The former midfielder, now coach of the Serie D representative team: “Luiso in Sora used to tease me about my technique, but I made up for it with determination. Baggio managed to make me score two goals, Messi made me look foolish at 18…”
Giannichedda made Ligabue’s famous song his own: “Forget midfielder, ‘a life like… Giuliano’. Stefano Fiore always used to sing it to me when I was at Udinese, when I was running all over the pitch to recover balls. I never had the talent of the greats, my job was to knock down my opponents.” The former midfielder, born in 1974, started out as an amateur in his hometown of Pontecorvo, in the province of Frosinone, and made it all the way to the Champions League playing for Lazio and Juventus: “I marked Ronaldo, Henry, Totti, even a very young Messi. I became captain at Lazio, and listening to Del Piero, I understood what it means to be a leader.” A few years ago, Giannichedda decided to return to where it all began: “I coach the Rappresentativa Serie D, the national amateur youth team. Together with our scouts, we select the best U18 players from the 162 teams in the league. During the year, we organize friendly matches and play in the Viareggio Tournament, which is the best opportunity for players to get noticed.”
From Gatti and Acerbi to Cambiaso and Lucca: there are many who started in Serie D and made it big.
“The amateur world has evolved profoundly. Clubs invest a lot, and coaches know how to help young players grow. Every Sunday is a battle, young players learn to withstand the pressure and improve.”
It is often said that the renewal of Italian football must start with the young players. Do you agree?
“It takes courage. We need to invest in training coaches and infrastructure. Young players need to be supported in their football and personal development. Cham from Verona, Iannoni from Sassuolo, Prati from Cagliari: they all came through the Rappresentativa. Those who start in the youth sectors are more technically skilled, while those who cut their teeth in Serie D know what it means to have grit and fight for every ball.”
Fiore and I went from Udinese to Lazio together. He used to sing ‘Una vita da Giuliano…’ to me.
Giuliano Giannichedda
You built your career on tenacity.
“When I was playing in Serie C2 at Sora, Pasquale Luiso used to joke, ‘You have feet like iron.’ Technique wasn’t my strong point, but I made up for it with determination. At 21, I found myself at Zaccheroni’s Udinese. In those years, we were feared by everyone, we were always fighting for Europe.“
Who was the funniest in the group?
”Giovanni Stroppa, he was always playing pranks. Once he drove his Fiat 500 into the locker room honking the horn. We couldn’t get the car out of there.”
He challenged the best: from Ronaldo to Baggio, Rui Costa, and Zidane.
“Ronaldo was like a Martian, impossible to stop. I marked Zinedine in my first match against Juventus in 1997. I tried everything to annoy him: stamping, sliding tackles. He didn’t react. In the second half, he hit my ankle with a very hard tackle. At that moment, I realized I shouldn’t make him angry.“
Two years later, Zoff called him up to the national team.
”I played three games with Italy. In a qualifying match for Euro 2000 against Denmark, I even got a red card in the final minutes. The best anecdote, however, is with Roby.”
Tell us about it.
“We were opponents and teammates in the national team. In my fifteen-year career, I scored four goals. Baggio managed to set me up for a brace during a training match with two assists.”
Soccer has given you many friends: one above all is Stefano Fiore.
“In 2001, we both moved from Udinese to Lazio for 88 billion lire. He had class, unlike me. At the end of every game, when I came off covered in mud and bruises, he would sing Ligabue’s song to me: ‘Una vita da… Giuliano. Forget midfielder’. I was also lucky enough to meet Borgonovo and Mihajlovic, two champions who are dear to my heart.”
He made his Champions League debut at Lazio and even became captain.
“There were Nesta, Crespo, and Inzaghi. We won the Coppa Italia, beating Juventus in the final in 2004. A year later, Di Canio scored his first goal under the Curva Sud in that 3-1 derby win against Roma. A few too many words were exchanged with Totti. For us, it was a huge celebration.”
Capello’s Juventus was the last important stage of his career.
“I arrived an hour early for my first training session with the Bianconeri. I thought I would be the first one there, but everyone was already there: Buffon, Trezeguet, Ibrahimovic. The next day, I arrived two hours early.”
That summer, he discovered Messi’s talent.
“We played the Gamper Trophy against Barcelona. Leo was 18. I tried to steal the ball from him with a tackle, but he swerved to avoid me. I fell awkwardly, and Messi was already heading for the goal. Capello said, ‘He’ll be the best in the world.’ He was right.”
You chose to stay in Serie B after Calciopoli.
“They organized a meeting between the most experienced players, and Del Piero said, ‘Juventus is always Juventus, the league doesn’t matter.’ We all agreed.”
Today, Giannichedda has started over with young players.
“I was lucky enough to have a wonderful career: Serie A, Champions League, national team. I didn’t think I could do it, but I did. I tell young people never to stop believing in their dreams.”
