Unlocker Room: Gianluca Zambrotta - ENG
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00:00I've met a lot of great players, like Pippo, Inzaghi, Gennaro Gattuso,
00:08who from the start of the break until the end,
00:10always wore the same jersey from the start of the break until the end.
00:14It was hot. It was June-July in Germany and it was hot.
00:18Sometimes Simone Barone tells him,
00:21you're still waiting for Pippo's ball.
00:30Welcome to a new episode of Your Local Room, the Rossoneri podcast.
00:33It's a special episode because Gianluca Zambrotta is here.
00:36Good morning.
00:37Hi guys.
00:38Gianluca, the first world champion.
00:40Exactly. I'm very happy.
00:42World champions have come with the club,
00:44but people who have won the World Cup are the first.
00:46Not yet.
00:47Not yet.
00:48Listen, Gianluca, Gianluca, Zambro. What are they called?
00:52Zambro, for those who are still in the world of football,
00:57Gianluca, Gianluca, whatever you want to call them, Zambro is fine,
01:01no problem at all.
01:03What are you doing today, Gianluca Zambrotta?
01:05I'm doing a few things.
01:07I'm at home, which is comfortable,
01:11so it's not far from here,
01:14about 40 minutes away.
01:16I have two sports centres,
01:19the first one I opened in 2014,
01:25where I have my padel centre,
01:27so I follow the padel part,
01:30and then another sports centre I opened just before Covid,
01:35where we play football,
01:37so I have a football school of about 200 kids.
01:41We are Milan's technical centre,
01:43so we are one of the 10 technical centres in Lombardy in Milan.
01:49We are the federation's territorial technical centre,
01:53and I also follow the padel and tennis part,
01:57but more football.
01:59So I spend most of the day in my two sports centres.
02:07Then I'm vice-president of the federation's technical sector,
02:12where Demetrio Albertini is president.
02:17And then, if I can, I go around the world
02:22and do a few events.
02:24I do a few things.
02:27I don't stay still.
02:29I don't get bored.
02:31Gianluca, everyone knows you.
02:33Usually we introduce you to a few guests,
02:36because the younger ones don't know you.
02:38You're still quite young, so they know you.
02:40But I ask you, where does Gianluca Zambrotta come from?
02:44Where did he grow up, how did he grow up,
02:46in what context, what was he like as a child?
02:49I grew up in Como, in Rebbio.
02:52It's a fraction of Como, 10 minutes from the city centre.
02:57I grew up there.
03:00I played my first football matches at the Oratorio,
03:03a classic of my generation, of my age.
03:08So I played from 1986 to 1989, more or less,
03:13at the Oratorio, where there was a little pitch made of sand,
03:18in practice, of soil, but of grass, of course.
03:21Not like now, where all the children are lucky,
03:24that they have more or less, most of the societies
03:27have synthetic grass.
03:30In those days it was impossible to find the stones
03:33inside the pitches.
03:35That's where the children, who were forced to go around,
03:37would sit in a corner and make little mountains of sand.
03:40So I was born and raised there, in Campo della Parrocchia.
03:44At home I would go on my bike to play football,
03:48or I would play in the park above my house,
03:52in the middle of the trees.
03:54So I was born and raised there, in this fraction,
03:58with my parents, my mum and dad, and my older sister, Francesca,
04:03who is older than me, she's 73, I'm 77,
04:06and I grew up there.
04:08And what did your parents do?
04:11My parents, my mum, worked in a fabric company.
04:17My dad was a shipping man, so I went to school,
04:21I went to school there, always in the vicinity
04:25of my fraction, of my village,
04:28and I went to all the schools there.
04:31How did you get there, as a young boy,
04:33in the youth sector?
04:35I saw you score goals, you were the prodigy.
04:39Well, let's say, yes, as I said before,
04:42from 1986 to 1989 I did the oratory,
04:45in the US, in Lebbio.
04:47And from there, I did three years there,
04:50with my friends from the oratory,
04:52and from there the youth sector of Como,
04:55they saw me, and I did, in 1989,
05:00I started the youth sector of Como football.
05:03You were a forward, in my opinion,
05:05because I remember the first Zambrotta, Ala.
05:08Yes, let's say so.
05:10Then, later on, I was a midfielder,
05:15then Ala, as a winger,
05:18I never played as a defender,
05:20when I was in the youth sector,
05:22I didn't play as a defender,
05:24so I was more of a midfielder, as a winger.
05:29And then came the first team.
05:33Tell us a bit...
05:35Yes, I did the whole youth sector in Como.
05:37So, the youth sector was responsible,
05:40in my opinion, for one of the best,
05:44who made the history of both Como and Atalanta,
05:47Mino Favini.
05:49He was responsible for the youth sector.
05:52I did the whole youth sector
05:54until I got to the first team.
05:56I made my debut in the 1994-1995 season,
05:59when Como were fighting for Serie B.
06:02Then, in that season,
06:04with coach Marco Tardelli,
06:06I came back,
06:08but Marco Tardelli made me make my debut
06:11in 1995, at 18, in Serie B.
06:14It was the last game of the season,
06:17when Como had already come back to C1.
06:20I made my debut in Serie B.
06:23In Senigallia?
06:25Yes, in Senigallia.
06:27I made my debut in Senigallia,
06:29between Serie A and Serie B.
06:31I made my debut until I made my debut
06:34in the first team,
06:36with a 1982 world champion, Marco Tardelli.
06:39How was it to make your debut
06:41for the team in your city,
06:43where you grew up?
06:45It was a great feeling.
06:47I was lucky,
06:49because in that year,
06:51I spent two years at C1.
