PRESS - Interviews

Nara B. prize for 2002-2003 to Gianluca Pagliuca.

Thursday, August 14, 2003, as has become our tradition, we left for Sestola to award the prize to Gianluca Pagliuca, who won the most points in the player ratings on the Nara B. site for the 2002-03 championship. Maria presented the award.
We met at 12:30 at Sestola, Genio with his son Emanuele (fan of Roma, but also of Pagliuca… therefore, pardoned), Piero (one, Cavalotti) and Maria, our guest. Unexcused absences: Ce and Libraio, enslaved by their respective spouses. Andrea? Traveling around the world, as usual. His mind is on basketball.
A meal at the Lago della Ninfa restaurant, above the Lupo Pass, gave a good start to the day, enjoying tagliatelle with mushrooms or vegetable ragou, wild boar and mixed meats from the grill, onions with balsamic vinegar, all accompanied by a good red (served in liters). After cake with brandy and whipped cream, blueberry bake, coffee and grappas, we left the table. A pleasing walk around the lake (fresh air, quiet… what else do you want in August, with a full belly?), garnished with jokingly infuriating phonecalls and SMS to Max66, who stayed in Bologna to work while poor Maria had to defend herself against Piero and Genio’s advances.
At 4 pm, we run to the car: Caniato, Bologna’s press representative, awaits us for the award presentation.
Out comes the bottle of Brunello di Montalcino, selected by Piero, our sommelier, and the commemorative plaque. Maria will be the one to present the prize, while I am charged with explaining to Pagliuca the meaning of our award (unfortunately it won’t go quite that way, but forget about that here, you’ll read more in “Free Word” – translator’s note: Nico’s editorial).
At 4:20, we arrive punctually at the stadium and here’s the first terrible surprise: while Piero tries to circumvent Maria once again, Max66 appears, our homegrown Otello of the Lower Alps. Maria laughs: she knew he was coming. Piero and Genio consider retiring to a trappist monastery to ponder the duplicity of women.
But let’s move on to the more serious account. A call to Caniato, and the gates to the sports complex open. Accustomed to previous treatment by one such Rava (I think we were worse than annoying little flies in his eyes), we are ready for the usual award ceremony in some corner (preferably, for Rava, in front of the restroom door).
But none of that, Caniato confirms the favorable impression he made upon us last year at Casteldebole: he is kind and approachable, and he offers us to have the ceremony on the field. We head towards the gate and meet Pagliuca who is waiting for us on a bench. He suggests we have the ceremony right here, and we agree gladly.
I try to explain in a couple of words the meaning of our little prize. Maria approaches with the bottle and the plaque, Pagliuca, politely and nicely takes it in his hands, when an unfortunate, forced and gratuitous joke by Stegio, who insisted on coming with us, ruins the moment. Pagliuca is rather unsettled, he answers, but then forces himself to turn back to us to avoid ruining the moment for us. Unfortunately, however, the spell is broken and after some hurried photos we decide to say goodbye to our keeper, who has to prepare for the game.
We leave, thanking Patrizio Caniato once again, trying to forget the unpleasant episode. He pretends nothing happened, even stays with us a bit longer, asking us what we think of the new official site. I find it nice-looking but a little cold. It sells a product, and does not connect the fans to the team. I ask about the Forum: nothing to do there, the company that manages Bologna’s site and many other teams’ has no plans for it. At most we could hope for a chat room. Link (not to our sites, but at least to the Rossoblu Forum): we don’t even talk about it.
Before leaving I see Guidolin, try to exchange a couple of words, but he is frowning and peevish as usual. As soon as I introduce myself as a representative of an internet site, he advises me to refer to the press representative. He could have said “no” more politely. Will he ever change?
The day is not over yet: we get into the stands at Sestola, paying 8 euro for the tickets like everybody else (while Stegio weasels his way to the field, thanks to pleas and his impudent face…) and here we meet Vanessa, one of the editors of the Nara B. site at the time of its founding, with husband Vito and her little boy.

Nico
Director, Nara B
Translated by Julia Tarasova