The midfielder who scored in 2001: “I scored the third goal and then became a dad. I trust Max for this match.”
A goal in the historic 6-0 derby win for Milan and eight days later… the birth of his daughter Greta. Federico Giunti will never forget May 2001, especially the (eventful) week between the victory in the city derby on May 11… and the arrival of Greta on the 19th. “Two joys like that are remembered for a lifetime,” he admitted, “imagine if they happen within a short period of time.”
Giunti, what was his last derby at Milan. It couldn’t have ended better…
“Actually, I wasn’t hoping for such a clear victory because less than two months earlier we had changed coaches (Cesare Maldini replaced Zaccheroni, ed.) and because the season hadn’t taken a good turn. That victory relaunched us.”
The Rossoneri fans still remember that 6-0 win.
“After the first two goals, Gattuso grabbed me by the hair and pulled me along with his determination. Then I scored the free kick to make it 3-0, and he just… hugged me (laughs, ed.). Rino is like a younger brother to me: I was captain of Perugia when they were promoted from Serie B to Serie A (in 1995-96, ed.), and he was already in the first team even though he wasn’t even 18. It’s a shame that one day he disappeared to go to Scotland…”
Allegri was also at Perugia at the time.
“He was alongside me in midfield and, even though I wore the captain’s armband, he was the real leader and captain. We achieved promotion together, but Max left in January the following year. It’s a shame because he had an incredible personality. I wasn’t surprised to see him achieve such success as a coach.”
So you agree with Milan’s decision to bring him back… home last summer?
“Allegri is a master at putting things right and bringing calm to the group. Milan needed that after last season’s results: now the players are forced to give their all because there are no more excuses. Max is a real winner. It wasn’t possible to find a better coach.“
Let’s go back to that ‘unpredictable’ derby.
”We took to the field with a clear head, Inter didn’t because their season had probably been even more complicated than ours. We wanted redemption and to give our fans something to cheer about, so we put in an incredible performance with an unprecedented 4-4-2 formation: Kaladze and I were central midfielders, Gattuso and Serginho were wingers. Sergio was unstoppable and provided three assists as well as scoring the sixth goal; Comandini and Shevchenko both scored twice. It was a crazy night.”
In the summer of 2001, you left the Rossoneri, who won the Champions League in 2003. Any regrets?
“I still had a contract with Milan, who would have kept me on, but Mazzone wanted me at Brescia and Roberto Baggio’s pressure pushed me to say yes. In hindsight, I wouldn’t make that choice again because I went from a team with which I had won the 1998-99 Scudetto to one that was fighting for survival: the change in mentality was important for me and I had to adapt. Then I went to Turkey and paved the way for many Italian colleagues who later went to the Turkish league: winning the title with Besiktas was very satisfying.“
In Brescia, he had Tare as a teammate.
”He made Mazzone’s fortune because he was a physically strong center forward who was a great reference point up front. He alternated with Toni and scored a lot of goals. Igli knows football and is making a great contribution at Milan.“
If you had to explain to the players who arrived at Milanello this year what the derby is, what words would you use?
”It’s a special game that, in my day, even the club prepared meticulously. With Berlusconi and Galliani, the club was run like a family, and we players only had to think about the pitch: everything else, from schools for our children to babysitters, choosing a house and a car, was taken care of by someone at Milan. We all felt we had to give more than 100%. Always, but especially in derbies, which were special matches where the fans pushed you to give every last drop of sweat. When you saw certain choreographies in the stands, it gave you goosebumps.“
What kind of match are you expecting tomorrow?
”A competitive, hard-fought match and, as usual, one that will be felt to the max. Don’t ask me about the result or who I think will win, but Milan, with Allegri, will be fired up and ready to go.“
Who will be decisive for the Rossoneri?
”Modric, who for me is… football. When he touches the ball, it’s a spectacle.”
And for Inter?
“The four forwards all complement each other perfectly. Whoever Chivu chooses, he won’t go wrong. Lautaro, however, is the most dangerous.”
Will the championship be a long… derby for the Scudetto?
“Absolutely yes. The table is tight and, after the change of coach, Juve are not out of the running because Inter and Roma have already lost three games. That’s a lot… If Max starts picking up points consistently, it will be tough for everyone.”