06:53I spent two important years there,
06:56because I started playing as a starter,
06:59with Alessandro Scanziani as my coach.
07:02In those two years at C1,
07:04we won a Coppa Italia in Serie C,
07:07and then we lost the final
07:09against Empoli di Spalletti in Modena,
07:12to move up to Serie B.
07:14Those were two important years for me.
07:17How was it to enter a dressing room
07:19when you were a kid?
07:21We've asked our guests
07:23about the differences
07:25over the years,
07:27and how it was to enter
07:29a big dressing room.
07:31It was different.
07:33The approach of the older kids
07:35was different from that of the younger ones.
07:38I remember that I used to get
07:40beaten up by the older kids.
07:42I don't think it's like it is now.
07:45I just had to stay quiet,
07:47pedal, lower my head and work.
07:50That's it.
07:51I couldn't breathe, I couldn't say anything,
07:54or they would have killed me.
07:56It was also a way to work harder,
08:02to be humble.
08:06I think it was much more difficult
08:09then than it is now.
08:11The other difficulty I see
08:13in the younger kids
08:15is the social aspect,
08:18which is more difficult to manage.
08:22The prosecutors are more present,
08:25so there are a lot of differences.
08:29I already know the answer,
08:32but I'll try.
08:33Abbiati told us that in the first years of Serie C,
08:36he was young,
08:37he was also a baker,
08:39and he played.
08:40At the time,
08:41even in a Serie C league
08:43many, many years ago,
08:45did you manage to make it a profession
08:48to understand how times change?
08:51I graduated from a public school.
08:54They wanted me to finish school.
08:57In fact, I finished school right away.
08:59I immediately got an offer
09:01to work in a factory as a textile worker.
09:04So I graduated as a textile worker.
09:06I already had a job,
09:08so to work as a textile worker in a factory,
09:11to work on the frames.
09:13But luckily,
09:14not because I wanted to work...
09:17It's more fun to play!
09:19Yes, it's more fun to play.
09:22From there,
09:23I finished the two years of Serie C,
09:27because I could have left earlier,
09:29but they wanted me to finish school.
09:32The two Serie C seasons were useful for me.
09:36I immediately moved to Serie A in Bari
09:39when I was 20 years old.
09:41After school,
09:42I immediately became a professional footballer.
09:45At 20 years old,
09:46you arrive in a place like Bari,
09:48which has a soul and a fire
09:50that is definitely different.
09:52How was it?
09:53I moved from a quiet city
09:57like Duomo,
09:59to a big city by the sea like Bari.
10:05It's a city that is clearly in Serie A.
10:09There was a coach, Junio Fascetti,
10:11who was inclined to launch young players
10:15and to encourage them.
10:17There was a president, Mattarese,
10:20who was also there.
10:21There was a DS, Regalia,
10:22who focused a lot on young players.
10:24In fact, there were many young players in that team,
10:26in Serie A Bari.
10:27There was me,
10:28there was Di Ascentis,
10:29who was with me in Como.
10:30There was Bressan,
10:32who wasn't as young as me,
10:33but he also came from Como.
10:35There was Nicola Ventola,
10:38then Antonio Cassano.
10:40There were many young players.
10:43It was a mix of young players
10:46and experienced players.
10:48I was there for two years.
10:50I'm curious,
10:51because now it seems unthinkable
10:53in today's football
10:54to make the double leap to Serie A.
10:56I remember that it happened often,
10:59but now if you think about it,
11:01not that there are no ready players,
11:03because we often look abroad.
11:07At the time, was it normal
11:10for you to make such a big leap?
11:13Luckily for me, no.
11:16In my opinion,
11:17I was already ready to go to Serie A.
11:20I was already making the difference
11:22at the age of 18 in C1.
11:30It wasn't that difficult for me,
11:32because I was in a quiet environment,
11:36a positive environment,
11:38in a serious club,
11:40with a team of young players.
11:44Young players like me,
11:46we were fine as a team.
11:48The coach was focusing on the players
11:53who wanted to show themselves.
11:58Those were two wonderful years.
12:01In fact, we did very well in those two years,
12:04when we saved ourselves
12:05with so many days ahead of us.
12:08I think we had two wonderful years.
12:12When you joined this team,
12:14I imagine you were already respected,
12:18because they knew you,
12:19and you were respected for your performance.
12:21I'm talking about the youngster
12:22who opens the door to the dressing room
12:24and comes from Serie C.
12:25Maybe there's the old Matusa
12:27of the dressing room
12:28who might give you a slap.
12:30No, that's not true,
12:31because I've always been a person,
12:33a youngster who did his own thing.
12:36I worked, I never said anything.
12:39So it's hard for them to say anything about me on the pitch,
12:44or even off the pitch.
12:46I've always been a hard worker,
12:49and I gave more than I could give.
12:52So from that point of view,
12:53I've never had any problems
12:55with the commitment,
12:57or the fact that I always gave my best.
13:00Gianluca, I have a question.
13:01We often do this to our guests,
13:03and it's a lot of fun for me,
13:05because it takes you back in time.
13:07What did you do with your first salary?
13:09Do you remember?
13:11On how...
13:12No, it was the car.
13:14I remember taking a Y10,
13:21or a Fiat Panda Dance,
13:25black, with...
13:27I still remember,
13:29I changed the steering wheel,
13:31I put the Momo Design steering wheel on it,
13:34so all the details,
13:36all these things.
13:38But I think it was the car,
13:41it's probably the one that comes to mind now.
13:44Did you call Juve?
13:47I called Juve,
13:48there was both Milan and Juventus,
13:50who wanted me at that time.
