The DAZN presenter, who is launching her new program tomorrow, explains: “I am a privileged fan, I have filled my house with books on
Christillin: ”I cried at the cemetery over the Super League. The lawyer’s joke to Boniperti…“
Evelina, a former top-level skier, has dedicated her life to sport: ”The other girls wanted the animal album, I wanted the soccer players’ album. Gianni Agnelli liked Platini because he stood up to him, he was upset when Moggi and Giraudo sold Zidane. Today’s Juve? Dignified, we’ll make do with it.”
A life dedicated to Juve, skiing, and sport. A witness to her time, straddling the millennia. Evelina Christillin has experienced a piece of Juve’s history firsthand. She was president of the Turin 2006 Winter Olympics Organizing Committee and represented UEFA on the FIFA Council. Let’s start with Juventus, her great love.
What was your first contact with Juve?
“In the 1966-67 season. I was a little girl. My sister and my friends asked for animal albums, but I wanted the soccer player album. Sandro Salvadore, a rock-solid defender, was my favorite. I liked him because he had a handsome face and because he was born on November 29, two days after me. I also liked Venezia, I liked their black and green jerseys and I admired Ferruccio Mazzola, Sandro’s brother and son of the great Valentino. For years, I collected Panini albums, then I moved on to Fantacalcio.“
How did your friendship with Avvocato Agnelli begin?
” I was a schoolmate of his daughter Margherita, and my father Emilio, a former Lancia driver, was a close friend of his. Our families socialized, and my sister and I grew up with Margherita and her brother Edoardo.”
Juve when you were twenty: did you fall in love with Antonio Cabrini, like so many girls at the time?
“I wasn’t in love. I thought he was handsome and nice. We’re friends and we still keep in touch. To tell the truth, I liked Tardelli. But Marco married another classmate of mine, Alessandra Grassi. The Juve players attended our school and would pick us up in their cars. But I did something else: at a certain point, I started playing bridge with Beppe Furino and Oscar Damiani.“
When did the Lawyer first take you up in his helicopter?
”I think it was in 1971. I was a skier, a member of the Italian national B team, and I had participated in a few World Cup competitions. I was pretty good, but not great. The Lawyer used to go skiing by helicopter, and one day he said to my father, ‘Next time, bring the girl, I want to see how she skis.’”
You were a high-level skier. You were the rival of Claudia Giordani, Italian champion in the 1970s and daughter of Aldo, a basketball commentator.
“I competed in special slalom and giant slalom. At first, I was faster than Claudia, but then she overtook me and I had to choose between sport, studies, and work, so I stopped competing.”
Is it true that the Lawyer nicknamed you “Moon Face”?
“Absolutely true. I had a round face, it looked like an apple. My 14-year-old niece is just like me. They tease her and I tell her, ‘Look, I was just like you at your age.’”
Agnelli wanted her to be president of the committee promoting the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin.
“It was 1998 and I was the girl ‘put there by the Lawyer’. He arranged my first two meetings to promote Turin’s bid. So I met Jean-Claude Killy, the French skiing champion, who was advocating for Sion because he lived in Switzerland, and Juan Antonio Samaranch, president of the IOC. Killy told me in Geneva that I had a one in a thousand chance. With Samaranch in Barcelona, I only talked about soccer. The Lawyer called me: ‘It seems that your meetings didn’t go well. They say you’re a nice and pretty girl…’. My reply: ‘Lawyer, let’s do this: give me another two months. If I don’t succeed, I’ll go back to teaching history at the university’. It went well, I convinced Samaranch. We got the Olympics and appointed Killy as president of the 2006 Games coordination committee, which he accepted with enthusiasm. Killy was my childhood idol, I had gone to watch him at the 1968 Olympics in Grenoble.”
In a helicopter with the Lawyer.
“We flew to the mountains to ski, landed in Villar Perosa to greet the team, the players went on a pilgrimage to see him, and then we took off for Turin and went to the game. A classic feature of the derbies with Torino was the joke on Boniperti. The president left the stadium at half-time in every game, but against Torino he left even earlier. He would rush home, lock himself in his study with earplugs because he could hear the roar of the Comunale stadium from his house. He didn’t want to know the result. After the game, the Lawyer would stop by and tell him incredible things, inventing absurd stories. Boniperti would say, ‘It’s not possible, it’s not possible.’”
The Lawyer reproached Boniperti for not signing Maradona, despite his early recommendation, when Diego was very young.
