The former midfielder was blown away by Conte’s player: “He’s among the best in Europe; kudos to whoever brought him to Italy”
There’s always (at least) one date in everyone’s life, and Demetrio Albertini—whose 365 days are eternally filled with his own presence, talent, and intelligence—occasionally comes up with something special on January 15. Thirty-seven years ago—back in 1989—he made his Serie A debut, and wouldn’t you know it, it was in a Milan-Como match (almost as if it were yesterday, but with the teams switched). Thirty-seven years later, he went for a stroll through Pavia, torch in hand, for this Milan-Cortina event that’s taking over the city. “And as I waited for the moment to arrive, I felt the great joy of experiencing this day; the moment I put on my tracksuit, then saw the torch, and finally held it in my hands, I was deeply moved.” Demetrio Albertini is a man and also a symbol of soccer from a bygone era—the kind that ultimately remains forever, flashes of a time to be jealously guarded, like novels that gently captivate you.
Torchbearer Albertini does (almost) everything on January 15…
“Well, I haven’t been bored for the rest of my life. Nor do I plan to be. But it was truly wonderful. One thing these two events have in common: the fog. There was fog at San Siro back then, and there was fog along the route in Pavia.”
Today’s Albertini, observing the soccer of yesterday and today.
“He doesn’t make the mistake of getting stuck in melancholy or the past. Society has changed so much; soccer can’t be an exception. You have to put things in context. And this world—our world—now needs to be more appealing. It’s something I learned in Spain, a culture very close to ours, an approach that comes mainly from Real Madrid and Barcelona. Having a group of young players who are from their own country must be a factor. And another is the desire to score more goals than anyone else. That’s the nature of the game.”
It’s an ideological principle.
“Competition has grown; there’s an open market, but we need to give meaning to our identity and take a look at what it means to be Italian. That said, when we sign players, I’d like to see players who captivate us in one-on-one situations.“
Or, if anything, dominant figures like Scott McTominay.
”He’s amazed me with his exceptional qualities and the versatility he’s managed to establish in just a year and a half. We’ve seen him do it all—play as a central midfielder, a winger, a forward—even that—and then as a defensive midfielder and a playmaker. How many players like him are out there? It’s not just me saying he was the best midfielder in Italy; his teammates said so too, and at the Gran Galà del Calcio, they voted him MVP. Praise from his peers carries the most weight.”
Added value: the goals. If they aren’t beautiful, he hardly scores them at all.
“He scores a lot of them. And they’re usually decisive. That’s another big difference from the norm. Given what he’s proving here—even after winning the Scudetto and the Super Cup—I don’t know if he’s the best in Europe, but he’s certainly among the best. And while it might seem like a minor detail to me, I’d also like to add: kudos to whoever came up with the idea of bringing him to Naples.”
Is there anything good about this country?
“First of all, I hope Gattuso takes us to the World Cup. He has what it takes to do it by building a team, because progress doesn’t come solely through tactics. We’re not bad—the quality is there, but we lack the quantity. I’m living on hope right now, before I can say who might become world champion. Confidence, on the other hand, is free.”
You’ve got a few standouts—name a few young players.
“Pio Esposito is a player to watch at just 20 years old, and don’t be surprised if he makes a splash. You have to have the courage to give young players a chance. Just like Fabregas has—he said, ‘I’d like more Italians, but I can’t find them.’ His Como team is impressive. And then, it’s easy: Nico Paz, who’s been given the chance to show what he’s made of—he’s only 21, even though he’s already taken center stage—and then Bernabé from Parma.”
What does Albertini see on the horizon?
“Inter is the strongest, you could say. But the strongest team doesn’t always win the Scudetto. The finish line is still far off; everyone still has to play each other—there’s Milan, Napoli, Juventus, and Roma, each with their own strengths. None of these surprise me: Milan, under Allegri, has Modric, the playmaker that no one else has; Napoli has Conte, a winner in his own right, with strengths and weaknesses, but demanding enough to elevate the club; that Juve, with Spalletti, is in the mix doesn’t surprise me, precisely because they have Spalletti; and Gasp’s Roma has a high standard to live up to.”
