BOLOGNA – One day after the European derby between Inter and Milan and three days before Bologna’s meeting with the Devil at San Siro, Gianluca Pagliuca talks about everybody and everything.
“It’s probably better for us that Milan won, I hope we’ll find them relaxed, euphoric, and with Champions League and the Italian Cup final foremost in their minds. But this is probably an illusion, in part because a different team will play against Bologna, a strong team, as strong as the one that faced Inter on Tuesday. Also, when certain champions like Rivaldo, Redondo, Serginho, Tomasson and so on can play calm and worry-free, they often become even more dangerous.”

So, you can’t rely on anything, and this thought should be in the minds of all the Bologna players.
“We will have to be as determined as at Parma, we’ll have to show the same anger and the same determination to get a positive result, notice I’m not saying “win”, but we must get a draw, it’s important now to compensate for Saturday’s loss to Lazio.”

He barely touches on Milan’s advance at Inter’s expense: “If Inter had had Vieri, they would have gone on to the final, no doubt about that,” and “No, I don’t think firing Cuper would be the right thing to do, there were other disastrous years, and this is not one of them”.

He jumps on the chance to praise the young Martins.
“I have read that Bologna wants him, and I would be happy if he came here because this nigerian kid has so many good qualities and impressive speed. It would be nice to have Martins at Bologna, but knowing president Moratti, I don’t think he’ll let go of him easily.”

This Wednesday Pagliuca talks also about his contract, which runs out in 2004.
“I think I had a good first round, but in the second I made two or three errors. But I have played well, I have been consistent, which is what counts. Now I want to finish the season well, and then I’ll decide what do to, whether it’s time to quit or go on. But I’ll do like Signori, I will also make my decision only at the end of the championship (Editor’s note: the next championship). At the moment I can only tell you that I’m still as excited about the game as when I was young. Could Pagotto be coming here? I’ve known him for many years, he’s a good goalkeeper. If that will happen, I hope that Coppola will be able to go somewhere to play. Will Pagotto’s arrival give me more incentives? I’ve always had my incentives, I certainly don’t need another goalkeeper to motivate myself, and you can be sure that such an arrival will not worry me at all.”

He knows well that some of his teammates could leave Bologna. Pagliuca does not want to interfere with the management’s choices, but are his public words also an encoded message to the bosses? Listen to him.
“You say that Cruz could be leaving? I hope that he stays with us, because Julio is a very good player, because he’s a friend of mine and also because he has shown himself to be very important to Bologna. However, even if Cruz were to leave at the end of the season, we don’t have to despair, considering the fact that when other players have left, the management has always been able to find a worthy substitute. In other words, if Bologna sells Julio, it will mean that they have already decided who to buy.”

A hot topic in the last few days: Intertoto – yes or no? Gianluca Pagliuca shares his thoughts.
“As Italy’s top team, I would gladly do it; as Italy’s second team, I know it would be difficult, but I’ll agree with the management’s decision. Intertoto allows you first of all to travel around Europe, which is always good, and it also puts you in some games that make sense and not the usual matches against amateur teams.”

A question: do all his teammates think the same? And what about the management? In the last few days Bologna’s president Renato Cipollini has said that Bologna will not play in Intertoto as Italy’s second team, but it could happen if Bologna was Italy’s top team. A decision will be made at the end of the championship, assuming that Bologna will win the right to participate in the competition. At the moment one gets the impression that even if Bologna were Italy’s top team in Intertoto, the management could choose not to take part in it. We’ll know in about ten days whether this impression was correct.