The former playmaker for Parma and Atalanta now runs a restaurant and has no regrets: “I wasn’t very professional; I didn’t like to run. At Inter, I’m sorry I upset Moratti. Ghirardi let me down, but time has been kind…”

If it’s true that every self-respecting thriller demands a murder, Domenico Morfeo’s story is one without a happy ending that leaves room only for regrets. It’s as if we’re still waiting for an ending—a murder, in fact. Morfeo had a left foot that sang; he possessed incredible class, and he’ll forever be guilty of having led us to believe he could define an era. “I was never a professional. If I’d trained properly and had a different mindset, who knows…” Instead, it will remain a big “What if”—a regret for everything that could have been but wasn’t. Watching him play, you got the feeling you were witnessing a genius who was too confined within a lamp, a highly talented juggler who couldn’t fully express himself. He was a child prodigy his whole life, shouldering the burden of a promise he never kept. Today he runs a restaurant in Parma; he’s happy, and when he opens up, he shares his whole story, revealing himself just as we saw him throughout his fifteen-year career: genuine, direct—someone who tells you exactly what he thinks to your face and doesn’t beat around the bush. The conversation ranges from Adriano to Gilardino and Prandelli, all the way to Inter’s number 10, with his heart torn between Bergamo and Parma.

Morfeo, let’s start with regrets. Do you have any?

“I regret not always having been a true professional. If I’d had a different mindset, who knows how far I might have gone. I lacked that—I didn’t like running or training.”

In 1996, against Spain, he scored the decisive penalty to win the Under-21 European Championship: back then, everyone in Serie A wanted him.

“I played recklessly; for me, it was a double-edged sword. Today, I might handle everything differently. Soccer has been my best friend—it’s given me everything I have today—but it’s also been an enemy in certain situations I’ve experienced.”

Did anyone disappoint you?

“I’ve had arguments with many people—I’d say almost everyone. The world of soccer is one without true friendships, made up of relationships of convenience. If I had to name someone who really let me down, I’d say Parma’s president, Ghirardi. I would have even gone down to Serie B, but he waged war on me instead. But time is a fair judge… it became clear what kind of person he was.”

Did Parma bring out the best in Morfeo?

“Yes, I felt strong wherever I was free to be myself. In Parma, in Bergamo, in Verona. Let’s just say I didn’t care for tactical constraints.”

If you could thank one person?

“I’d say it to Prandelli. He gave me my debut; he was like a second father to me. A highly knowledgeable, capable, and intelligent coach. The best I’ve ever had and one of the absolute best in Europe.”

Throughout your career, you’ve played alongside many great center forwards. A quick thought on each one. Gilardino?

“We had a lot of fun with Gila in Parma. Can you believe that in practice nobody wanted him—he couldn’t even score with his hands? Then Adriano got hurt, and he started racking up goals left and right. I set him up so many times…”

You mentioned Adriano. You played together in both Florence and Parma.

“A beast. For me, the best I’ve ever seen. Adri and I were really close. I took him to my place in San Benedetto dei Marsi, and in a bar we saw some older gentlemen shuffling cards. So he said to me, ‘When I score my first goal, let’s celebrate like that.’ He scored right away, and we celebrated just like that.”

It’s said that Inzaghi gave you 5 million after winning the top scorer title with Atalanta in the 1996–1997 season.

“It was such a struggle to get Pippo to cough up the money… let’s just say he was a bit of a tightwad. But in Reggio, before the last game, he told me that if I helped him win the top scorer title, he’d give me 5 million lire. He scored two goals and wrote me the check in the locker room. I took the whole team out to dinner—I’ve always been generous.”

In Florence, they gave you “shirts of shame,” with the word “unworthy” written on them and the € symbol for the euro in place of the lily. Even there, you gave them a piece of your mind…

“The important thing is to never hang your head. They didn’t understand a thing; they accused me of not trying hard enough and of trying to put the club in default. There were even those who said I was faking injuries…“.

They say that at Atalanta, you earned a starting spot by hitting a tree three times in a row…

”Prandelli told me that if I could do it, it meant I was fit and could play. He took me up a small hill and challenged me. I won.”

What went wrong at Inter?

“We were a great team; personally, I scored in the Champions League and I think I did my part. But yes, I was the number ten and could have done more. I know I pissed off Moratti—everyone expected a lot from me.”

Do you think you were missing something?

“I had the talent to be a starter on the national team, but I wasn’t mentally in it. Then, at a certain point, other things took precedence over soccer and my desire to play, so I quit. I wasn’t enjoying it anymore. Today I run my own restaurant in Parma and I’m happy—life doesn’t end with soccer.”

But you never even made your debut with the senior national team…

“Back in my day, there was a lot of competition, but I’m sorry I never made my debut. If I were playing now, I’d make different choices—without losing my identity or my way of being, though. I know I didn’t make the most of the talent I had.”

Do you miss soccer today?

“No, in fact, what I see disgusts me. I’d never go back. I find it a fake world.”