Lele meets up with the Portuguese coach again in Benfica-Napoli in the Champions League: “He calls me Gabriele, like my mother. We’re opponents, but never enemies.”
Half a century cannot be just about soccer: in the life of a midfielder (but a classy one) that Lele Oriali has lived, 55 years since his debut, feelings that go beyond convention are gently intertwined. Lisbon with Benfica-Napoli is a detonator, embodying the vibrations of an era, the regurgitations of memory, and those dazzling two years spent at Inter with José Mourinho that burn now and forever, because there are events that remain special (one).
Meet and say… ?
“Smile. Hug each other. Remember. There are games that are not like the others: I would never want to play those with Inter; and these with Mourinho always leave something behind.“
For José, you are not Lele but Gabriele.
”Two people call me Gabriele, my mother and José. I don’t know why, he likes it and I like it too. Everyone else calls me Lele, whether they’re being friendly, familiar, or not.”
Madrid, May 12, 2010.
“You reach one of the highest points of your career; the Champions League is everyone’s dream. That year, Inter managed to win the Treble. But I knew it…“
What hidden powers did he have to perceive this triumph?
”For a couple of months, there had been rumors in the newspapers about José’s departure. He and I had an extraordinary relationship, as I now have with Conte, but certain topics remain taboo; it’s a matter of sacred respect. And one evening, without violating confidentiality, we found ourselves talking about it.”
Did he basically confess?
“No, we were discussing what we had read, I made a joke – you know that if you leave, they’ll fire me – and he was calm, in control of the moment: Gabriele, don’t think about what will happen, we’re writing history here and we’ll succeed. He kept his promise.”
Lisbon will be a trap…. “A fantastic stadium for Benfica and hellish for us and any opponent. He always knows what to do to overcome difficulties. I can already imagine him plotting after analyzing us.”
An inevitable question: Mourinho and Conte, so different yet so similar, with the desire to hear “the enemy’s noises” and defeat them.
“We are talking about top-class coaches. Coaches who know how to shape their teams to the point of winning their souls: for Mourinho and Conte, the players would throw themselves into the fire, and that’s not just a figure of speech. This is evident from the experiences of both coaches and the testimonies of those who have been guided by them. These coaches have strong human values. They are ‘beyond,’ believe me.“
Dominant personalities, not easy to absorb.
”Less difficult than it seems. Character is a gift for those who have it, and both Mou and Conte make it available to clubs and teams.”
You have won everywhere and in every role: can we say, even playing a bit of psychologist?
“I identify with that definition. I bring my experience with me. At my age, I know when to keep quiet and when to speak, what to say. Let’s say that I reflect what I was on the field: a balancer.”
Mou leaves and Oriali leaves too; Conte leaves and Oriali has to say goodbye as well: is that the fate of those who are deeply attached to a coach?
“I don’t know! I would have stayed, Inter is my second skin. I don’t count the successes of my various careers, as a player, sporting director, general manager, and executive. I know that with Inter, I won eight of the ten league titles of the second star. You decide!”
Tell us your ranking of your joys…
“First of all, the 1982 World Cup and the European Championship with Mancini’s national team are out of the running. But it’s easy for me to set up my podium: first place, Inter’s 1971 championship, I was little more than a child. Then the Treble, for many human reasons. And third, last year’s title in Naples, where Antonio made an impossible dream come true. I think back to the parade, the colors and scents of the city, everyday life with these wonderful people.“
He arrives in Naples after a family reunion.
”Antonio calls me and says, ‘Come on, come over. I’m over 70, I’ve always been at home, I had them with me in Florence, I came back from Parma almost every evening, I was back from Bologna in two and a half hours. It seems too much to be away. So I called my wife and daughters, explained and said: what should I do? They put my suitcases in front of the door.”
And they move…
“One of my daughters left yesterday. I have four grandchildren, I feel the need to be with them. But Naples, as a citizen who lives there, has been an extraordinary discovery. Being here is fantastic.”
Madrid will always be his favorite city, and the Bernabeu is somewhat his favorite stadium.
“The final against West Germany, the one against Bayern, two epic moments. I’ll tell you something that happened before the match against Brazil: Bearzot, not only a gentleman but also a scholar, called me and Gentile. He assigned Zico to me and gave Eder to Claudio. I spent two days watching everything I could about Zico and then, as we were heading onto the field, he came up to us: ‘I’ve had a rethink, I’ve observed, what do you say we change things?’”
What will you do with Mourinho tonight? Will you talk to each other?
“Not even a message. We’ll meet at the stadium, right there, and we’ll be able to talk with our eyes and glances. We’ve already faced each other as opponents, but never as enemies.”