13:52In fact, I still remember,
13:54when I saw Gagliani again,
13:58we talked,
13:59also with my attorney,
14:00my family,
14:01with Adriano Gagliani,
14:02about going to Milan,
14:03but then Juventus came,
14:04I gave more than I could give,
14:06and I went to Juventus in 1999,
14:10the 1999-2000 season.
14:12So there was this possibility
14:15to go to Milan,
14:16but then Juventus came,
14:17I gave a lot more to Bari.
14:19You went to Juve,
14:20what was your perspective?
14:21In those years,
14:22you were still,
14:23as you said,
14:24from passing from Como to Bari,
14:26you were a great talent,
14:28so did you expect to continue
14:30the path of growth,
14:31or inside you you said,
14:32now it's starting to get difficult?
14:34No, but look,
14:35I never thought about this,
14:37in the sense,
14:38my idea was to get to play
14:40for a big team,
14:41to get to the national team,
14:43I think these are all the goals
14:45of a youngster
14:47who starts playing football
14:49and sees his own path,
14:55his own path,
14:56so no,
14:57I thought about doing well
14:59and growing year after year,
15:02so I was lucky enough
15:04to get to a big team like Juventus,
15:09to play as a starter right away,
15:11and I was already in the national team,
15:13I was already in the national team,
15:15and then I made my debut
15:17in February 1999 with the national team,
15:19in 2000 I already made my European debut,
15:21my first European,
15:22I had 22 years to start,
15:24so I was already in the national team,
15:28so let's say I always had a lot,
15:36how can I say,
15:40the idea of being able to get there,
15:44this yes,
15:45but for the simple reason that
15:47I had a quality,
15:50but also the technical qualities
15:52that clearly improved over time,
15:54but I also had a great determination,
15:58a desire to always give my best.
16:03And when Gianluca Zanbrotta said
16:05this is Gianluca Zanbrotta
16:07Gianluca Zanbrotta stronger than ever?
16:11Well, it was certainly from the years,
16:13maybe from 2001-2002
16:17until the year of the World Cup in 2006,
16:25until then,
16:26after going on to go down,
16:28those were the years,
16:30so from the years of the Champions League final
16:33in Manchester,
16:35until the World Cup in 2006,
16:39I think those were the years
16:41where I really played at a high level.
16:45You understand my question well,
16:47because otherwise it seems that I am
16:48diminishing your career a bit,
16:49so it is well understood,
16:50but from your story it seems to me
16:52that at the beginning of your experience
16:54you found the ideal conditions,
16:56that is, you were confident,
16:57you were doing well,
16:58you managed to fit in well,
16:59that is, you never had,
17:00I don't say difficulties,
17:01but those first months where you say
17:03the coach doesn't see me enough,
17:05or I was doing badly,
17:06or I wasn't feeling well in the city,
17:08I don't know if it was a component
17:10just of skill,
17:11just of luck,
17:12of casualty,
17:13of excellent coaches,
17:14of excellent teammates,
17:15of perfect adaptation,
17:16but to start well,
17:17and with two comfortable seasons,
17:19you were still a little more than a kid,
17:21and Bari where there was a new novelty,
17:23and Juve where there was
17:24such a heavy dressing room,
17:27to have space, minutes, confidence,
17:29to play well,
17:30excellent performances,
17:31I imagine,
17:32the coach, the club,
17:33the teammates, the fans.
17:35Well, let's say that if you don't have the qualities,
17:37you don't find the space.
17:40No, but in fact,
17:41the question was answered well.
17:44It's not just for me,
17:45but it's for everyone,
17:46so if you clearly don't have the quality
17:50to play for a great team,
17:53or to be in the national team,
17:54clearly you don't have the space.
17:59So, I repeat,
18:01over the years I have always grown,
18:03but I think this is also a goal
18:09to improve every day.
18:11So my will was always to grow,
18:14to improve,
18:15not to go back or stop,
18:19but always to get to the next step.
18:23This is the goal of those who are lucky
18:26to reach great goals
18:28and to play in great teams.
18:32That was the strength,
18:34but you have this,
18:35if you play in a great team.
18:38If you play in a great team,
18:40it leads you to always give your best every day
18:44and to always stay at a top level,
18:48never to go down.
18:50Also because if you go down,
18:52clearly,
18:53either you don't play,
18:54or there is someone better than you
18:55who takes your place,
18:57you always have to try to improve every day.
19:00I ask you,
19:01coming to Juve,
19:02I imagine it's a particular world,
19:06every club has its own characteristics,
19:09Juve is very square,
19:11if you look at it from the outside,
19:12I imagine.
19:13Who was that player you said,
19:15ah, this is how you do it,
19:16not for training,
19:18because you gave your best as a professional,
19:20but as an attitude,
19:21as a secret,
19:22to whom you stole some shades,
19:24some glories,
19:26if you want,
19:27ah, you do that stuff there,
19:29you have to behave,
19:30you have to,
19:31was there some injury in that great dressing room?
19:34There were many important players,
19:36first of all,
19:37there was Del Piero,
19:38there was,
19:39when I arrived in 1999,
19:40there was Inzaghi,
19:41there was Zidane,
19:42I was in the dressing room,
19:43I arrived,
19:44the first training session I did,
19:45I was with Zidane,
19:46so to tell you,
19:49there were great players,
19:52there was Ciro Ferrara,
19:53there was Paolo Montero,
19:54there was Davids,
19:56there were so many players,
20:01really of a superior quality,
20:05so I could only take from each of them
20:09the attitude,
20:10above all,
20:11which was important,
20:12the attitude of being always first
20:17in training,
20:18of never saving money,
20:20also because at that time,
20:22Juventus physically worked a lot in the gym,
20:26there was poor Gian Piero Ventrone
20:28who left us
20:30and then I had the opportunity to work
20:32both with Juventus
20:33and then with Cappello in China
20:35as an assistant,
20:36so we worked a lot
20:39from a physical point of view,
20:43so I think at that time
20:47it was the attitude of the Juventus style,
20:52which I also think was the Milan style,
20:55the same thing,
20:56so a group of players
20:58who pulled the cart,
20:59who also silently set an example.