“It’s true, it was an affectionate tease. Boniperti played along and replied that he was too Catholic to sign a player with a vaguely blasphemous surname (Maradona, Madonna, ed.) . Boniperti, like all of us, attended the parish church of San Vito. Our families were very religious. Agnelli had heard about the young Diego through his international contacts, Fiat Argentina, I believe. At the Agnelli home, there was a switchboard that had or could find anyone’s phone number. The Lawyer would call at any hour. I remember the name of the head switchboard operator, Spiro. There were no cell phones. From there, phone calls were made all over the world. Yes, both he and Boniperti had the utmost respect for the Grande Torino and were deeply affected by the Superga tragedy. Once, at the Comunale, Torino were losing badly to Juventus. Mayor Diego Novelli, a Torino fan, turned to Agnelli and said in Piedmontese: ‘Avvocato, that’s enough, please’. And Gianni, still in Piedmontese and without malice, replied: ‘Don’t worry, it will be better next time’. Many Torino presidents came from the world of Fiat’s supply chain. And Torino had a fleet of Fiat courtesy cars. For our part, we had no resentment towards Torino. I don’t think the same can be said for the Granata fans, they detest us. After all, for us, the most heartfelt match is the one against Inter, the Italian derby.”
Why did the Avvocato have a preference for Platini?
” Because Michel had and still has superior intelligence and stood up to him, responding to his jokes, whereas most players remained silent, in fearful silence. Agnelli bought him for a few million from Saint Etienne and said the famous phrase: ‘We bought Platini for a pittance and put foie gras on top of him’. We keep in touch with Michel. As we do with Del Piero. The other day, Ale and I talked about foreign policy, about Trump. He lived in America, in Los Angeles, so he knows the situation.” .
The Lawyer’s nicknames were cutting.
“True. Bello di notte (Handsome at Night) for Boniek, Pinturicchio for Del Piero, Coniglio Bagnato (Wet Rabbit) for Baggio. Once at the airport, we were leaving for an away game and the Lawyer said to Boniek: ‘Dear Zibì, tomorrow we’ll be playing during the day, you won’t be able to be Bello di Notte’. Boniek replied promptly: ‘Lawyer, that means I’ll wear sunglasses on the field tomorrow’.”
And Zidane?
“Gianni was upset about his transfer to Real Madrid. Moggi and Giraudo had assured him that they would never sell him, but they did. He was silently angry, without saying anything, because he didn’t interfere in the work of managers and coaches. He never gave any coach advice on the line-up, I’m sure of that.“
His worst moment with Juve?
” The European Cup final in Athens in 1983 against Hamburg. On the eve of the match, there was a strange nervousness in the air at our training camp. On the pitch, our players were paralyzed by Magath’s goal. As if that weren’t enough, on our return flight, Piero Fassino (a Juventus fan and, at the time, a leader of the Italian Communist Party, editor’s note) fell ill with an intestinal infection contracted at some buffet or other. It wasn’t a pleasant experience. When we landed at Caselle, Fassino was taken to hospital.“
How would Gianni Agnelli, who died in 2003, have reacted to Calciopoli in 2006?
”I think he would have behaved like his grandson John Elkann, whom he chose as his heir to lead the family. In 2006, at the sports trial, lawyer Zaccone, Juve’s defense attorney, said that relegation to Serie B with a penalty would be an acceptable punishment, and that means something. I think the Avvocato, with a heavy heart, would have said the same thing.”
Moggi continues to profess his innocence.
“From his point of view, he’s right, many fans are with him, and you can’t say that nothing happened elsewhere. I’m referring, for example, to Recoba’s fake passport at Inter. It seemed obvious to me even then that Juve enjoyed a certain psychological subordination on the part of the referees.”
With the Super League affair in 2021, she found herself at the center of a perfect storm, torn between her heart—the Agnelli family’s Juve—and her job at the time as a UEFA member of the FIFA council. Andrea Agnelli joined the Super League overnight, and UEFA president Ceferin cried betrayal.
“I came out of that story emotionally shattered. It was a tragic night in the UEFA war room in Montreux, Switzerland. Ceferin was receiving phone calls from Macron and Boris Johnson. Many thought I was the snake in the grass, the traitor working on behalf of Andrea Agnelli. It wasn’t true. I asked Ceferin if I should resign, and he said, ‘Absolutely not, I know you’re loyal.’ I knew nothing about Andrea’s rush forward. I drove back to Turin alone and took a detour in Valle d’Aosta, going up to Issime, the village where my parents are buried. I went to the cemetery and in front of their grave I let it all out, I cried, I talked to them. Since then, I haven’t been to the Stadium to watch Juve. I made an exception for my friend Sara Gama’s farewell match for the Women’s team.“
What is your relationship with Andrea Agnelli like today?
