The former Brazilian midfielder: “Arrigo was like a father to me, Zamparini was a gentleman but impatient, while I don’t respect Sabatini: he got rid of me twice without even telling me. In Rome, we Brazilians did one a day…”

Fabio Simplicio is exactly as we remember him from his playing days. A little rounder, but still smiling. He has a laugh that brings joy. And when he talks, he rattles off anecdotes and stories one after the other. Like slides pulled from a deck, one after the other, from Parma to Palermo and Roma with Totti and De Rossi. “Daniele is a Brazilian at heart. He had the soul of a party animal. He was also an example, a fan on the field.” So many memories. “I came to Italy thanks to Sacchi. In Rome, I met two people who left me breathless: they are both called Francesco. I saw one in Trigoria, the other in St. Peter’s. And my heart was beating with excitement.“

Fabio Simplicio, you arrived in Italy in 2004. Why Parma?

”It was Sacchi who recommended me. He said I had more potential than Kakà. In reality, Ricardo played a different sport. But Arrigo was like a father to me, as well as a great sponsor.“

Do you remember your first meeting?

”He welcomed me to the city and told me to always play hard. The result? I got three yellow cards in my first three games. But he told me to keep going.”

Parma, what years were those?

“Fantastic, even though I struggled a bit to settle in. They took me to dinner at Morfeo’s restaurant, I didn’t understand Italian and I didn’t get the irony. Then, as soon as I learned it, we had a good laugh.”

You mentioned Morfeo, a wasted talent?

“Mimmo is unique, not wasted, but very strong. He had top-class skills, elite football moves. He could have done more, for sure. He’s one of those I put in the Olympus, along with Totti. He and Francesco are the strongest I’ve ever played with.”

Speaking of Totti, did you go to Rome for him?

“I was moved twice: when I saw him and when I saw Pope Bergoglio in St. Peter’s. And they’re both called Francesco. Believe me, it’s something special. And yes, I chose it for the prestige and to play with Totti and De Rossi. We had fun. We had a group of Brazilians who got up to something every day.”

During those years, there were rumors about your lack of professionalism. Some wrote that you showed up drunk to training…

“Rome, as we know, is a complicated place for radio, rumors, and newspapers. It’s wonderful, but tough in terms of media coverage. I remember when I was injured at the beginning and wasn’t playing, people were saying a lot of false things about me. That aside, though, a couple of times we did show up drunk… at least us Brazilians did.“

Tell us about it, if you can.

”Let me start by saying that for me, the locker room is sacred, but with Ranieri, we celebrated Brazilian Carnival at a teammate’s house. The next day, we were dead. I couldn’t see the ball. Claudio yelled at us: ‘Brazilians, what did you do last night?’. And he sent us to take a shower. We laughed about it later, some time after. He often teased us. But that’s not the only thing I’ve done… I’d like to tell you about another one.“

Please do.

”Once I drove my car into a fountain in Parma. I was drunk and couldn’t stop. You could say it was a youthful mistake…”

Let’s get back to soccer. Is it true that Mourinho wanted you?

“Yes, I was very close to transferring to Inter. I even spoke with Moratti, and I know that Mou wanted me in midfield. It all fell through because of money and trade-offs, but I would have gladly gone. However, it wasn’t just Inter; I had many other opportunities.”

Juventus?

“Yes, them too. In that case, Amauri called me and told me that the Bianconeri were following me. I would have liked to play with him again, but I’m happy to have gone to Roma.”

Is there anyone in your career who has disappointed you?

“I’ve always had good relationships with everyone, but there was one director who couldn’t stand me.” .

Who?

“Walter Sabatini. He got rid of me at both Palermo and Roma. At Palermo, he signed Pastore instead of me, so I have no complaints there, but he really wanted someone with a different profile to mine. More than the decisions themselves, it was the way they were made that hurt me. No one ever involved me: just a ‘you have to leave’. That’s it.“

Did you get a chance to talk to him about it later?

”Never, zero contact. But I’m fine with that. I didn’t like how he behaved and I don’t respect him, end of story.”

In Palermo, there was also a clash with Foschi. Or at least that’s what the newspapers wrote…

“Only at the beginning. He called me to Milan to sign and changed the terms of the contract. I didn’t accept and left. Then Zamparini insisted, ‘I want Simplicio now,’ and started shouting. So they called me back, changed a few things, and I signed. Then Rino and I joked about it many times.”

The president was also a peculiar character…

“Absolutely, he had a few obsessions. But he was always a gentleman with me. He changed coaches all the time: at one point he had four or five under contract. All it took was two bad games for him to lose his patience. He told me to always attack.”

What is Simplicio doing today?

“I have many businesses, including restaurants, shops, and amusement parks. I also like discovering players and watching lots of games. But I have a dream: to become president of a club.”

Like Zamparini?

“Maybe a little more patient, come on…”