21:03I have a question for you,
21:05you are one of the defenders
21:06who played the most in the Italian national team,
21:09in general you spent a lot of time in Azzurro,
21:12how did you live the relationship
21:13with your national team-mates
21:14during the season?
21:15Did it happen that you clashed
21:18in a positive way,
21:19that is, staying inside the pitch,
21:21maybe a foul,
21:22a push,
21:23a waffle,
21:24in what is the adrenaline of the pitch,
21:26maybe even,
21:27I don't know,
21:28the match before the break,
21:29so today he sends you to that country
21:31and tomorrow in Coverciano
21:32you are my team-mate in the dressing room,
21:33did it happen?
21:34No, it happened,
21:35certainly yes,
21:36but what happens on the pitch
21:40happened,
21:41it happened,
21:42it still happens,
21:43in short,
21:45then what happens on the pitch
21:47remains there,
21:48I believe that the important thing
21:50is always the respect,
21:53you know,
21:54also of the person,
21:55because then on the pitch
21:56anything can happen,
21:57in short,
21:58we all know the tension,
21:59maybe different goals,
22:01it can happen,
22:03then the important thing
22:04is that you are an intelligent person
22:06who understands
22:07that then you have to finish there
22:09and if you made a mistake
22:10apologize,
22:11maybe this didn't happen
22:14or it happened
22:16that then you arrived at the national team
22:18and maybe you confronted yourself,
22:20but you know,
22:21when you arrive at the national team
22:22you just have to think
22:23exclusively for the good of the national team
22:25and then you have to leave out
22:27everything that happens in the club
22:32during the week.
22:33Speaking of the national team,
22:34I have two questions
22:35before getting to the World Cup
22:36because it is a parenthesis
22:37that I would like to try to open
22:38in all its facets.
22:40If I tell you the 2002 World Cup,
22:42what image comes to mind?
22:46Well, it wasn't my first World Cup,
22:50certainly in Korea and Japan,
22:53a World Cup in my opinion
22:55that I was personally doing very well
22:57because I was physically well,
23:02I was playing really good matches
23:05and then unfortunately for me
23:07I got injured,
23:08I injured my left adductor
23:11almost completely,
23:14so I was out for three months.
23:19We all remember the match against Korea,
23:23we all remember it
23:25because of what happened.
23:28In general, apart from the referee,
23:30we certainly could have done much more
23:33compared to our potential,
23:35which was really high.
23:38But you, during and immediately after,
23:40how did you read that match?
23:44You certainly ask questions
23:47because there were certainly
23:50unclear episodes even after
23:53that match of ours
23:55because there was then,
23:56if I'm not mistaken, Korea-Spain
23:58where the same thing happened.
24:01Korea came in third
24:03if I'm not mistaken in that World Cup.
24:06So, I don't know,
24:08you ask a few questions
24:10but in my opinion
24:12we had missed a great opportunity
24:16because the team was really strong,
24:18we had a spectacular squad
24:23because we had extraordinary players.
24:28Clearly, there is regret
24:31for how it went
24:33and we certainly could have done something more.
24:36You can't blame the referee.
24:39Yes, the referee had his responsibilities
24:42but we are the ones on the pitch,
24:46it's not the referee's fault.
24:50We could have handled that match differently.
24:53Do you have any flashbacks
24:55from the two World Cups,
24:57especially from a speech,
24:59something that happened in the dressing room
25:01that you can tell us about?
25:03A joke, a game, a speech,
25:06a pre-match or post-match answer,
25:08something nice.
25:10In 2002, I removed almost everything
25:13because it was a difficult year.
25:20In 2006, there are certainly anecdotes
25:24that have been told to the right and left
25:27by various players who have told it.
25:37For how it went from start to finish,
25:40it was certainly a great journey.
25:44You scored in that World Cup
25:46and let's get into the details.
25:48In the dressing room,
25:50how do you live these moments
25:52with your loved ones?
25:54Are you one of them?
25:56Do you share them?
25:58In the match against Ukraine.
26:00In the dressing room,
26:02do you call a relative
26:04or the first message?
26:06Are you one of them?
26:08Calculate, it was 2006,
26:10so I don't think there was Whatsapp yet.
26:12I don't know if there was Whatsapp,
26:14I don't remember.
26:16There were still the first phones,
26:18there was no Whatsapp,
26:20but that match was special
26:23because it happened a few days before
26:26in Gianluca Pessotto,
26:28where I was particularly close
26:32to other players who were there.
26:38The thought immediately came to him
26:41because it really happened
26:43three or two days before the match.
26:45I remember your session with Fabio Cannavaro
26:48Yes, exactly.
26:50It was the end of Italy-Ukraine.
26:52Yes, exactly.
26:54It was my best match of that World Cup
27:01because I did everything in that match.
27:04I scored, I assisted,
27:06I saved a goal on the line.
27:08It was one of the most beautiful matches
27:13that I remember in my national career.
27:17By the way, if I'm not mistaken,
27:19did you return to Italy from Germany
27:21after that match to go and see Pessotto?
27:23I don't remember well.
27:25No, we went before that match
27:28because it happened two days before,
27:30if I'm not mistaken.
27:32Four or five of us went with a private plane.
