ARGENTINA legend Diego Simeone's sons are making their own way in the game.
Incredibly, Giovanni, 26, Gianluca, 23, and Giuliano, 19, have all become professional footballers – after their father paved the way.
The Atletico Madrid manager, now 52, enjoyed a storied career – starring for the likes of Inter Milan and Lazio as a player.
'Cholo' won LaLiga as a player for Atletico, as well as a Serie A title with Lazio in 2000.
While for his country he earned 108 caps – lifting the Copa America twice.
And it seems that the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree when it comes to his boys.
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One is a leading striker in Italian football, another has found the goalscoring touch in Spain's second division, while the youngest was handed his debut by his famous dad this past season.
Giovanni, Cagliari
The eldest son couldn't be further from the snarling, tough-tackling midfielder his dad was.
Giovanni has become one of Serie A's most feared strikers playing for Hellas Verona, on loan from Cagliari.
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Last season, he managed 17 goals in all competitions for the club – helping I Gialloblu to a ninth-placed finish.
That has alerted Premier League clubs, including Arsenal to his services.
But his career started slowly – with Genoa and Fiorentina only seeing fleeting glimpses of his potential, before exploding on the scene in his last campaign.
And it wasn't until a virtuoso performance against Lazio – when he netted all four goals for Hellas Verona – that he earned praise from his hard-to-please old man.
"He wrote to me that I played the best game of my career," Giovanni told Gazzetta dello Sport.
"He said. 'I've never seen you like this. Beyond the goals, you didn't lose balls and you always helped your team-mates.'"
Internationally, Giovanni has been recognised by Argentina – and has five caps to his name.
In 2018, he scored his first goal for the South Americans in a friendly against Guatemala.
Gianluca, UD Ibiza
Making a different path for himself, again as a centre forward, is Gianluca.
Initially, he bounced around South America – starting at River Plate, before getting first team experience at Chilean Primera Division club Union La Calera.
River Plate let him go to Gimnasia y Esgrima for a free transfer – and he made his debut against Atlético Tucumán in 2019.
Gianluca was unable to break into their team, though, and without a run of games couldn't show off his goalscoring prowess.
That all changed when UD Ibiza decided to take a punt on him on loan, where he first played for their reserves Sant Rafel.
In his second game for the club he scored his first goal – going on to find the net 13 times in 25 games.
It was enough to convince UD Ibiza that Gianluca deserved a shot at their first team, and they soon signed him on a full-time deal.
So far he's doing their decision justice – scoring seven goals in 14 games last season.
Giuliano, Atletico Madrid
The youngest of the trio, Giuliano perhaps has it harder than his siblings.
The poacher plays under the watchful gaze of his father at Atletico, where he has starred at youth level.
Born in Rome, he moved back to Argentina to live with his mother at the age of four.
Like Gianluca, his football career began at River Plate.
But in 2019, he controversially linked up with Diego when FIFA approved a move to Spain after it was revealed he didn't have a contract with the Argentine giants.
He has since flourished in the youth categories, and scored 23 goals for Atletico Madrid's B team last season in just 34 games.
Manager Nacho Fernandez outlined his attributes, with some clearly inherited from his dad.
"(He is) a young player, but already a footballer and who shows everything you would want on the field," Fernandez said.
"He does not give up lost causes, he fights for everything, he creates, finishes and leaves everything out on the field. He is a player with tremendous potential."
Back in April, he made his full debut as a 91st minute substitute in a 0-0 draw with Granada – with many pundits arguing he would have had more first team opportunities if his dad wasn't Diego Simeone.
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Keeping it in the family, his agent is his aunt, Natalia.
Clearly, the Simeone clan want to dominate the football landscape for years to come.
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