The former midfielder talks about his life on and off the pitch. “Matteo fought a lot, he remains an example for me. The greatest joys at Lazio, disappointed with how it ended”
From the outside, very often, one has the perception that football is a world apart. Golden, perfect, free from everything. Even from pain. Even if a footballer has always led a quiet life, never over the top, he is seen as a privileged person who belongs to another dimension compared to “normal” people. But then there are tragedies that bring everyone back to earth. This is what happened to Diego Fuser, former midfielder for Turin, Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio, Parma and Roma with over 400 appearances in Serie A. He was never a super star or a cover star – even if some called him a “rebel” when he was young – and in 2015 he experienced the greatest pain for a father: his son Matteo passed away at the age of 16 after a long illness. “It changed my life, devastating it forever. It’s something that marks you inside, difficult to explain. You try to accept it but you look for answers that don’t exist.”
Diego Fuser, let’s start from the beginning. She entered adult football by playing in the Turin youth team and cheering for Juve. Nice paradox. Dad’s fault?
“Yes, he took me to the stadium. Until I was a student I went every Sunday, then I stopped. My idol was Tardelli, I loved how he was on the pitch.”
Then over time he became a member of Turin?
“Yes, already since the Primavera. After all, when you play against Juventus you notice many things and you can’t support them anymore.”
In 1989 Milan took it. First with Sacchi and then with Capello, any regrets?
“The first year perhaps I wasn’t at the right level. The second, however, after the loan to Fiorentina I returned to Milan convinced that I could play my cards. Capello, however, in training camp tried Gullit on the right wing and it worked, so Ruud played almost all year. And in June I asked to leave.”
Was there Zoff who wanted you at Lazio?
“I chose the Biancocelesti for that. They were four wonderful years, I had the honor of wearing the captain’s armband and lifting cups. I’m sorry for how it ended…”.
Did you expect different treatment?
“After all the satisfaction we got, yes, I think I deserved it. I was let go as if I were one of many. Let’s say that the suggestion came from someone who wasn’t a coach but it was as if he were one.”
“It’s no secret that Mancini had a lot of power in Lazio. Eriksson listened to him a lot. They sent me, Signori and others away. They had other plans.”
Have you ever spoken to the Swede?
“He told me that if they gave me more money in Parma I would have to go. Lazio did nothing to keep me.”
Then, three years later, he decided to return to Rome, but to play for the Giallorossi. How did it go?
“Before Roma-Parma, the last match of the championship, Capello approached me during the warm-up and asked me if I would go and play with them the following year. I said yes immediately. Then, a few weeks later, we formalized everything.”
A big blow for the Lazio fans…
“I repeat, I didn’t expect such treatment. I’m linked to the Biancocelesti, we spent wonderful seasons together and I would never have gone directly to Roma. But I had spent three seasons in Parma, I didn’t imagine triggering so many negative reactions. Often the fans don’t understand that for us it’s a job. I respect and understand the passion, but I think that every now and then you need a little respect for those who have given you everything. Do you think that Lazio has never invited me to the Olimpico…”.
“Not linked to my choices. I have one on the national team: not being called up to the 2000 European Championship hurt me.”
Zoff sat on the national team bench. It would have been the perfect closing of a circle…
“I had played all the qualifying matches, like with Maldini two years earlier. But with Zoff the relationship was different. I had been injured, but I was recovering and I told him so, but he still decided not to bring me. It’s a wound that has never completely healed.”
He was talking about Rome, things there went much less well than expected. How come?
“The first year was very positive. We came close to winning the second consecutive championship and played in the Champions League. The following season, however, there were a few misunderstandings with the club. I played little, but my mind was already elsewhere. I was starting to have bigger problems than football.”
Was it around that time that you discovered Matteo’s illness?
“Yes, I ran away from training to run to my son. I went out and spent the evening in the hospital with my wife. We fought a lot. Matteo did too. Unfortunately there are circumstances in which no one can do anything about it.”
It was a tragedy that shook the world of football. 14 years have passed, how has it changed you?
“In many things, believe me. It was an event that turned our lives upside down, devastating it forever. It marks you inside, it’s difficult to explain. You try to accept it but you look for answers that don’t exist. I don’t think there is a pain as great as the loss of a child. Nothing was the same as before. At the same time, however, his example gave me so much strength, we live for him every day.”
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED