Nicknamed “Nippo” by Gialappa’s, Marco, a former striker for 17 teams, says: “I was at Fiorentina, we were challenging Werder Bremen in the UEFA Cup. I started on the counterattack with the ball on my forehead, then I threw Roby Baggio, but he controlled the ball with the hand… 34 years have passed…”
He challenged Maradona, sent Baggio to score and with a circus act became a timeless icon: “Everyone remembers me for the seal gesture, yet 34 years have passed. I was at Fiorentina, we were challenging Werder Bremen in the semi-final of first leg of the UEFA Cup. The opposing defenders were pressing, I started on the counterattack like this, all instinctively, then I launched Roby, but he controlled the ball with his hand.” Marco Nappi is the unforgettable blond striker who made over 300 appearances in Serie B and 100 in Serie A between the 1980s and 1990s. He wore – among others – the shirts of Genoa, Atalanta and Fiorentina. He remained on the pitch until he was 40 because he didn’t want to stop: “I was completing the coaching course in Coverciano, there was a week to go. I enjoyed trying scissors and dribbling on the pitch. I ran away, I wanted to continue playing and I signed for Sestri Levante”. After some experiences on the bench among the amateurs he began to travel the world: “I worked in a college in Beijing. In Jordan and Palestine I volunteered together with the national priests’ team. Today I want to save Cairese in Serie D”.