When Samp took him away from Casteldebole

06.07.1999 Gazzeta dello Sport

Around the mid-eighties, Gianluca Pagliuca, all instinct and physical
potential, is the goalkeeper of Bologna's youth team. He is the last
student of Piero Battara. Sampdoria needs a keeper for the Viareggio
tournament, and asks for Pagliuca on loan. Paolo Mantovani sees him at
work at Marassi in a Sampdoria-Genoa match in front of 12000 spectators
and asks Paolo Borea: "Why don't you get him to me at Genoa?" One year
later (1986) Borea talks to Governato. He wants Pagliuca, but
officially he is testing the ground for Luppi, Marocchi and Gazzaneo.
Finally Governato understands Borea's true objective. And he declares,
saving Borea embarassment: "If you want him, Pagliuca is yours. There is
no place for him here now: he will go to Ospitaletto, on loan." Bologna
coaches are certain of one thing: if he stays at Bologna, Pagliuca will
shadow Nello Cusin, an emerging keeper recently arrived from
Ospitaletto, a farm team of president Gino Corioni. Borea loses no time:
he pays 300 million lira and Gianluca becomes property of Samp. Here he
is reunited with his teacher Battara, who launches him into the starting
line-up and into the prestigious career.

Translated by Julia Tarasova.