”Andrea lives in the Netherlands. We see each other in Sestriere. His daughters and my granddaughters are members of the same ski club. We say hello to each other. I love him as always, and it couldn’t be any other way. I can only be grateful to the Agnelli family for everything they have given me. I have a wonderful relationship with Allegra, Andrea’s mother. When I was ill in December, she went out of her way to welcome me to the cancer hospital in Candiolo. Juve is in my heart and always will be, but during the Super League days, I was working for UEFA and had to be loyal to UEFA.“
You grew up with Margherita and Edoardo Agnelli, the children of Gianni and Marella Caracciolo. How did you experience Edoardo’s suicide?
” Shortly before it happened, I met him on the road in the hills, both of us in our cars. It was early, and he flashed his headlights at me. We stopped, and he asked me about my mother, who was ill and would soon pass away. I later found out that he was going to inspect the site for his suicide that morning. Two days later, I accompanied a regional councilor to the lawyer’s house for a meeting, and on the way out, I noticed the police chief Nicola Cavaliere, a friend: ‘Stop,’ he said to me, ‘something bad has happened. They found a Fiat car open on the Fossano viaduct.’ Cavaliere brought the news to the lawyer. Edoardo was a wonderful guy, but fragile. He couldn’t bear the weight of the family. We grew up with nannies who taught us to speak French and English, but we saw little of our parents. I don’t mean this as an accusation, but that’s how it was.“
As a former skier, what do you think of the tragedy of Matteo Franzoso, who died on a slope in Chile?
” I saw Matteo Franzoso and Matilde Lorenzi (the Italian skier who died in 2024, ed.) grow up at the Sestriere ski club. They were two wonderful kids: polite and always smiling. You can imagine how I feel today. I spoke to my friend Paolo De Chiesa (former member of the Valanga Azzurra, ed.) . Paolo says that there is too much difference in safety on the slopes between competitions and training (Lorenzi and Franzoso died in training runs, ed.). Equipment also plays a role. We used to ski with long skis, but today they use short skis and speeds have increased. However, every skier is aware of the risks associated with their sport and knows that a fall at 130 kilometers per hour can be fatal. It’s a bit like what we say about Formula One drivers.”
The other day, Silvia Salis, the new mayor of Genoa and former hammer throw champion, was spotted at her 40th birthday party in Genoa.
“Juve were playing Borussia Dortmund and I was watching the game on my smartphone. Every now and then I would cheer and people would look at me strangely, but Juve comes first for me. Silvia Salis and I are very good friends. She’s very good, but let’s not burn her as a possible political leader. She studied sports management, she was a hammer thrower and she has incredible strength, she stops at nothing. Let’s let her follow her own path, let’s not burden her with too many expectations.“
football. My husband Karius? We talk about football too, but I don’t ask him for advice…”
Tomorrow she will embark on a new adventure as the host of DAZN’s Sunday program, and she is excited. Diletta Leotta talks about herself, revealing her dream of expanding her family, seeing her husband Karius play in Serie A, and returning to the Sanremo Festival.
Diletta, how does it feel to be considered the queen of Italian soccer?
“Perhaps I would call myself the ‘Queen of Hearts’ since I talk about that infinite love we call soccer in Italy. I consider myself a privileged fan because I am lucky enough to experience Serie A up close. And despite the passing of the years, I still get excited.”
Serie A started with record ratings on DAZN: what news will you tell us about the debut of the new Sunday show?
“DAZN’s average viewership has been the highest in recent seasons, and we are very excited: this Sunday marks the debut of our new program ”Fuoriclasse – powered by Haier TV,” which I will be hosting throughout this season with tactical analysis, hot takes, and moments of pure entertainment. The first episode will be live from the Inter-Sassuolo pre-match, exclusively on DAZN, where I will be joined by two true champions: Bobo Vieri and Massimo Ambrosini. Davide Bernardi will also be with us in the studio, while Andrea Stramaccioni will be connected from San Siro to bring us the atmosphere of the matches in real time. I can also reveal that we will be talking about the Rome derby: a match that promises strong emotions and certainly a few surprises. And that’s not all: throughout the season, other Italian and international football legends will take turns, as well as guests from the world of entertainment, for a unique and exciting story. It will be a fresh, direct, and engaging format, designed for fans of all ages. And thanks to DAZN’s Fan Zone, the audience will be able to interact in real time, comment, ask questions, and share opinions: a new way to experience Serie A, even from your smartphone!”
