davi brothers formed a virtual all-South Tyrolean back three in the closing stages. Federico certainly took advantage of his opportunity and should get more now. Due to the long injury list in defense, the skilled winger will likely continue to be needed at the back.

Federico Davi impressed in his starting debut.

The Davi brothers have had similar career paths: Both played for their hometown club in Leifers as youth players before joining FCS at a young age. After a loan to Virtus Bozen, Simone made her mark at FCS in 2019. The now 26-year-old has matured into a leading player. "I normally play on the right and Simo on the left. Otherwise, we're pretty similar. There's just one thing: He's definitely better defensively, while I'm more strong on offense," Federico said a good year ago.