Very touchy letter on l'Avvocato's memorial day.
2013-01-24
IF I WERE TO RECEIVE HIS TELEPHONE CALL TODAY
Ten years passed but it seems to be much less. Probably because for me, l'Avvocato is still a very close memory , it's like I had just put down that phone that was ringing so early in the morning and I just faked being awake, rubbing my eyes.
Instead it's been already ten years. But when people are so much in your heart and soul, they actually never leave you. But still I miss him. I was lucky and honoured to walk a part of my way together with him and I miss his elegance, his style, his passion and his taste for all the fine things both in private and public life. I miss his love for sport, football, his Juventus, his Ferrari, his yachts and his Turin. He is missed by Juventus supporters and Italians.
How could I forget that first meeting... It's kind of linked to a very pleasant for me moment, or better to say my first hat trick scored in serie A. Everything was new to me, I was 18, just moved from Primavera to the main team. It was the eve of our match against Parma. I wasn't sure he knew me, or better to say he knew about me for sure because he was a great sport expert and rather curious, so he was definitely informed about the new comer, but he was better acquainted with already well-known players of that period. We were just out of Uefa Cup and supporters weren't happy about the situation, instead Parma had just won against Ajax. That team, led by Nevio Scala was the best at that moment. Avvocato understood the situation and our mood at that moment perfectly well and he talked to us, telling us that actually all that difference between two teams that was described in the newspapers didn't exist. He had one of those newspapers full of criticism with him, urging us to react, to show them they were wrong. A day later we won against Parma and I scored my first hat trick in Juve jersey. That was my first meeting with him, with his charm and enthusiasm he knew so well to communicate to the others.
Some years later he gave me a nick name that would stay with me for years. It was a moment of let's call it handover with Roberto Baggio. Avvocato, who was a great expert of art called Baggio "Raffaello", and compared me to "Pinturicchio". At the beginning I remained rather puzzled... I didn't know who Pinturicchio was. Then, I found out that he was a great artist. I love this definition, because I know what Avvocato meant and it reminds me of a beautiful period of my career, the first exciting years with the Juventus.
His definitions, his punch lines and jokes were always sharp and trenchant. But his criticism was never heavy. I remember well his discussions with the presidents of the other clubs... Avvocato was fond of healthy competition, but respected and admired a lot all the best opponents. He just loved challenges.
When I look back now, being far away and not black and white anymore, I appreciate even more the fortune I had during my almost twenty years in Turin: I met two people that for me symbolise Juventus: Giampiero Boniperti who took me from Padova and Avvocato who honoured me with his trust and consideration.
The Juventus was his passion, but it wasn't the only one, he was real curious about life and people. Football and Juve were irresistible for him. He knew well to share this passion with people that were around him. He shared it also with us, with his team. He loved Juventus and its champions. And he was loved by its champions as well as by common people,
What happened during the day of his funerals proved it fully. I remember that a day before the match against Piacenza, the first match without him, we went to the burial chamber and I was touched by the number of people who came to say good bye. Just common people: from managers to simple workers. I was impressed by the simplicity of the ceremony, by the respect paid by people that were rather far from his world and didn't know him personally.
I love that goal, the one I scored in the match against Piacenza. On that special day I think it didn't happen by chance. It was a spectacular goal and I'm sure he would have loved it.
These days I've thought a lot about what he would have told me today. I'm quite sure he'd call me to advise where to go and what to see in Sydney, He knew well all the places in the world, he loved the beauty of different places... His call would probably come at six in the morning. But this time, in Sydney, I would have been really awake.
Alessandro
Buy on AliExpress.com
