From the Gianluca Vialli Prize in Rimini comes a clear stance from Pagliuca on one of the most hotly debated topics among the Nerazzurri: the future between the posts of Martinez. “He is the starter,” declared the former goalkeeper, “then the opportunity will come for Provedel. But I think punishing a player seems a bit excessive to me.”
Pagliuca was present today in Rimini among the guests at the ceremony dedicated to Vialli, his former teammate at Sampdoria. The memory was full of affection: “First and foremost, he was a friend and a champion, a teammate with whom I won a lot and who gave me so much. I had a wonderful friendship with him, he was like a brother to me.”
The former goalkeeper recalled the years spent together in the Blucerchiati: “We were a fantastic group at Sampdoria, when I look back at the years from 1986 to 1992 I have only great memories.” Of Vialli, he highlighted the qualities that went beyond the pitch: “He was good at anything he did, he was coordinated, athletically perfect. He also had excellent qualities as a coach and he enjoyed working in television.”
The portrait ended on a personal note: “He was self-ironic, he liked to have fun. I also saw a few outbursts, but he was an extraordinary teammate: number one in terms of personality, and among the top three in terms of quality.”
CONTINUE READING