"Italians, Greeks. One face, one race."
The old saying that unites the two Mediterranean countries, separated by the Ionian Sea, finds its latest expression in the natural connection between Samuele Inacio and Konstantinos Karetsas. An 18-year-old born in Bergamo to a Brazilian father and a peer born in Belgium to Greek parents. Yet, in their demeanour, their smiles reflect the culture that raised them.
Today, the two find themselves at Borussia Dortmund, a club that has always believed in youth. They are now relying on these players for a season in which they must improve their results, especially outside of Germany.
Last season, finishing second in the Bundesliga - a noble achievement given the fierce domination of Bayern Munich - was overshadowed by elimination at the hands of Atalanta in the Champions League playoffs.
Goals and confidence
Inacio came from Atalanta, the son of Pia, who is still fondly remembered in Napoli. He is the great hope of Italian football, and he left to seek more opportunities. Having been in the Ruhr for a couple of years now, the Bergamo native with Brazilian blood and flair was joined this summer by a Greek soul raised in Genk.
The two, both scoring in the friendly against Arsenal, immediately showed an impressive chemistry. Their flashes of talent are clear, typical of those who want to prove with the ball at their feet that they can create not just danger but also excitement.
While the Italian opened the scoring with a diagonal right-footed shot after a deep run, the Greek netted a curling goal with a silky left foot, finding the back of the net after a 2025/26 season in the Belgian league where he had provided 10 assists but not scored a single goal.
Alter-egos
A right-footer cutting in from the left and a left-footer drifting in from the right; Inacio and Karetsas have come together at the Westfalen Stadion to be each other's alter-ego. Their meeting was partly by chance, thanks to the foresight of Dortmund's scouts, who have paired the strikers Fabio Silva, Serhou Guirassy and Maximilian Beier with the 18-year-olds Inacio, Karetsas, Ecuadorian Justin Lerma and 17-year-old Mathis Albert.
Now, with the German Supercup just a week away, Inacio and Karetsas are ready to take to the wings for the Black and Yellows. Flair, speed, and tactical intelligence unite the Italian and the Greek, who could potentially become one of the most dangerous young duos in European football.
What drives them is not just their pure talent, but also the enthusiasm of those who have Mediterranean blood ready to explode in the heart of the Ruhr, a land of immigrants from all over the world.