Online with the champions: Pagliuca e Ventola

Gazzetta dello Sport, 29/07/1999

FOR VENTOLA Dear Nick, I am from Bari, like you. Do you intend to return to Bari in a few years, or at the end of your career? Also, I want to buy you in Fantacalcio with my friends, can you assure me that you will score at least 15 goals at Bologna? Last year I had you on my team, and instead of putting you in the starting line-up, I put Montella. You scored at Bologna, Montella didn¹t, and I lost Fantacalcio by a point and a half. Giuseppe Pastore ()

Of course I would like to do better than last year, when I scored 11 goals, it would not be good to get less than ten! Even Pagliuca returned home after a while, be patient, and maybe I will come back to Bari.

Pagliuca
Hello Gianluca, as a Milan fan I confess that I am happy that you will not be defending the Inter goal anymore. You had worked dozens of miracles at Inter, often stoking the envy of Milan fans. As far as goalkeepers go, our team has got it right perhaps only this year. I wish you luck at Bologna, which you did not have at Inter or in the National team. I don't know if you can respond to this question: did you leave Inter only because Peruzzi is better in coming forward off the line (which Lippi likes) or is there something else?
Marco (marco.bertolasi@stpauls.it)

There is something else!

There is no distraction. Rather, the pressure of the fans and, sometimes, their insults spur you on even more than when you are playing in front of your own grandstand.

Only once did I go over to celebrate, together with a teammate, in front of the opposing grandstand: I was taking it out on them after having been bombarded by oranges. However I would like to point out that I did not lose a single derby in the championship.

I am 32 years old, in great physical shape, and I think I still have a few good seasons ahead of me. In the national team the coach has chosen to give space to the younger players, so the door is now closed. Bergomi came back in when he seemed to be out of the loop already, but the competition for the position of goalkeeper is really too strong.

I have already answered about the national team. As for Inter, you would need to ask those who have banished me and have still not provided any explanation.

We are also curious to start the championship: all the prerequisites to do really well are there. We are also curious about your restaurant!

Pagliuca answers: 'It is difficult to improve upon what was done last year. Let's say that it would be wonderful to manage to go all the way in at least one of the cups - the Italian Cup and the UEFA Cup, and to repeat the 7th-8th place in the championship'.
Ventola answers: 'I don't know how far we can go, but I am certain that many others will have to watch out for us. We are very competitive'.

Bittersweet... Dear Gianluca and Nicola, what was the best moment and the worst moment of your careers?
Mirco Mariotti (geybfm@tin.it)

Pagliuca: 'Winning the scudetto with Sampdoria was the best; losing the final of USA '94 on penalties was the worst'.
Ventola: 'The best was the final of the Mediterranean Games and being promoted to Serie A with Bari; the worst and most painful moment was the injury to my knee, November 2 1997'.

I don¹t know how I will react, I will certainly feel moved... O.k. for 3 goals from Vieri, but we¹ll score 4!!

Pagliuca: 'Last year at Inter we had the obligation to win, and we all know how that ended. Here there is less pressure, but the obligation to do well is still with us.'
Ventola: 'The situation is obviously different, but from what I have seen up to now, the new Bologna does not have to envy anyone much...'

In unison: YES

Pagliuca: 'Perhaps Simeone, Bergomi and I were dismissed because in difficult moments we had said what we thought. We have defended everyone, including the coaches, in an intolerable situation. In hindsight, perhaps we would have done better to keep a lower profile, but it seemed right to us to do this because we were in some degree the symbols of the team'.
Ventola: 'Things were going badly and the club chose to change coaches several times. There was absolutely no boycotting'.

Ventola, last year Inter gave Recoba on loan and you this year as joint property. Did the Inter managers believe more in Chino than in you or did Bologna ask for joint property? Pagliuca, you have always been number one in your position, even if you have not won what you deserved.
antico aldo (anticoa@hotmail.com)

Ventola: 'Joint property was chosen by both clubs. As for Recoba, he did well, and he earned the right to return to Inter via the front door'.
Pagliuca: 'Thank you for the compliments. It is nice to win, but it is not all: I am happy with what I have done so far and the various achievements that I can claim as my own'.

forza ragazzi
Is Bologna strengthened by the acquisition of Inter players (Inter eliminated in the UEFA playoffs)? Pagliuca: will Virtus (basketball) win the championship again? Ventola: you won¹t do like Baggio? Will you be like Signori, and stay with us, no matter how the championship goes? It will go well, you are strong. Forza Bologna.
emidio (freddi@mercurio.it)

Pagliuca: 'Let's hope so. Kinder has changed a lot, but the presence of a coach like Messina and [a player like] Danilovic are nice guarantees.'
Ventola: 'It is too soon to talk about my future. We have a whole championship ahead of us and the issue of joint property to resolve. Certainly my opinion will have an influence'.

