90 years of the overhead kick seen by Zampagna: “A technical gesture that needs to be trained”

That noble gesture, the overhead kick, which turns 90, has become the emblem of a whole life. Riccardo Zampagna today has a football school for children in Terni and in his career he has gone well over 100 goals among professionals, of which “about twenty in overhead shots”.

Zampagna, how do you prepare those acrobatic goals?

“It seems random but it’s not. It’s a question of talent: some have it, others just don’t. You have to work hard on it in training. For example, I was inspired by my father: when I was little I saw him score a goal like the one in the movie “Escape to Victory” in a game with friends and since then I have tried to imitate him. So, during training, it is a gesture that I have always tried to improve: scoring like this has always been a dream and I have often succeeded. It takes commitment and sometimes I stopped half an hour longer than my teammates to try and try again ”.

What is the biggest difficulty?

“Coordination makes the difference, without that risk of making a bad impression. But the fall is also very important, you have to know how to support your arm well otherwise you will lose your shoulder “.

His most important overhead kick is the one in Atalanta — Brescia in 2006?

“Actually I scored one at Fiorentina in 2007, a goal that was awarded by the Players’ Association as the best of the season, but the one in Bergamo remains at the top and perhaps it was even more difficult: I got the ball up and I directed it to the corner. In Bergamo I was already an idol, but after that goal … ”.

“I always walked out of the stadium to go home. That time I remember that I was almost kidnapped by the fans ”.

Why are they seen less overturned today than they once were?

“Because we play less on the pitches below the house, on the asphalt and with holes. You also learn them to fall, not to hurt yourself, and it helps you a lot. Anyway, I give the children of my football school a little lesson on the subject every now and then “.

The most beautiful bicycle kick you’ve ever seen?

“Cristiano Ronaldo’s match against Juve in Turin was perfect: he pushed in a divine way with his support foot and put it in the corner. Doing it better is impossible “.