Facing Reality: Gianluca Busio isn’t Coming Back to Kansas City

There are times in life when it seems like burying your head in the sand and ignoring the reality of what is happening is much easing than facing reality. This might be one of those times. It would be nice to just ignore the rumors and reports, but it is time. Time to face the facts that Sporting Kansas City is going to be losing one of the team’s stars and strongest players, Gianluca Busio.

The Gianluca Busio story began in August 2017, Sporting signed Busio at the ripe old age of 15 years and 89 days. If you trusted the decisions of the team, then you knew that this kid must be pretty special to sign at such a young age and you would have been right. He was, and continues to be, very special indeed. He made his first team debut the following season in a US Open Cup match in 2018 at just over 16 years old and his regular season debut came later that year.

It was all up from there. It is hard to wrap your head around the fact that after having the opportunity to watch this player for our team for the last 3 and a half seasons he is still only 19-years-old! At the age of 19, he has already played in 61 games, started 39 games, scored nine goals and assisted eight others.

This season we have witnessed him become a bonafide star in front of our eyes. He wowed the crowd at Children’s Mercy Park is an amazing free kick goal.

[You should really watch the goal back in a delightful “story in photos” from our own Thad Bell who took numerous pictures in the lead up and aftermath of the goal.]

He made his first appearance and start with the United States Men’s National Team, here in Kansas City, in the Gold Cup group stage.

And now, it looks and sounds like we have seen the last of Gianluca in Kansas City as all of the rumors and reports say that he’s headed to Venezia FC in Italy at the completion of the Gold Cup and it is time for us Sporting Kansas City fans to realize that it’s time to unbury our heads and face that reality.

Once we have faced that, it is time to ask ourselves some questions. What will we miss the most about Busio? Is it his calm cool demeanor on the field? How he seems to never feel out of control? Maybe it will be his passing accuracy or his youthful exuberance?

The next unanswered question that needs to be answered is who fills his spot?

Busio has started 13 matches this season. The only times he hasn’t been in the starting lineup is when he was gone with the National team. So who steps up? It appears that Nicolas Isimat-Mirin is back from injury and will possibly be starting beside Andreu Fontas at the center back duo so does Ilie move back to the midfield and take over for the loss of Busio? Maybe Gadi Kinda or Remi Walter? [Editor: Cam Duke is bursting onto the scene.] Is there a new signing coming? Time will tell how we replace him and what his absence means for the team this season.

So while we are bummed to see such as rising star leave the team and leave a hole in the team that will need to be filled, it is hard to not feel a little bit proud. Busio came up through the ranks of our team. He is our Homegrown player and now he is spreading his wings and taking his skills to Europe. So it’s time to get yourself a Busio Venezia FC jersey and wear it proudly. Be grateful that we go to watch the beginning and be ready to support his journey. So grazie and arrivederci Gianluca! Keep making us proud!