Gianluca Pagliuca between the past, present, and future.

Il Resto del Carlino (?) 18.01.2001
BOLOGNA - It’s a cold and rainy day in Bologna, “we haven’t done a thing in two days and I don’t know if we’ll manage to have practice today”. He speaks and thinks more like a coach than a player, but this is a special week:
-Inter is next, and for Bologna’s keeper Inter is not just any team.
-I feel something inside, I admit that I'm a little bit emotional. Sure, last year it was worse, at that time I was very nervous and full of rage.
-Really?
-Yes, because Lippi was on that bench.
-You couldn’t get over the fact that you were sent away?
-No, I couldn't. Anyway, it’s all water under the bridge now, let’s not talk about it anymore.
-Let's talk, let's talk about it. Did Lippi bring Peruzzi to Inter because he believed in him or just because he absolutely didn't want you?
-If he hadn't brought Peruzzi, he would have taken someone else. Every day I would open the newspaper and find a new name: Buffon, Toldo, Barthez. The truth is that Lippi had decided to get rid of me. During those days I realized that my adventure with Inter was at the end.
-Why was Lippi so angry at you?
-I prefer to not answer. Let it go...
-Was it all caused by the Ronaldo affair of Juventus-Inter?
-Yes, but I stop here.
-By the way, Moratti did nothing to convince Lippi to keep you in Milan.
-And what could he do? Moratti is a great person, I have only good memories about him. He really cares about Inter and he spent a hell of a lot of money to let Inter win something. And then, if you really want to know, Moratti told me that the last thing in his mind was to change the goalkeeper. He liked me and looked out for me.
-Don't you think that for a president it's a risk to like some of his players so much?
-Maybe, but how nice it is to have a president like that! The only thing I can fault him for is being too much in awe of the big names, the big players.
-There is always someone who says that one of Inter’s problems is Moratti.
-I don't think so.
-Forget for a moment about your problems with Lippi. I ask you: in Moratti’s place, would you have sent away the coach after the game in Reggio Calabria?
-Moratti had so much patience with Lippi. Unfortunately, the only time the president did not show patience was with Gigi Simoni.
-Another theory about Inter's problems: too many foreign players.
-First of all they have great players who have not been playing together long. And then I would say that Inter does not have a good nucleus, which is very important for every team. Even if their last season was only so-so, they should have kept those 4-5 most important players
-There were whispers: Pagliuca is a troublesome player.
-I never spoiled anything and I never busted anybody’s balls off the field. In my last year at Inter there were only three players talking to the journalists: me, Bergomi and Simeone. And, look how strange, they got rid of all three of us.
-How did you leave it with Inter’s fans?
-Very well. After I was able to make them forget Zenga, I spent five intense, beautiful, wonderful years there. I didn't win a lot with the team, but I had a lot of personal triumphs.
-In a sad moment, Bologna opened its doors to you again.
-I've always been dreaming and hoping to finish my career in Bologna. And my city has made me forget what happened to me at Inter.
-Before that, Bologna fans didn’t like you very much.
-There's an old story between me and them. After a game between Sampdoria and Bologna many years ago, which Samp won 3-0, I turned around and held up three fingers for the three goals. They had been insulting me throughout the game and I couldn't stand it anymore. I cleared everything up at Sestola with those guys: they came to visit me and to ask for some explanations, and from that day I finally became a prophet in my own land.
-Bologna forgave you and Bologna relaunched your career.
-Last year I played a good first half of the season, then I played so-so, but I finished the season well. Now, after a couple of mistakes in the beginning of this season, I'm feeling great and hope to do even better from now on.
-Do you still want to finish your career in Bologna?
-This is my intention. I would like to play with Bologna a few more years. Well, let's say 3. My goal is to play 500 games in Serie A, and now I'm at 411.
-But will you be as good as today at 37?
-For a goalkeeper 37 years are nothing. Zoff played until he was 41, and he was good.
-Do you really want to catch up to Zoff?
-No, at 41 years I will already be a coach, maybe a goalkeeping coach. Then I would like to open a soccer school in Bologna.
-Do you feel far or close to Toldo and Buffon?
-In Italy there are 5-6 very strong goalkeepers who could play on any national team in the world.
-Is Pagliuca also among these 5-6 goalkeepers?
-Yes, I still see myself as one of the best. Don't forget that I played in two World Cups and that I was the third goalkeeper on the team in another one.
-Did you and do you feel inferior to Peruzzi?
-Not at all! I don’t consider myself inferior to anyone.
-In which goalkeeper do you see yourself all over again?
-Pelizzoli. He looks to me like a young Pagliuca.
-And what do you think about Frey?
-He's very good. He's 20 years old, but he looks more mature, the way he moves on the field.
-Bologna-Inter: would you be content with a draw?
-I would like to win, but I realize that it will be very hard. So, a draw would not be so bad. Also the fact that Inter hasn’t won two games in a row yet scares me.
-Is it mostly Vieri you’re afraid of?
-I'm afraid of Vieri, Recoba, Di Biagio. Inter could win the championship, with all those players. At least, it should get into Champions League.
-And what kind of team is Bologna?
-If we qualify for UEFA Cup, I will walk to San Luca. Anyway, Bologna has the means to reach 50-51 points.
-How do you explain the dissatisfaction in Bologna, regardless of the good position in Serie A?
-I can't explain it; I’ll just say that it makes me and the rest of the team bitter.
-If Signori didn't miss all those games, where would Bologna be now?
-Surely we would have scored some more goals and we would have some more points.
-Is it really a different Bologna, compared to last year?
-Yes. We’re more willing to sacrifice, to help each other. We are a great group, no comparison to last season.
-On whose side were you? With Marocchi or with Fontolan?
-Would you finally understand that in my life I always minded my own business ?...

Translated by Massimo Magi and JuliaTarasova