Euro 2020. Two days before the final against England at Wembley, Gianluca Vialli enters the Italy locker room to quote a fragment of Citizenship in a Republicfamous speech of the former president American Theodore Roosevelt: “Recognition belongs to man that is in the sand, with his face disfigured by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who makes one stumble after another, well there is no effort without error or failure; who really strives to achieve his goal; who knows great enthusiasms, great devotions; who dedicates himself to a worthy cause; who at best finds in the end the triumph inherent in great achievement, and who at worst, If you fail, at least you fail by daring bigso that your place will never be among those cold and timid souls that they don’t know neither victory nor defeat.”
Then, in that July 2021, Gianluca was already trying to overcome a pancreatic cancer who would end his life a year and a half later, in January 2023. Great friends since almost 40 years agoattack pair in athat feared Sampdoria from the late 80s and early 90s and also in the AzzurraRoberto Mancini had asked Vialli to accompany him as head of delegation in a Nazionale that was bleeding historically, after failing in the classification for a World Cup for the first time since 1958. He capodelegazione It is a truly inspiring position for footballers: he has held it for a few months another Italian myth, Gianluigi Buffon.
Confidentpsychologist, shoulder to laugh and cry on. Vialli became the best pillar of that amazing new Italymother of whom he now defends title in Germany. A team that had lost football hope only to regain it in the magical nights of Londons, with two epic exercises and two penalty shootouts that served to win Spain in semis and the hostess, Englandin the end.
Children of superstition, that are taken halfway between the joke and the scrupulous, the Italians acquired from just before the first league match against Türkiye a routine born of chance, in which Vialli was the great protagonist. The team embarked on a trip to Rome from Covercianobut stopped dead after 100 meters after realizing that Gianluca had stayed on the ground. The next day, the debut against the Ottomans could not have gone better for the Azzurra: 3-0, goals Demiral (pp.), Immobile and Insigne.
For the next three weeks, the Nazionale followed the same ritual before each match: everyone gets on the bus, except for ‘boss’ Vialli. The vehicle leaves, travels a few meters and then it stops to wait for your talisman. He capodelegazione He goes up and smiles, amidst the applause of those present. Italy is already winning 1-0.
“Gianluca is going to hate me for this, but I say it anyway. He is an example that shows us how to behave, at any time and in any circumstance“, he declared as soon as he lifted the title and between tears of joy Alessandro Florenzi, one of those champions on Wembley night. The Italian bus now travels through Germany with the same hope of winning, or at least transcending. And he hasn’t gotten tired of waiting for Vialli.
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