Tonight the debut of the new CT, which together with the world mission will have another one: “reassemble” the affection of the Italians
Jannik Sinner from Sesto Pusteria (Bolzano) and Rino Gattuso da Schiavonea (Cosenza): not exactly twins. Still, they look like each other. Both left the house at 13 years of age to chase a dream, with the same ferocity that made them world champions. Gramsci taught: “Intelligence is pessimistic, the always optimistic will”. Precisely. Believe it beyond one’s limits, massacring sacrifice. “Obsession of improvement”, called it Jannik. It was Rino’s bread. If Sinner, after a match, trains; Gattuso imposed himself with additional technical exercises to round off his feet. The difference is that, on talent, the good God was more generous with a tennis player, but the work done by the footballer to improve today is his coach treasure. It is the right coach to grow, with ideas and empathy, a humble national team, an expression of a movement that has not won the Champions League for 15 years, has not played a world championship of 11 and among the last 30 candidates for the golden ball has put only one goalkeeper. In this era of recession (Euro ’21 apart), tennis has flared up like a bonfire and put a racket in the hands of the Italians. Surge in appeal and listening. On Wednesday night all awake, proud and padded coffee for the Musetti-Sinner derby, as we were once for the national team beyond Ocean. Gattuso’s Italy debuts tonight. The finger is focused on the world qualification, but we look at the moon: a national team that reassembles the affection of the Italians and that in a year keeps us wake up and proud on American nights, as Sinner is doing. Good adventure, Rino.