BOLOGNA – He talks about Roma, Totti, Bologna. In yesterday’s interview for a Roman radio station, Gianluca Pagliuca touched on various points. Let’s start with what he thinks about Capello’s team.
“Playing a big team is always important because it gives you unique incentives. The only problem – and it’s not a small one – is that at the moment Roma is in the best shape of all the teams that will fight for the scudetto. Even though, in my opinion, it’s not the strongest; Juve and Milan remain the strongest. That doesn’t mean that Roma couldn’t win the championship. Also, so many players that seemed lost have returned, and I always remember Lima, who is very strong.”

Then the talk shifts to Francesco Totti.
“When he scored on the penalty in the European semifinal with Holland, I applauded him because that was a great technical goal. If you let in a goal like that at 0-0, you bite your nails a little, but it’s part of the game, what I don’t like is to see it done when the result is already decided.” (Editor’s note: The way Pirlo scored on Pagliuca in the Milan-Bologna game last season.)

Now we’re at Bologna.
“It so happened that this summer, during the market, two very important players were traded away. (Editor’s note: Castellini and Cruz) As a consequence, we became weaker. We have had some lackluster performances, but the fault is ours and only ours.”

The Bologna keeper with three World Cups and over 500 games in Serie A behind him continues.
“We did not expect the transition from Guidolin to Mazzone after having prepared for the season with Guidolin. Also, Mazzone’s game is different from Guidolin’s, but the players purchased by Bologna this time were Guidolin’s requests. So Mazzone found himself with players who are not very well adapted to his game, which is based on possession, and are more fit for Guidolin’s style. However, I would say, don’t despair, you’ll see the fruits of Mazzone’s labor after the Christmas break and in the second round.”

Pagliuca also completely agrees with the management’s policy, which is based on financial equilibrium and balances to be proud of.
“It’s more important to me to finish the season with a positive balance. While it used to be that seasons were planned out to result in the sixth or seventh place, now it makes no difference whether you’re in that place or fifth from the end. I repeat, it counts most of all whether you’re sound, and Bologna is sound.”

He digresses on basketball, as a Virtus fan, flogging Fortitudo fan Bazzani for that shirt he showed aftet the goal at Empoli.
“I’m very sad for Virtus’s situation, Bazzani could have done without that shirt, but, of course, he didn’t kill anyone.”

He returns to soccer.
“As far as Italian goalkeepers go, Buffon is untouchable, while Toldo is in a waning phase. Other than those two, if I had to pick for the National team, I would pick De Sanctis, Pelizzoli, Cudicini, and Roma. Abbiati is a great keeper, but he’s not the top keeper in his team, so it would not be right to include him in the list.”

It’s time to talk of the “Golden Ball” award.
“I would give it to Raul because someone who wins Champions League and comes in second several times in that contest deserves it. However, Nedved also deserves it, even though he did not win Champions League. If I had to name three people, I would say Raul, Nedved, and Buffon, because he’s my colleague. Totti? I’d put him in, too, unfortunately, Roma did badly last season, but it’s doing better this year.”