The former Milan winger between pain and memories: “My boy was an athlete, he did Ju-Jitsu, but he spent all day ‘vaping’. At first I was supposed to go to Juve, Ancelotti wanted me, Dida, and Marcio Amoroso. With Zaccheroni it was a nightmare, thank goodness…“

His face becomes serious as soon as you bring up the subject. His usual broad smile disappears, his gaze becomes sombre. ”I’ll never get used to talking about my son’s death. It’s a tragedy that has called every certainty into question. My life has been turned upside down for a year now.” Serginho responds from Milan, where he lives with his family. He travels back and forth from Brazil, but his base is in Italy, in the city that remains in his heart, as do the Rossoneri club and the south stand. When you talk to him about his Milan, he lets his emotions run free and memories take over. The former Brazilian full-back ranges from his arrival in Italy to Berlusconi teaching him how to anticipate and mark. The president enlisted the help of bodyguards, using silhouettes to give lessons in tactics. He also had a stint as a talent scout. “I helped Braida and Galliani discover Thiago Silva.”

Serginho, let’s start with the hardest topic. Just over a year ago, in August 2024, your son Diego passed away. How do you live with such pain?

“Words cannot explain the wound left by such a tragedy. I will never get used to talking about Diego’s death. Since he’s been gone, I’ve questioned all the certainties I had. It’s the strongest pain a human being can endure. Today, I live for him. I am sure that another life awaits us, where we will be together forever.“

It all happened so quickly, and even the causes were unclear for a long time…

”He had pain in his shoulder, but we didn’t understand why. He was an athlete; he did Jiu Jitsu. We had him tested, and the results were perfect. Then, in a couple of weeks, it got worse. But almost suddenly. I know smoking was to blame: he spent all day ‘vaping’ with his electronic cigarette. It had become an addiction.“

Were the Rossoneri fans supportive?

”Very much so. I felt so much affection during the most difficult time, I will never forget it.“

Let’s move on to your Milan, taking a step back in time. Do you remember when Braida signed you?

”Just think, the day before, Carlo Ancelotti, who was coaching Juve at the time, came to see me: we played a friendly match in Fortaleza with the Brazilian national team. He recommended me, Dida, and Marcio Amoroso to the Bianconeri… but then Braida arrived and beat everyone to it. He convinced me in ten minutes. He showed up accompanied by Edinho, a former defender with over 100 appearances in Serie A with Udinese, who acted as an intermediary and translator. Within a month, I was in Italy under Zaccheroni.

Yes, Zaccheroni. The beginning with him wasn’t easy…

“A nightmare! We spent at least half an hour on tactical sessions. I wondered, ‘When are we going to use the ball?’. Training sessions where we played 11-0, things that were inconceivable to me. I was sad, I was cold, and I wanted to leave.”

Then Cesare Maldini arrived and everything changed.

“I have to thank him and Ancelotti. Cesare Maldini saved my career: he told me to just think about attacking, and with him we won the derby 6-0. I was always the best on the field. Then Carlo arrived and things changed for good. We were an incredible team, the strongest in the world in those years.“

Speaking of derbies, do you remember those six days between the two semifinals?

”It was agony. I remember Berlusconi coming into the locker room to pump us up. I know that Nesta, Pirlo, Gattuso, and the others were having a really hard time, partly because of the newspapers and TV. We Brazilians, on the other hand, were more relaxed, far removed from all this pressure.“

Is the penalty you scored in the final still the most important moment of your career?

”Yes, the Champions League victory in general. Before the penalty, with Buffon in front of me, the goal seemed very small. Fortunately, though, everything went well.”

Over the years, you have achieved many successes. Great victories and two Champions League titles, which could have been three…

“I believe that we would have lost in Istanbul even if we had played for a whole week. It was a cursed, surreal evening. Dudek’s save on Sheva’s shot was supernatural. I even talked to him about it years later. On the bench, even before the penalty shootout, we were demotivated and sure that it would go badly. We even said to Carlo: ‘Coach, we’re going to lose, it’s jinxed.’ And in fact, Pirlo, Shevchenko, and I, the three best penalty takers, all missed from the spot. It was a mental issue, not a technical one. Or, if you like, witchcraft…“.

It is said that at half-time there were already those who were celebrating…

”That’s all bullshit. The opposite happened: we all argued, words were exchanged. In fact, it often happened that season that we lost concentration when we returned to the field. And it happened in Istanbul too. But imagine if anyone dared to celebrate.”

That team could count on great management and a president from another era, Berlusconi. Do you have many memories?

“Absolutely, I could write a book about the president. He was inimitable, unique. He often came to the locker room, giving tactical advice and telling us to put on a show. He would even have lunch with us at Milanello. Let me tell you this: one day he took me aside to teach me how to defend. ‘I’ll explain how to do it, you have to anticipate,’ he told me. And he took to the field with one of his bodyguards and a couple of dummies to show me the movements.”

After your career, Galliani and Braida asked you to continue with Milan, creating a link between the club and Brazil. How did it go?

“Galliani called me and asked me to take on this role: a kind of bridge between the club and Brazil. We founded a Milan Junior Club, involving many young people. In addition, I tried to suggest some talented players to him, traveling around the country. I recommended Miranda and Thiago Silva, and Braida fell in love with the latter. He already had a pre-contract with Inter, and Villarreal was also interested in the player. But we talked and… he chose the Rossoneri in five minutes. He was convinced by the club’s prestige and the idea of growing alongside someone like Sandro Nesta. In hindsight, I would say he did well, with all due respect to our Nerazzurri cousins…”