27:37The federation made us available
27:39with a private plane.
27:41We went to the hospital to see what had happened
27:44and we came back during the day.
27:46After two days, we played
27:49but we didn't come back.
27:52We were still in touch
27:55but we went before the match.
27:58I want to talk a bit about the philosophy of Astri.
28:04In these magical moments,
28:07the player connected with something sad or deep
28:12makes the match.
28:14In the absence of a dear one,
28:16there's often a goal.
28:18In these moments, there's the big match,
28:20the save, the birth of someone
28:22and the goal comes with dedication.
28:24A friend...
28:26You find that they are linked.
28:28There's an explanation.
28:29Let's go a bit further.
28:31I can't tell you.
28:32It can happen.
28:34We played a great match there.
28:37On a personal level,
28:39it was one of my best matches
28:41where I scored the only goal of the World Cup.
28:46It was one of the few I scored in the national team.
28:49But you are very close.
28:51There's a connection.
28:53There's a thread that connects you.
29:00Let's try this.
29:04There were some players
29:06who said
29:09that they had these...
29:14I don't know how to call them.
29:16These saints.
29:18The ones who put you through the heat of the hands.
29:22They helped you.
29:23Maybe you didn't realise it.
29:25You knew better.
29:27Did you know some of the players
29:30who were being followed?
29:33I don't remember.
29:36We know that superstition exists in football.
29:40There's always...
29:42What about you?
29:44I wasn't very superstitious.
29:47But I did know some great players.
29:51Pippo Inzaghi,
29:53Gennaro Gattuso,
29:55who from the start to the end
29:57wore the same jersey.
30:02It was hot.
30:04It was June-July in Germany.
30:06It was hot.
30:08He wore the same jersey
30:10during the break.
30:12He never took it off.
30:14So he was superstitious.
30:16I can imagine his reaction
30:18when you made him notice.
30:20Exactly.
30:21Especially Andrea Pirlo.
30:23He made him notice.
30:25Who was in the room during the break?
30:28Most of us were alone.
30:30Everyone had their own room.
30:32There was someone
30:34who was with us.
30:36Where did you all go?
30:38I was a quiet person.
30:40I did my own things.
30:42I wanted to be on my own.
30:44I didn't go anywhere.
30:46I think there was
30:48Pirlo and Nesta's room.
30:50In Milan, too.
30:52They played on the PlayStation.
30:55So I was alone.
30:57I remember there were two of them.
30:59Most of the others were alone.
31:01I have a story to tell.
31:03It's the third game in a row.
31:05It's the famous run
31:07where Pippo Inzaghi
31:09doesn't pass the ball to Barone.
31:11I don't know if Barone
31:13or someone else
31:15said something to Pippo,
31:17but there will be a story.
31:19I don't know if Barone
31:21said something to Pippo,
31:23but there will be a story.
31:25I don't know if Barone
31:27said something to Pippo,
31:29but there will be a story.
31:31Sometimes Barone
31:33tells him
31:35that he's still waiting
31:37for Pippo's pass.
31:39But I'm sure
31:41Barone gave Pippo a hand.
31:43He gave Pippo
31:45a second chance.
31:47He could have
31:49passed the ball to him
31:51or he could have
31:53gone on on his own.
31:55It was a help
31:57for Pippo
31:59that Barone was there.
32:01It was a help for Pippo
32:03that Barone was there.
32:05At that moment
32:07the desire of a forward
32:09to score was so high
32:11in a World Cup.
32:13Pippo couldn't wait
32:15to score.
32:17He wanted to
32:19go on on his own.
32:21He wanted to go on
32:23on his own.
32:25But everyone knows
32:27that.
32:29Especially Simone.
32:31In Australia,
32:33when you went
32:35to the World Cup
32:37did you understand
32:39that you could do it?
32:41In Germany,
32:43a country with many
32:45Italian immigrants,
32:47did you feel
32:49that you could do it?
32:51Or did you realise it later?
32:53We took a risk
32:55against Australia.
32:57Materazzi was sent off
32:59and we had to
33:01add ten players.
33:03We struggled a lot
33:05in that game.
33:07From that point on
33:09we understood
33:11that things were going well.
33:13From the game
33:15against the Czech Republic
33:17to the game against Ukraine
33:21and Australia
33:23in the round of 16
33:25and Ukraine in the quarter-finals
33:27to the semi-final
33:29against Germany
33:31where you played
33:33in Dortmund
33:35in a completely white stadium
33:37because there was only
33:39a national shirt
33:41and a slightly blue marker.
33:43On the other side
33:45it was a France
33:47that had already beaten
33:49great teams
33:51and important teams.
33:53That was the first
33:55really difficult
33:57and complicated game
33:59against a home team
34:01that was one of the favourites
34:03to win the World Cup.
34:05After that game
34:07we thought
34:09that we could do it.
34:11Was it a mistake
34:13that you made against Germany
34:15before the two goals
34:17from Gross and Del Piero?
34:19Before that
34:21there was Gilardino's pass
34:23and then my cross.
34:25You must have been crazy.
34:27It was a beautiful game
34:29full of
34:31opportunities
34:33and surprises.
34:35Two decisive miracles.
34:37It was a game
34:39with an extraordinary Buffon
34:41and we deserved
34:43the win.
34:45It's not easy
34:47to go to Germany's home
34:49and win a World Cup
34:51semi-final at their home.
34:53It was tough and complicated
34:55but
34:57even then
34:59the coach
35:01remembered that
35:03because he wanted to win.
35:05This is also a sign
35:07from the coach
35:09that he trusted us.
35:13In that World Cup
35:15we only conceded
35:17two goals.
