The journalist from Emilia, the face of soccer on Mediaset: “In middle school, I dreamed of becoming a sports journalist: I did it. I have a great job, a privileged one, I certainly don’t work in a mine…”

Monica Bertini’s story begins in Traversetolo, in the province of Parma, where she returns to relax whenever she can and where her family has a restaurant. A platter of cold cuts and torta fritta as appetizers, followed by cappelletti in broth; a passion for soccer that has always been with her, from the first game she saw at the stadium (a Milan Champions Cup match with her father and grandfather) to the ones she recounts inside her magic box, which has become her home. “TV was my babysitter when my parents were working, it captivated me. In seventh grade, I wrote in an essay that I wanted to do this: be a sports journalist on television.” Her wish came true. She started out on an Emilian TV station, then moved on to Sportitalia and SkySport, and now she is the face of Mediaset, but don’t ask her to play soccer, unless it’s for a good cause: “I’m not very self-deprecating, if I have to make people laugh at me, I avoid it. I’ve only done it for charity. As a girl, I first devoted myself to artistic gymnastics and then athletics, I was always a starter in the hurdle relay; pretty good at the regional level, nothing more. In the end, soccer has always dominated my life.”

What has your career path been like?

“When I started, there weren’t many women in sports broadcasting. I don’t think increasing the presence of women in the studio should be an obligation, otherwise, instead of rewarding merit, you end up forcing things, which isn’t good. And, trust me, the environment I work in isn’t sexist, just more masculine. To young men and women who want to do this job, I say: don’t have any illusions, but if I made it, starting from a small town and working my way up, you can do it too.”

In an old interview, you said that beauty had played a role in your television career.

“Yes, but I’ve always been clear-headed enough to know that appearance is only part of it and, above all, it’s the part that fades first. Over the years, there will always be someone more beautiful and younger than you, but to knock you out, there has to be someone better. Maybe yes, with a more anonymous face, I would have had a harder time making my mark at the beginning, I’m not a hypocrite, but then your skills come out. For a while, I hosted a show sitting on a stool, and I said to myself: OK, I risk being looked at more than listened to, but with the ambition I’ve always had, could a stool ever hold me back? I knew that in the end, I would stand out for my content, which would be admired more than my legs.”

Has anyone considered you more beautiful than talented?

“Probably yes, but they never said it to my face. You find stupid or vulgar comments on social media too, but fortunately there are few of them. In fact, I’ve been told that I’m almost a ‘case’ because I have a very low percentage of negative comments.”

Have you ever received inappropriate messages from people in your world?

“I’ve always taken them lightly and with a smile, but yes, I have received them, even from soccer players.”

You married one of them, Giovanni La Camera.

“We were young, and after the wedding, I started my ‘climb.’ Maybe I neglected him, but we always supported each other. In the end, we realized we were more friends than husband and wife. Now we have other lives. Giovanni has a wonderful family, and I’m happy for him.”

Are you happy in your private life too?

“Very much so. Life has given me a second chance, and now I’m with someone who has improved me so much and allowed me to see a new rainbow after the storm.”

On Google, users search for her name along with: private life, age, salary, fan.

“My age is no mystery, I am proud of my 42 years. As for my salary, I like to say that I never negotiate, I take what they decide to give me. It’s a matter of gratitude, I think I have a duty to be like this for the people who would like to be in my place. Mine is a good job, a privileged one, I’m certainly not working in a mine…”

However, being a public figure also means exposing yourself to unpleasant things like those risqué photomontages with your face. What was your first reaction?

“Let me start by saying that it all began last year with images of me in handcuffs, with a black eye, surrounded by banknotes, accompanied by absurd headlines: ‘Monica Bertini arrested’, ‘This is how she got rich’. At that time, I was on air every day with ‘Diario del giorno’ and I thought it was obvious that they were fake. Anyway, I reported everything to the postal police. Unfortunately, after that, the subsequent photomontages became very explicit and my face was on naked women’s bodies. That’s when I got scared and angry. I went to the lawyers, the investigation began, and they found the images on that horrible website. I came forward when the police advised me to, and I did so because I know that my testimony could help other women who felt dirty and were afraid to report it. But it’s never too late.“

Is friendship possible at work?

”Of course. I’ve been chatting with some colleagues for years, we’re very close and supportive, happy for each other’s successes.”

June 2014, your first post on Instagram: you in a white suit hosting on Sky. Looking back, what would you say to that Monica?

“That she did well and I didn’t tell her enough. I always demanded a lot, perhaps too much, from myself. Today, I would give her a hug and tell her that she earned the compliments she receives through study, seriousness, and passion.”