italian-soccer-players

"Hello dear Asto, I have rarely expressed my thoughts about a person publicly, because I have always allowed the beauty and uniqueness of relationships, of mutual respect and affection, not to be exploited or thrown to those who do not have the sensitivity to respect certain bonds. In your case, I feel I must make an exception to my rule, because you have a young wife and family members who will be suffering, but above all your little girl deserves to know that her dad was, in every sense, a GOOD PERSON... a GREAT DECENT PERSON... you were the best expression of an ancient, bygone world, in which values such as altruism, elegance, politeness and respect for others reigned supreme. Congratulations, you were one of the best sports figures I have ever come across."

"Davide passed away in his sleep, as only true dreamers do."

"We remembered Astori, on every pitch. And we were moved once again. Why did his death affect us so much? He wasn't a star player, he wasn't a football “superstar”. Nor was he a TV personality. He was just a footballer. In his eyes, we saw passion, loyalty and love for the game. No show of strength, arrogance or conceit. Just dedication to his team and his teammates. And kindness. That's it: kindness. We mourn him because Davide succeeded where we struggle. He managed to remain a man, a father, a husband, a son, a kind footballer. In a world, that of football, where hatred, cunning, money and partisanship reign undisturbed."

"[...] a multilingual dressing room is sometimes useful because tensions can be defused more easily, and different philosophies help to absorb tensions... Let me give you an example: for us Italians, football is all-encompassing, we live it intensely every day of the week. Perhaps those who come from other countries are different from us, and five minutes after the end of the match, they don't even think about it anymore."

"(About his relationship with Fiorentina) I'm afraid you'll have to put up with me. I think this is the right environment for me, in terms of the balance between the type of football played and the right ambitions. Obviously, I think ambitions can grow, but always with the realism that must underpin everything."

"He was the captain of Fiorentina. He was a gentle soul, but his role as a defender forced him to be tough. When the 13th minute struck, the number on his shirt, the Franchi stadium fell silent. The world stopped. Applause and everyone stood up."

"In the reactions that followed, Astori's death above all restored a unique soul to a city that had almost become hostile to itself due to its divisions. [...] Astori succeeded in this crazy alchemy, giving an entire city a single voice to start again. It is not a huge problem for football, but it is for Florence, a city of the world that no longer knows where it belongs, waiting for others to live. Astori told it that it exists anyway. A painful fantasy of which he will undoubtedly be proud, wherever he is now."

"O captain, my captain. Why didn't you come down to have breakfast with us all? Why didn't you come to pick up your shoes outside Marco's room and come and drink your usual orange juice? Now they will tell us that life goes on, that we must look ahead and get back on our feet, but what will your absence taste like? Who will arrive every morning in the canteen to warm up the atmosphere with their smile? Who will ask us curiously what we did the night before so we can laugh about it? Who will scold the younger ones and who will hold the more experienced ones accountable? Who will form the circle to play “two touches” or who will drive Marco crazy at the play? With whom will we debate the episodes of “Masterchef”, Florentine restaurants, TV series or football matches? Who will I lean on at lunch after an exhausting training session? Come back, you still have to finish watching “LaLaLand” so you can analyse it like every other newly released film. Come back to Florence, they're waiting for you at the office to renew your contract and recognise the good and positivity you bring to all of us every day. Get out of that damn room, we'll be waiting for you tomorrow when training resumes. In life, there are people you've known forever but will never bond with, and then there are people like Davide who immediately win you over with a simple “Welcome to Florence, Ricky”. Wherever you are now, continue to defend our goal and light the way for us from the back. O captain, my captain. Forever my captain."

"Davide means “beloved” in Hebrew, and many kings have had your name. Seeing all your friends here to show their affection for you, I believe that this is truly your name. Davide, you are simple, direct, pragmatic. With your deep gaze, you are able to get inside people and stay there. You are the one who, even without knowing languages well, is able to talk to all of us. You have always spoken from the heart and kept us united. You are the one who scolds the younger ones and keeps the older ones together. You have the gift of the universal language of the heart, a gift given to only a select few. Your parents should know that they did not put a foot wrong with you; you are the son and brother that everyone would want to have if they could choose. You are the best teammate anyone could wish for. We cannot forget your laughter and the way you joked with all of us. You, who liked to call yourself a world-famous designer and footballer in your spare time, are in fact football itself, the pure football of children. Our thoughts today go out to all those closest to you. The task of all those who will remain closest to your daughter will be to tell her who Davide was, a man with a capital M."

