Another victim of Zoff
Pagliuca's wound still hurts:"The national team?
I don't watch them anymore."

Gazzetta dello Sport, 09/09/1999

Bologna's goalkeeper chose to watch a basketball game instead yesterday:
"Ever since I have been excluded from the team, I avoid watching the
azzurri. Not for spite, but because I prefer to spend my free time minding my
own business".Then, passing the helm:"Buffon? He is the best."

From our correspondent.

CASTELDEBOLE: It is hard to talk about the national team with Gianluca
Pagliuca, goalkeeper, a prophet in his own land unheeded, of Bologna, 39
caps with the national team. This is a topic that the former Inter
player avoids, still bearing the scars of the parting ordered by Zoff.
Exactly a year ago, the exclusion of Pagliuca, on the eve of the
Wales-Italy game, caused a heated polemic. Today he
feigns indifference, but it is clear that this wound is still open.
Ever since I have been excluded,says the Inter keeper, who will be 33
years December 18,I have avoided watching Italy's games. Not for
spite, but because I prefer to spend my free time minding my own business.
Tonight [speaking yesterday] for example I will watch my Virtus
basketball team in a friendly game.
Reasoning coldly, he continues,at a distance of many months from what
for me felt like a real and proper purge, I can understand Zoff's
choice, given Buffon's youth. The coach has explained it well recently,
after he excluded Peruzzi as well. I have not received any sign yet, and
I feel bad about it.
It is better now to think about Parma, the next opponent in the
championship, which, I think without saying it out loud, offers Pagliuca
a chance to compete with Gigi Buffon, his successor.
What does Buffon have that I don't have? Just the fact that he is 12
years younger is already an important asset in a player who is seen as a
future investment. But it must be said that technically, he is the best,
he makes extraordinary saves, and, if you will permit me to say this, a
few things he owes also to yours truly, seeing how he seconded me at the
Olympics and at the World Cup in France, I think he has learned a lot
working by my side. But this duel's value is relative. I don't have
anything to prove, I am not seeing ghosts of the past or of the future,
because after twelve seasons in Serie A (first appearance on May 8,
1988, Samp-Pisa 0-0, of course, playing for Samp - editor's note) and
with three World Cups behind my back, I suppose I am sufficiently mature
and serene to give up my position without envy and fear. It does no good
to stir up last year's disaster: not even Jesus Christ in goal would
have been able to save Inter's season.
Next Sunday, the risk, if any, will come from direct duels with
Malesani's forwards, who want to redeem themselves in front of the home
crowd for the elimination from Champion's League and the uncertain step
of the game with Perugia.Parma has the best organized game in Serie A
and its attack, in terms of quality and productivity, stands very close
to that of Inter. Crespo has improved very much since the time of his
first appearance in Italy, when he was considered an unknown force;
Ortega has class, fantasy, and speed. Luckily, Amoroso is not playing.
Parma has been my nemesis: 5 knockouts in 5 years in games at Tardini
was my result with Inter. Bologna also (4 losses in 6 away games -
editor's note) was a kind of tabu. It is time now to break this negative
tradition together, paying attention to directed passes, because on
loose balls, from free kicks from Fuser and Ortega to aerial takeovers
by Dino Baggio and Stanic, they are really dangerous.'
Pagliuca has faith in his Bologna and in the development of his role in
the game.I am optimistic because I'm playing with strong and
intelligent teammates,concludes Gianluca.It does not make a
difference to me whether to direct a defense of three players or four.
We started well with Torino, only the result went wrong a little bit.
The new regulations on fouls by goalkeepers? At the Rome meeting we
received clarifications, which were positive. The expulsion of the
goalkeeper who does not touch the ball, only the opposing player aiming
at goal, is not automatic. It's okay to make our life more difficult in
order to have more goals, after initial doubts I agreed with the
restrictions on passing the ball back, as well, but this measure of
awarding a penalty kick and a red card was in any case excessive.'
Andrea Tosi .


9 September 1999
Corriere della Sera

THE POLEMIC
The goalkeeper, who has not gotten over his exclusion yet, will go to
the Kinder game tonight [Kinder = Virtus - J.T.]


Pagliuca like Vialli:"I prefer basketball to my ex-teammates."

BOLOGNA - He still has not gotten over the forced good-bye to the
national team. A profound discomfort, which comes to light every time
that one speaks of the azzuri. By his own admission, Gianluca Pagliuca
did not see the Italy-Denmark game:I prefer basketball, by Kinder, of
which I am a fan. Ever since I was excluded from the national team, I
have not seen a single game. I prefer to do other things.

Pagliuca like Vialli. Do you remember when Chelsea's coach, during
USA'94, extended his support to Brazil, evidently protesting against the
choices of Arrigo Sacchi, who excluded him? It is no news that certain
players have a sort of love-hate relationship with the national team
shirt. Pagliuca does not accept the way the doors were slammed in his
face:In my case,says Bologna’s goalkeeper,a real purge took
place. At least Peruzzi received an explanation, I didn't even get that.
I felt bad; then, as time passed, I thought about it. Reasoning coldly, I
can understand the logic of those who preferred Buffon to me. I have
been wounded, however, by the way I was set aside.

A year has passed since he was thrown out and Gianluca says that it is
water under the bridge now, but talking about it gets him in an angry
mood. The only good words are reserved for Buffon:I envy his 20 years.
He has a great talent. He has seconded me in the national team, and I
think I have taught him a few things. Even then his great potential was
there to see.Between the two, there is respect and solidarity.

Something that Zoff, according to Pagliuca, never showed in dealing with
him.

Translated by Julia Tarasova.