Ten years ago, would you ever have thought you would get this far?
“Honestly, no. The goal was to host a program like the one starting tomorrow and also have a family, but those were two dreams. Life always surprises you if you believe in it and never give up.”
How much harder is it for women to work in soccer than for men?
“DAZN has always valued the role of women, both in front of and behind the cameras. We are a family in which talent is given a voice, regardless of gender. By nature, I rejoice in the successes of others and I am pro-women. We should support each other: we would live in a perfect world, but a little competition is normal.”
Diletta aside, who is the best?
“Many journalists and presenters are good and talented. But please don’t make me rank them.”
Has being a beautiful woman helped you?
“Image is important, but preparation and the ability to report on events are more important. I have always focused on my love for my work and my professionalism. Alongside the civil and criminal law books I used at university (she has a law degree, ed.), I now have books on soccer at home. I studied and I think I have convinced both in form and substance.”
What compliments make you feel embarrassed?
“I like the ones from my colleagues at DAZN, when they tell me that working with me is easy because I create a family atmosphere. Vieri says he enjoys talking about soccer with me, and Stramaccioni is happy to talk about Serie A together.”
Do you and your husband Karius have an agreement that “when we’re together, we don’t talk about soccer”?
“We didn’t sign a ‘prenuptial’ agreement (laughs, ed.). We both live in the world of soccer, and when we’re together, it’s inevitable that we talk about it, but we have many other topics: from our daughter Aria to the thousand passions we share, to our friends and the trips we want to take.“
Do you ask your husband for explanations about soccer?
”He’s a living encyclopedia of the sport, but I don’t ask him: my colleagues are enough for me.” .
How difficult is it to be with a soccer player who plays abroad, for Schalke 04 in Germany?
“It’s not difficult. It’s challenging because of the distance, and sometimes it takes patience. Love unites us.“
Do you hope that sooner or later an Italian team will need a goalkeeper whose name starts with the letter K?
”It would be wonderful to see a goalkeeper in Italy whose name starts with K.”
What is your relationship with social media?
“It’s a powerful tool. On the one hand, I enjoy it because it’s a direct line to my followers. On the other hand, I know that it also exposes me to criticism. I focus on constructive comments and stay true to myself.”
Are you thinking about a future in cinema?
“I had cameo roles in Morelli’s films Ogni maledetto fantacalcio and 7 ore per farti innamorare, but I also acted in Siani’s Chi ha incastrato Babbo Natale and lent my voice to a character in the animated film Pupazzi alla Riscossa. I admit, cinema fascinates me.“
Diletta and music: is there a singer in you?
”In the shower, I feel like Beyoncé (laughs, ed.), but singing is not one of my talents. I haven’t studied it and I’m not a soprano, even though I like music and have been talking about it on Radio 105 for ten years.”
If you were asked to return to Sanremo…
“I would say yes without thinking twice because the Festival stage stays with you forever. If the opportunity arose, I would present myself differently than I did in 2020.”
Mother of Aria, wife of Karius, face of DAZN, and radio host: how do you manage to do everything in 24 hours?
“I don’t know myself, but somehow I manage. Aria is the priority, everything else revolves around her.”
What is your secret dream?
“One? I have many. I’d like to host a program abroad, grow together with my family, take Aria to the stadium and hear her say, ‘Mom, I’m proud of you.’ Oh, I forgot, I also dream of becoming president of a soccer team.”
Your family may grow… in terms of numbers?
“I come from a very large family and I know the benefits of having siblings. So why not?”
When will you take Aria to the stadium?
“This year we went to Gelsenkirchen to see my husband play in Schalke’s first home game. She had a lot of fun.”
What did the first three matchdays of the championship tell us?
“Napoli, who started the new season as reigning champions, have confirmed their status with the arrival of important players such as De Bruyne and Hojlund. Juve are surprising everyone by scoring a lot, and Tudor is doing a great job. I reported on the Derby d’Italia from the sidelines and, as always, it was a unique experience: I was really impressed by Yildiz and his incredible goal. I’m also very intrigued by the new projects at Milan and Roma. Inter, on the other hand, may seem a little ‘behind’, but the squad remains super competitive, and they’ve managed to improve it compared to last year. If there’s one thing I’m sure of, it’s that this new Serie A season will be full of twists and turns and exciting.