35:19Zaccardo's own goal
35:21and Zidane's penalty in the final.
35:23We were the best defence
35:25and almost all the players
35:27scored.
35:29Almost everyone played
35:31so it was an extraordinary journey
35:33for an extraordinary group.
35:35How did you experience the final?
35:37Girardino's shot
35:39after the dribbling.
35:41Did you think it was a curse?
35:43No, not at all.
35:45There were
35:47other chances
35:49from their side
35:51like Gigi's
35:53shot.
35:55Fortunately I scored
35:57a great goal against
35:59Alex Del Piero.
36:01It went well
36:03and sometimes it went badly.
36:05The European Cup
36:07in 2000
36:09was something...
36:11I think
36:13that in that year
36:15my first European
36:17I lost the Scudetto
36:19in Perugia
36:21against Juve
36:23on the last day.
36:25We lost 1-0
36:27in Perugia.
36:29We had to
36:31do it again
36:33but Collina decided
36:35to wait more than an hour.
36:41I went to the
36:43European Cup in 2000
36:45and it was a rock'n'roll game
36:47against Holland in the semi-final
36:49that we deserved to lose
36:51because they really
36:53took us by surprise.
36:55Fortunately
36:57we passed
36:59with a great goal
37:01and in the final
37:03we deserved to win
37:05against France
37:07and we conceded two goals
37:09in the last year.
37:11We lost the European
37:13which was already done
37:15in the 93rd minute.
37:17I was in the stands
37:19because I was disqualified
37:21and I was sent off
37:23after half an hour
37:25against Holland.
37:27I was in the stands
37:29because I wanted to celebrate
37:31and I realised
37:33we were 2-1 up
37:35and I lost the European
37:37in the stands
37:39without seeing the goals.
37:41In the World Cup final
37:43if you make a mistake
37:45it's 3-0
37:47which is the only penalty
37:49Italy-France
37:51scored against the European
37:53in the final.
37:55It was a rock'n'roll game.
37:57How does a champion
37:59approach a World Cup final
38:01which is something
38:03that rarely happens?
38:05Does he not realise it
38:07or does he prepare differently?
38:09He prepares like every game.
38:11The tension is higher
38:13because
38:15you feel it
38:17but it's like
38:19big competitions
38:21like a Champions League
38:23or a Scudetto final.
38:25That's how it is.
38:27Big events
38:29like the Serie C
38:31or the Serie B
38:33or a Scudetto final
38:35or a final
38:37where you can't go back.
38:39In the end, big events
38:41where you have an important goal
38:43you live them
38:45with a certain tension
38:47and a great mentality.
38:51We knew
38:53we could write the history
38:55of Italy
38:57because of how it all started
38:59because everyone
39:01gave their all
39:03before the World Cup.
39:05It was really
39:07a great recognition
39:09of strength
39:11and will
39:13as a group
39:15and many other things.
39:17Did you sleep well?
39:19I always slept well
39:21because I was
39:23well balanced.
39:25Maybe the day
39:27before the game
39:29I did
39:31but before
39:33I was quite
39:35calm.
39:37It's a flash
39:39because I can see
39:41he lived his career
39:43as if it were normal
39:45because he was inside
39:47and maybe he didn't realise
39:49that with the Barcelona shirt
39:51you have to sign before you hug him.
39:53Ronaldinho, Messi.
39:55Was that normal?
39:57Maybe at first
39:59you find yourself with
40:01phenomenal players
40:03but also at the beginning
40:05when I arrived at Juve
40:07or Milan
40:09or the first national games
40:11I have always been
40:13a player
40:15who has always been
40:17humble.
40:21He was the one
40:23who was the thermometer
40:25so I have always
40:27been a humble guy
40:31who worked a lot
40:33and always wanted to improve.
40:35I have never
40:37argued with anyone
40:41so it was difficult
40:43to argue with me
40:45because I was always
40:47outside.
40:49I arrived at Barcelona
40:51as a world champion
40:53so they had just won
40:55the Champions League
40:57in London against Arsenal.
40:59Paris, I think.
41:01Exactly.
41:03It was Paris.
41:05In the 2006 final
41:07it was with Arsenal
41:09that they won.
41:11But there were
41:13a lot of players.
41:15There was Deco,
41:17Vignesta, Pujol.
41:19You have always had these champions.
41:21Now we make
41:23foreign players legendary
41:25but as you say,
41:27I played in Italy
41:29with great players like
41:31Navarro and the United States.
41:33They can do the same with you
41:35but they had a different allure.
41:37When you looked at him
41:39was he a quiet,
41:41did he have something more?
41:43No, he had something more
41:45on the pitch.
41:47I didn't go out
41:49to see them
41:51but on the pitch
41:53they were simple guys
41:55like Ronaldinho
41:57and Milan.
41:59They were simple guys
42:01and humble.
42:05The same with Xavi,
42:07Iniesta, Deco.
42:09They were all simple guys
42:11and calm.
42:15I want to quickly
42:17close the World Cup.
42:19First of all,
42:21did the fish from Rino
42:23taste that bad?
42:27No, no.
42:29The fish from Rino
42:31was good.
42:33But you had to
42:35get around it.
42:37In Milan
42:39you had Pirlo,
42:41Nesta, Oddo,
42:43Ambrosini.
42:45They were all around it.
42:47It was meant to be a group.
42:49But the fish was good.
42:51It tasted bad
42:53but it was good.
42:55Did you play 120 minutes
42:57in the final?
42:59At the 2006 World Cup?
43:01Yes, until the end.
43:03So you had a chance to score?
43:05How did you live it?
43:07I was hoping
43:09to be the first.
43:11It was a disaster.
