Gianluigi Buffon he is the new head of delegation of the Italian national team, official news for a few weeks now. Today, his first official statements at the press conference came from the press room in Coverciano. Next to the former goalkeeper of Juventus, PSG and Parma, the president of the FIGC Gabriele Gravina is present.
THE FIRST THANKS – “I thank those who wanted me here. Imagining my figure here is something that makes me proud and stimulates me, it makes me a happy man. I return to an environment that I think I know quite well. The summary of my role is to make a small contribution to what will be all the dynamics that we are going to experience in the future”.
HEAVY INHERITANCE – “The memory is immense and beautiful, we had an extraordinary relationship off the field. We constantly exchanged shirts, there was total sharing and I must say it would be wrong to think of reaching his level immediately. Each of us has our own past, a path, it manages to give answers that you cannot give yourself when you are young. To be able to come here trying to re-propose a Vialli would be wrong, I would not be up to it. I will try to be what I have always been which is the reason why someone he appreciated”.
THE NEW GENERATIONS AND THE REGRET OF THE GOODBYE NOT IN THE FIELD – “I have no regrets… Even today they call me to do a farewell competition, but I don’t like it. When I close I have to think about the present, the present and the future, I keep going. It was wonderful and now stop, here comes a new adventure. As far as young people are concerned, I believe it is very important to know the history of things and the environments you go to in order to appreciate them. I was born and raised with the legend of Paolo Rossi, Zoff, the 1982 Azzurri as well as to my father’s stories. So for me, the first time I saw Riva, it was like seeing a monument. You can help young people in this way, as well as having a beautiful and winning national team.”
THE YOUNG ITALIAN GOALKEEPERS – “In the last 3-4 years, the Italian pool of goalkeepers has grown a lot and now there are 5-6 of a very high level, without touching Donnarumma who is a consecrated goalkeeper. He is now playing with the top players in the world class. Everyone the others have followed a path and are giving important answers, starting with Vicario who will grow in the Premier League. Then Provedel, Meret who won the Scudetto. Then also Falcone in Lecce, Di Gregorio in Monza. There are many goalkeepers who are demonstrating to be super reliable and to have something special. Carnesecchi isn’t playing for Atalanta right now but the championship is long. Provedel was probably the best goalkeeper in the last championship and this makes us hope Gigio might have a cold.”
ABOUT DONNARUMMA AND THE RETREAT – “No, not at all. Also because I’ve reached an age that allows me to take this idea into consideration. Last season I reached the play-offs in excellent psycho-physical condition and I managed to hurt myself… That’s the greatest signal that nature could give me, there I understood that I had to quit. In the dressing room in Cagliari I had already decided to quit, I didn’t want to worry for another year. As for Gigio, I can say that I saw him on TV , I’ve seen him parry and grow even through mistakes because you learn much more from mistakes. From the boy I left I found a man”.
ZOFF O BUFFON – “I’m the last one who can and wants to respond to these things… It makes no sense to me, I’m a sportsman and I’m delighted with what I’ve given and received. Zoff remains a goalkeeper of reference in Italian history, not there are doubts. I was a happy person and that was enough for me”.
RISK THAT ITALIAN FOOTBALL FEELS LESSER – “I don’t feel this risk, despite the ups and downs that we historically propose. We come from a non-qualification, but also from a victory with a certain style at the European Championship. The truth is somewhere in between. In recent days I’ve had the good fortune to stay close to the President, the coach, his staff and I have to say that I have heard the talk of concepts, emotions, values which in my opinion are essential if you want to reach a goal. I have the feeling that Italy has found the man right at the right time and I’m not talking about myself (laughs, ed)”.
CLOSING A CIRCLE – “It’s a worry not having done the sixth World Cup, I would have done something unique in history. But life has been so kind towards me for what it has given me and gives me that it amply repaid me for that displeasure. I think that I have always been altruistic and probably there alone with six World Cups I would have been uncomfortable”.
FAILURE TO QUALIFY FOR THE WORLD CUP – “As in all adventures, the truth is somewhere in between. The European Championship was magical, a goal that Italy achieved also supported by 3-4 lucky situations that allow you to become champion. And the non-qualification it was the same thing, there were so many episodes against”.
EMOTIONS – “More than emotion, it’s how you feel. For that culture that the family transmits to you, I always felt like I was in an environment that was too big for me. I’m not saying I don’t deserve it, but I’ve always had respect and a reverential fear towards an entity that for me and my family can be something unique. Then during your career you meet many champions who perhaps are no longer able to appreciate certain things because they lose their dimension and that in my opinion is the worst way to continue to live and approach this sport.The best way is to know that you are always
BONUCCI – “We talked this summer, now I also have to send him a message after joining Union Berlin. He made a well-considered choice, he’s used to fighting and achieving things and goals by working hard even amidst difficulties. He’s a something that must be recognized by facing this last challenge with the necessary inconvenience, because maybe he wasn’t very happy to end like this and yet he decided not to give up and this is an important lesson.As regards the national team, I’m the last to say because I’ve been back ten minutes ago and I don’t even have the qualifications to do it”.
THE ITALY THAT REPRESENTS ME MOST – “That of 2006 was a supportive, altruistic Italy that one would hope until the end for the partner in any situation. Even that of 2012, when they finish second in the European Championship, but also that of 2016 with Conte: it was not the most beautiful and the strongest, but it was able to excite people. And even today, as Spalletti said, the goal is to make the fan proud to be represented by this team.”
MANCINI – “What do you want me to tell you… The president, the coach, has already spoken, it is an unexpected choice to which, however, the Federation has given very rapid and convincing answers. This is the thing that most interests the blue world”.
SPALLETTI – “Which takes away my words, because I should intervene from time to time… But one has to intervene when there are gaps, when something hasn’t been said and it’s better to repeat it. But I must say that the completeness of the coach’s reasoning leads me to don’t add anything else, it would just be a reiteration and a weighting down of something that has already been said by him. With a manager like this, I think I won’t have to say much.”
MOST BEAUTIFUL MESSAGE – “I hardly ever read the phone… I have no idea. But I’m ultra happy, this is a great satisfaction for me”.
2023-09-04 13:10:00
#Italy #Buffon #Vialli #Spalletti #man #place #Bonucci #Donnarumma