Is Napoli your favorite to win the Scudetto?
“At the moment, I think so, given their start, but we are only at the beginning and I expect many twists and turns.”
Was Napoli’s transfer campaign the best in Serie A?
“Probably yes, but they are not the only team that has done well: I am thinking, for example, of Como, which continues to amaze everyone.”
What does a star player like De Bruyne bring to Napoli and Serie A?
“We’re talking about a fantastic player who has won many titles as a key player in his career. He’s a leader on and off the pitch who I believe will give a lot to Conte’s Napoli.”
Did you expect Juventus to be 9 points clear after 3 games and capable of beating Inter?
“The Derby d’Italia was a spectacle in every sense, and as with all big matches, it’s always difficult to say who will win. Certainly, what we’ve seen in these first three games is a different Juventus compared to last season: even more aware and hungry.”
How important was Tudor’s confirmation for this flying start?
“I think Igor Tudor is the real added value for Juventus because he feels the black and white colors in his blood. He explained this very well in the wonderful interview with Ciro Ferrara (‘Juventus, a part of me’), which you can find exclusively on DAZN.” .
David, Vlahovic, and Openda: do you like Juve’s attack?
“Yes, it’s a world-class attack that allows Tudor to choose from many different options.”
Yildiz and Adzic, 39 years old between them: is Juventus’ future young?
“Absolutely yes, Juventus has two gems in its ranks. I’ve already had the pleasure of interviewing them, along with Bobo and Luca Toni, after the Derby. Their qualities are clear to everyone, but beyond that, they struck me as two serious young men who know where they want to go.”
Did you expect Inter to struggle so much at the start of the season?
“As with any new project that starts, I think it takes a little time. We’re only at the beginning of the season and I think it will take more time to see the real Inter. However, I’m convinced that the Nerazzurri can play a leading role in the league again this year, and beyond. We’ll talk about it tomorrow evening on the first episode of the new Sunday program Fuoriclasse, which will air on DAZN before the Inter vs. Sassuolo match with lots of coverage from the pitch and the studio.”
Is it so difficult to take over from Inzaghi?
“Of course, it’s not easy, given what Simone Inzaghi has represented for Inter over the last four years. Now a new chapter has begun, and we have to move forward.”
Would Lookman and Kone have made things easier for Chivu?
“We’re talking about two great players, but I think the club has done well anyway. Some interesting young players have arrived, such as Pio Esposito, Bonny, and Sucic, but also an experienced and highly valued player like Akanji.“
Allegri is back to winning ways without conceding goals and with a narrow margin. How far can Milan go? Just qualifying for the Champions League or…
”The Rossoneri’s goal is definitely to return to the Champions League, then who knows… Certainly, not playing in the cups this season can be an advantage from this point of view.”
What was your first thought when you saw Allegri’s first striptease, when he took off his jacket in anger against Bologna?
“That we missed it so much! Welcome back, Max!”
Impressed by the impact of 40-year-old Modric in Serie A?
“You can’t talk about surprise for a former Ballon d’Or winner like him. It’s a pleasure to be able to admire him in Serie A.”
What role can Roma and Lazio play in the league?
“I’m very curious about both, considering that they have entrusted themselves to two masters like Gasperini and Sarri. And then, tomorrow (exclusively on DAZN), there’s the derby, which we know can shift ambitions and morale.“
Who could be the surprise team of the championship?
”I really like Fabregas’ Como: I think they can improve on last season’s results. And then, I’m really excited about this ‘glamorous football’ with lots of VIPs involved.“
Is Vardy, 38, joining Cremonese after winning the Premier League a beautiful ‘football fairy tale’?
”Absolutely, but I would call it more of a ‘rock fairy tale’, considering his strong personality and the way he lives the games on the field. Serie A was missing a profile like that.”
Who can win the tournament’s top scorer title?
“Mateo Retegui’s departure opens up many possible scenarios. Marcus Thuram and Dusan Vlahovic have certainly started very strongly, but we must also keep an eye on Moise Kean…”
Who will be the young revelation of the tournament?
“It’s hard not to say Nico Paz today: he really is an incredible talent.”