"Ciao Grande Asto, that's what I used to call you when we met, whether it was for a match between our teams or a national team gathering. A genuine smile and a genuine hug, a loyal, honest and humble person. How many times we laughed, joked and rejoiced together. How many chats we had sitting next to each other at the table, or along the corridor leading to the rooms at Coverciano, or on the pitch, and even in the room. “Come on Leo, spread it out like you know how,” you used to say to me every training session during tactics. With that smile that never ended and that showed how good you were inside. You've gone to play up there, and I know you'll always do so with a big smile. The one that always set you apart. You are a great friend of mine. I will miss you."

"The Sardinians are very similar to us Bergamasques: wary at first, but very sociable afterwards."

"(About Antonio Conte) He pays great attention to detail and provides certainty in terms of coverage and exit, which are fundamental for us defenders, especially for those like me who are not particularly nimble on their feet."

"He looks like a wet rabbit."

"One of the greatest ever."

"Roby is a great nine and a half."

"He's a fantastic guy, he can play football like few others can, without a doubt the best player I've played with."

"More productive than Maradona; he [Baggio] is without doubt the best number 10 in the league.""

"I remember when I was six years old and there was only one idol for me: Roberto Baggio."

"Roberto Baggio was the best Italian fantasista; he was better than Meazza and Boniperti, and he was amongst the greatest of all time, right behind Maradona, Pelé, and maybe Cruyff. Without the injury problems and the difficulties with his knees, he would have been the very best player in history."

"Baggio on the bench? It's something that I will never understand in my lifetime."

"I said, ‘No, you have to play striker.’ Baggio went to another club. That year Baggio scored 25 [actually 22] goals – for Bologna! I lost 25 goals! Big mistake."

"He's without doubt the most skilful number ten in the modern game, the archetypal playmaker, if you like, who can create chances and score goals."

"Baggio is the greatest little player I've ever seen."

"One games stands out in particular, one against Ancona which we won 5–1. Baggio scored four goals in the first 20 minutes and killed the game off. I don't think I've seen a better performance from any player in any game I've ever played in. For half an hour, he was on fire. As footballers go, he's a genius."

"Baggio. Oh yes, oh yes…oh yes! What a goal by Baggio! That's the goal they’ve all been waiting for!"

"I knew what I had to do and my concentration was perfect. But I was so tired that I tried to hit the ball too hard."

"I have lost three World Cups, all on penalties. [...] If you'll allow me this, it really gets on my nerves."

"I had the good fortune to have seen [Giuseppe] Meazza, and I thought of him when I saw Baggio play. Baggio has fantasy."

"There's not a team in the world that wouldn't like to have him in their line-up."

"He has the kind of skill people dream about."

"Roberto Baggio was the best player I ever played against; he made football look very easy."

"Penalties are only missed by those who have the courage to take them. (Italian: I rigori li sbaglia solo chi ha il coraggio di tirarli.)"

"The angels sing in his legs."

"Pirlo is a silent leader. He speaks with his feet."

"Is he best player of his generation? Not quite, but he is the most important."

"A player of his level and ability, not to mention that he was free, I think was the signing of the century. [On Sunday] I thought God exists because it's truly embarrassing just how good he is."

"It's an illness to always want more money when you've already got infinite riches."

"After a while, I began to suspect that it wasn't Mark David Chapman who killed John Lennon. It had been one of the Milan directors."

"You're forced to tell the media a lot of crap; provided, of course, that they manage to ask you the right question...You read a dull, lifeless script written by press officers with no talent or creative spark."

"Pirlo is just ‪class‬!"

"Many individuals make a team, just as many dreams make a triumph. And if you're really lucky, they make history as well."

"Sometimes a pinch of sadism is the ingredient that makes victory taste that little bit sweeter."

"In this life, you're either a man or an actor, there's nothing in between."

"Feeling invincible is the first step on the path to the point of no return."

"If God exists, there's no way he's French."

"Tears are a demonstration of who you are; an undeniable truth."

"After the wheel, the PlayStation is the best invention of all time."

"The best ideas come about in moments of total concentration, a state you can reach when shitting."

"The perfect moment to let your hair down is usually after a triumph, because defeats deserve a different kind of reaction...When you lose, it's all about thinking and reflecting. When you win, burping takes priority."

"Passing judgement on others is always a lot of fun. Looking inwards is that little bit more difficult."