The coach’s father: “Rino is pure passion, his strength is credibility. And the country loves him for this”
One stopover, maybe two. Then the car and the lights of the “White Field”, the name of the Zenica fort where we are called to take America. Dad Franco was there in Bergamo and wants to be there even now that inside or outside is more cumbersome than ever.
Father and son. Or, rather, from father to son… the smell of camphorated oil from the football bag is something you never forget.
“Rino is passion. True, very true: passion for life and for football. And this way of being gets into people’s heads.”
And people love him.
“It couldn’t be otherwise. Have you seen him standing in front of the national team bench? He conveys love for the shirt…”.
Standing in front of the national team bench: a man in command or, better yet, a man leading a group of boys who follow him.
“Rino is like that, he talks to you looking in your face: when he chose to be a coach he told me that he would like to have his own style, coherence and, therefore, credibility. He has it.”
A small, big leap forward. Will we go to the World Cup?
“I feel like saying yes, we will go. Italy deserves it, my son deserves it. We all deserve it.”
Credibility, it all starts from here.
“It’s his strength, it all revolves around this way of being. If you are credible you can think of going far or achieving your goals.”
How much of your personal history is there in your son?
“There’s a lot. We Calabrians are like that: our roots give us the energy to never give up. Rino is attached to his land, he knows very well that if you forget where you come from you lose your way.”
Credibility and roots. And then, the full of emotions…
“I’m experiencing many, too many: my wife Costanza and I are feeling it (smiles, ed.). Unique and stronger emotions than when Rino played.”
Stronger now than at the time of the 2006 World Cup?
“In some ways yes: stronger now.”
During those days full of magic, she was close to the Italian midfielder Rino.
“Close, very: I spent the whole period in Germany, but now…”.
“Now a lot passes through him and, for this reason, the emotion multiplies until it becomes something never felt before.”
Twenty years have passed since the legendary journey to Berlin: beyond the emotions that are more present today, do you find any similarities with that triumph?
“In Bergamo I had positive sensations, I felt inside what I felt then: this is why I have confidence.”
And Italy follows him with deep interest.
“People understood that it was a heartfelt choice.”
One stopover, maybe two…
“I’m organizing the long trip. Costanza isn’t following me, I’ll go with a long-time prosecutor friend of mine.”
Otherwise, TV on at home…
“I will do everything to be present at the stadium in Bosnia: here, in the meantime, the anticipation is growing as if it were a world championship final.”
Final with Rino standing in front of the national team bench.
“Every now and then I think back to the past, to the sacrifices made. And to our family, the basis of every obstacle overcome.”
What if I asked her to close her eyes?
“I see the image of Bergamo again: its calm, the way Rino handled the situation. He deserves it…”.
He deserves it says Franco. He deserves to have entered into harmony with a country that is asking him for something that has been eluding us for twelve years.
“He lives for this. Does he not sleep at night? I too slept little: Calabrian heritage”, smiles father Gattuso.
One stopover, maybe two and then the lights of the “White Field” of Zenica. Rino will have those who educated him on life behind him. As always.
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