43:13Luckily we scored five
43:15spectacular goals.
43:17One better than the other.
43:19Otherwise there was a risk
43:21I don't remember
43:23if I was 7th or 8th
43:25but I was one of those.
43:27Many people
43:29told us
43:31that even in the Intercontinental
43:33or the Champions League
43:35you were under the bench.
43:37If you're not used
43:39to shooting
43:43I never trained
43:45to shoot.
43:47There are players
43:49who are used to
43:51corner kicks, penalties
43:53and penalty kicks.
43:55The more technical players
43:57were used to shooting.
43:59Then of course
44:01from 6th to top
44:03it's all a matter
44:05of
44:07luck
44:09and approach
44:11because you're not used
44:13to shooting.
44:15How did you get to AC Milan?
44:17Who told you
44:19you wanted AC Milan?
44:21How did it work?
44:23After two years
44:25in Barcelona
44:27I had four years
44:29in Barcelona
44:31but I needed to
44:33come back to Italy
44:35for my personal reasons
44:37through
44:39Gattuso,
44:41Neste and Pirlo.
44:43I wanted to
44:45come back to Italy
44:47so my priority
44:49was to come back
44:51to a great team like AC Milan
44:53but also because I had
44:55many teammates
44:57such as Pirlo,
44:59Brosini.
45:01It all started
45:03with the desire
45:05to come back to Italy
45:07and also
45:09with the insistence
45:11on the various
45:13friends and players
45:15who played for AC Milan.
45:17We asked this question
45:19not to everyone
45:21but what does AC Milan
45:23mean to you?
45:25In those years
45:27AC Milan
45:29played
45:31with Juventus
45:33and it was AC Milan-Juve
45:35from 2001
45:37to 2002
45:39it was AC Milan-Juve
45:41until
45:432003, 2004,
45:452005, 2006
45:472007 and 2008.
45:49It was
45:51the two teams
45:53that made the difference
45:55in Italy.
45:57AC Milan and Juve
45:59have a history
46:01on their side.
46:03AC Milan has a history
46:05of great successes,
46:07of great victories,
46:09of a great club,
46:11of a great president,
46:13of a great family.
46:15For me it was important
46:17to come back to a great team
46:19in Italy,
46:21AC Milan,
46:23AC Como, AC Milano
46:25were close to home.
46:27I lived in my house
46:29and I went to AC Milan
46:31or AC San Siro.
46:33It was the desire
46:35to come back
46:37to great levels.
46:39In those times
46:41AC Milan
46:43was the priority
46:45to come back.
46:47Did you have...
46:49You played in the national team
46:51even before the World Cup,
46:53I think Mandini, etc.
46:55Did you have Ronaldinho,
46:57Pato, Beckham,
46:59Robinho?
47:01In those years
47:03yes,
47:05in the last two years
47:07of the league
47:09we had
47:11the Scudetto,
47:13the first year of Allegri
47:15and the next one
47:17having a lot of advantages
47:19against Juventus.
47:21Yes, we had Ibrahimovic,
47:23Robinho, Cassano,
47:25Boateng,
47:27Van Bommel,
47:29Seedorf, Nesta,
47:31Tiago Silva,
47:33Ambrosini,
47:35in the first year
47:37if I'm not mistaken.
47:39In short,
47:41it was a great team.
47:43Who did you like the most as an individual?
47:47Well,
47:49it was Pato,
47:51he was one of those players
47:53who, in my opinion,
47:55had less potential
47:57because Pato
47:59was a great talent.
48:01I haven't been able
48:03to express
48:05the best of his potential
48:07but he was a great talent.
48:09Everyone,
48:11from Andrea Pirlo,
48:13who I knew in the national team,
48:15to Ibra,
48:17to Juventus,
48:19to Clarence,
48:21to Tiago Silva,
48:23to Nesta,
48:25to Pippo himself.
48:27In short,
48:29extraordinary players.
48:31What about Ibra?
48:33Well,
48:35I had him when he was young
48:37at Juventus,
48:39when he joined Ajax.
48:41I saw
48:43his growth
48:45from Juventus
48:47to Milan
48:49many years later.
48:51He was always
48:53a player with a strong personality
48:55who always
48:57wanted to improve
48:59day by day
49:01and he wanted to improve
49:03those around him
49:05who played with him.
49:07Maybe he had this
49:09tough attitude
49:11and he wanted
49:13the best for everyone.
49:15Of course,
49:17not everyone has the personality
49:19to keep his head up
49:21but in that team,
49:23in those years,
49:25there were many players
49:27with personality.
49:29One last thing
49:31to thank Gianluca.
49:33In my eyes,
49:35I have the tears
49:37of the last day in Milan
49:39for all of you.
49:41It was a beautiful moment
49:43for the fans,
49:45even if it was very sad.
49:47It was a day
49:49dedicated to
49:51Rino, Pippo
49:53and Sandro Nesta.
49:55It was also the last one
49:57for Marc van Bommel.
49:59You let yourself go.
50:01They pushed me.
50:03I didn't know
50:05if I wanted to stop
50:07or not.
50:09It was my last game
50:11in Milan
50:13because I lost
50:15the contract.
50:17They pushed me.
50:19Everything happened
50:21automatically.
50:23You let yourself go
50:25and your career
50:27and your story
50:29happened on a special day.
50:31Many of those
50:33who stopped
50:35were my friends
50:37and we spent
50:39a lot of time together.
50:41Pippo, Sandro,
50:45Rino,
50:47Van Bommel,
50:49whom I met recently.
50:51These are always
50:53special days.
50:55They remind you
50:57of the past.
50:59It was an emotional day.
51:01Do you have photos
51:03from Milan?
51:05That's a beautiful photo
51:07of you under the curve
51:09with that emotion.
51:11I have photos of all the teams
51:13where I played.
51:15Not just one.
51:17Of course,
51:19I'm talking about
51:21the World Cup.
51:23I always say
51:25that the World Cup
51:27is for a few.
51:29Not everyone is lucky
51:31to win.
51:33If you look at the stars
51:35of Italy,
51:37one is from 1934,
51:39one is from 1938,
51:41one is from 1982
51:43and the other is from 2006.
51:45There is no one left
51:47from 1934-1938.
51:49There are still many
51:51from 1982,
51:53but the last ones
51:55are from 2006.
51:57The star is here
51:59and you realise
52:01that we achieved something extraordinary
52:03by winning the World Cup.
52:05There are only a few
52:07in the history of football.
52:09The most difficult thing
52:11is to win the World Cup.
52:13Of course,
52:15it's not because I didn't win it.
52:17I didn't win the Champions League
52:19like many other great players
52:21who didn't win it.
52:23It's not because I didn't win it.
52:25Winning a Champions League
52:27means that every year
52:29if you have the chance
52:31to watch Real Madrid
52:33or if you are part
52:35of an important group,
52:37you have the chance
52:39to win it every year.
52:41There are a number of things
52:43that make the World Cup
52:45an unattainable trophy
52:47for many,
52:49but that's the way it is.
52:51I am really proud.
52:53So there is a giant at home.
52:55It's not because I didn't win it,
52:57but because I managed
52:59to win it as a star.
53:01That's the best thing.
53:03The best thing is that we managed
53:05to find something so special
53:07that is special for you too.
53:09It's normal for you
53:11to have such an extraordinary career.
53:13I wanted Milan
53:15because I wanted Milan
53:17when I left Barcelona.
53:19We are talking about a strong Barcelona
53:21that won with Guardiola
53:23and I could have stayed there
53:25with Guardiola
53:27and had a different career.
53:29I wanted to go back to Italy
53:31and go to Milan.
53:33I really wanted to go to Milan.
53:35I don't deny my history
53:37with Milan
53:39because it was a great family
53:41and a great club.
53:43It was the last big team
53:45that I wore as a shirt.
53:47So I still have a lot of memories
53:49of it.
53:51Every team, every shirt
53:53has always left me
53:55in a positive way
53:57or in a negative way
53:59with something
54:01that I think is important.
54:03I think the best thing
54:05and then we'll finish
54:07is that both Milan and Juve
54:09remember you with pleasure.
54:11You are not associated
54:13with one of the two.
54:15Leave Barcelona alone
54:17but they are two big clubs
54:19and it's hard for a Juve shirt
54:21to have so much respect.
54:23That's a good point.
54:25Maybe the Juve shirt
54:27is a bit biased
54:29because I left in 2006
54:31when Juventus were in Serie B
54:33but I think it's part
54:35of the choice
54:37of a person
54:39and not a player.
54:41I made a choice
54:43on a personal and professional level
54:45that has to be respected.
54:47You can disagree
54:49but you have to respect
54:51the person's choice.
54:53Let's ask the last question.
54:55Go ahead.
54:57We have this game
54:59that we always play
55:01with all our guests
55:03which is the pyramid.
55:05I'll give you 10 names
55:07of right-back.
55:09Milan's history
55:11is that we didn't
55:13dig into the Middle Ages
55:15so you can start
55:17with the first one
55:19who doesn't deserve it.
55:21Let's start with the oldest one.
55:23Anquilletti.
55:25Anquilletti?
55:27You went too far back.
55:29Maybe I went too far back.
55:31I'll put him here.
55:33Fourth.
55:35With the excuse of Popol.
55:37Exactly.
55:39Another one who shared
55:41with you the World Cup.
55:43I'll put him here.
55:45Third.
55:47Abate.
55:49Abate here.
55:51Third.
55:53Helweg.
55:57Helweg...
56:01Here.
56:03Third.
56:05Panucci.
56:07Let's put him here.
56:09Second.
56:11Fourth.
56:13Four more to go.
56:15Cosmin Contra.
56:17Here.
56:19Fourth.
56:21Tassotti.
56:23Here.
56:25Second.
56:27Gianluca Zambrotti.
56:31There's only one left.
56:33What do you mean only one?
56:37The first one could be
56:39Flopo or Una Via Di Mezzo.
56:41Helso, nice one.
56:43I'll put him here.
56:45For humility, fourth place.
56:47You did quite well because
56:49the first one was Marcus Cafu.
56:51Cafu, the pendulum,
56:53put me first.
56:55Panucci.
56:57Come on, third is good.
56:59I would have put myself
57:01between third and second,
57:03but let's say third.
57:05Let's finish with this one.
57:07Three wishes.
57:09It sounds banal,
57:11but the first wish
57:13is health for me
57:15and for all my family.
57:17I think that's the biggest wish.
57:19Another wish is
57:25to achieve
57:27the goals
57:29that you have set
57:31in your life
57:33and in the future.
57:35I want things to go
57:37in the right direction
57:39and to avoid
57:41any obstacles
57:43or delays.
57:45Let's put it this way.
57:47If you have a desire,
57:49a job, a goal,
57:51or any other project
57:53that can go well
57:55and to a good end,
57:57I think that's
57:59the other thing.
58:01Health
58:03and
58:05to achieve
58:07your goals,
58:09your desires
58:13and to be good to yourself.
58:15I think that's the third thing.
58:17You have to be a bit lighter,
58:19to be positive
58:21and to smile.
58:23I think that's
58:25the third thing.
58:33Thank you for watching!