I am from Bologna, and have 'emigrated' to China, so I have some difficulty following the current situation at Bologna. I would just like to know if you are happy playing at Bologna and what is the condition of the great Fontolan. If possible, let me know if there is an official web site of Bologna. I wish good luck and thank you.
Fabio Rappini (asiaworl@pub3.fz.fj.cn)

Pagliuca and Ventola: 'We are both very happy to be playing at Bologna, no question! Fontolan is doing pretty well, he is coming back gradually.' The official site of Bologna is http://www.bolognafc.it

No, I think it is too late. Buffon has many years ahead of him at the top.

Bologna is my city's team, a place that I know very well and where I feel great. I preferred to stay in Italy and here I have the same chance to play in the European cups. Moratti is a very good person: we had a great relationship even if the last 2-3 months were pretty difficult and I was offended by being left out. However, this cannot overshadow all the good things that have gone before.

The last games with Inter -- above all the playoffs -- did not go well. It was a serious mistake to play with my knee injured. I wanted it so much, but it would have been better for everybody if I had not done it.

Ventola: 'I don¹t know him, I presume he is a very good coach'.
Pagliuca: 'I don't know him; I would be able to talk about him if he ever coached me, but it has not happened that way. He has won so many things, I assume that he is good'.

Ventola: 'No, I wanted to play, so I have chosen to leave Inter'.
Pagliuca: 'It's obvious that I was unhappy about it, very unhappy. The coach was the one who decided everything and Moratti deferred to him'.

It is impossible to forget Inter, it will always be in my heart. The five years here have been wonderful, and even though we only won one UEFA Cup, I have had some incredible moments. What happened in the last few months was unfortunate, the Inter journey could have continued.

No revenge in particular. I only want to do everything to help Bologna get the best results possible.

I will say Buffon, Nesta and Cannavaro. Totti has a great future: he is young and already on the national team...

Pagliuca: 'It is not a failure. I could go to some big foreign team, but I have preferred to play in my city¹s team'.
Ventola: 'I repeat, Bologna was my choice and I'm enjoying it very much. Besides, Bologna is not a minor team, it is in the UEFA zone!'

I have already explained about the choice. I hope to do better than Recoba at Venezia, maybe even score a few more goals than he did!

1. No, I'm fine here. 2. Do I have to be honest? I prefer Italy. 3. Not yet... 4. Pasta. 5. I have different hobbies, depending on the situation and time. 6. I already said, we want to do well. To do as well in the championship and go all the way in to the final one of the two cups.

We've already talked about Bologna. Both players that you mentioned have a great future ahead of them, and a good present, also. Maybe, for the present, Roccati is a little bit more experienced.

FOR PAGLIUCA
According to you, is Peruzzi really better than you, or does he just agree better with Lippi??? And seeing how Signori won't be your nemesis anymore, can the great Mboma replace him???
G. (floris@libero.it)

Who's better between me and Peruzzi? Tha is not for me to say. As for Mboma, so far he has not been able to score on me, neither in the World Cup, nor in the championship; I hope it continues that way.

Ventola: 'I repeat: I feel fine, there is a nice atmosphere. I will probably have more room than at Milano, and I hope to score a lot'.
Pagliuca: 'Bologna is my city, I could not feel wrong here. As for the objectives, we've already talked about them'.

Sounds great to us. It is a little too late for this summer because if we take a vacation now someone might get a little mad. Get in touch at the end of the season, and we'll talk.

Thank you for the compliments. I preferred to stay in Italy, and when the opportunity came up to go to Bologna, I jumped on it immediately. Manchester United was making moves last year, this year they did a kind of a survey, and then bought the goalkeeper from Aston Villa.

Pagliuca: 'It is not a question of being aggressive and persistent. Bologna was in better shape than we were. They believed in themselves more and played better'.
Ventola: 'Perhaps you are right, but things were falling apart , and when things start going badly, it is very difficult to salvage certain situations'.

I read about the purchase of Peruzzi in the newspaper. It was a heavy blow, like being hit in the stomach with a ball.

Pagliuca: 'Certainly, it is a very competitive team with all the right cards in hand to do well. Buso is very well prepared, he has impressed me with his meticulousness in taking care of details. As for the ranking among my colleagues, I can say that I feel good and that's enough for me; I don't worry about who is the strongest'.
Ventola: 'Top of the scoring table? That is a very difficult thing to do, let's say I can try'.

You are right, when I was little I played as a half-winger with decent results. However, I was better in goal, so I decided to change and it has gone pretty well...

As far as I know, the Andrea Costa grandstand is divided evenly between fans of Virtus and Fortitudo. Whenever I can, I will go to the Palazzo more than willingly. My favorite players are Brunamonti (of the past) and Danilovic (at present).

I am joint property and my fate will be decided only at the end of the season. With this Nicola and Gianluca say good-bye because practice is coming up soon. Thanks to all, also to the many to whose questions we could not respond. See you again at Gazzetta Online.

Translated by Julia Tarasova.