He is the only Italian to have won three tournaments this season: “I dream of reaching the Top 20. My brother also plays tennis, so he can count on my experience.”The Venetian coach recalls his club memories and his near miss with the national team: “Thanks to me, Robi had no more back problems. In 2016, the FIGC contacted me for the post-Conte era…”

In summer, Villasimius can become a dangerous place: “The other day, I experienced the fires firsthand, near my vacation home.” Gianni De Biasi enjoys the Sardinian sea. Blue water, red fire: “It went well, no one was hurt, but…” De Biasi, a former midfielder and now a coach, is waiting for a call: “Experience makes me feel strong, I still have a lot to give.”

Gianni De Biasi from Sarmede, Treviso.

“Near San Martino di Colle Umberto, the village of Ottavio Bottecchia, the cyclist who won the Tour and was beaten to death, the reason why has never been fully understood. Some say he was beaten because he took a bunch of grapes, others say something else. As a child, this story struck me. I was an altar boy in Veneto in the 1960s, and those who went to mass could play on the parish field.”

As a child, he was a Juventus fan, but then…

“I stopped on the day I played against them for the first time, against Pescara. Those Juventus fans (the first Trapattoni team in the late 1970s, ed.) were absolutely detestable. On the pitch, they acted like they owned the place, with their snobbish attitude. From then on, my love for Juventus waned. Today, I only support the teams I coach.”

Inter was also a disappointment for you.

“In the 1975-76 season, I was a promising midfielder and they put me in a room with Sandro Mazzola, a legend. Mazzola kept the light on late into the night because he had to write his autobiography (La prima fetta di torta, published in 1977, ed.). ‘Gianni, does the light bother you?’. ‘ ‘No, not at all.’ But it did bother me a lot and kept me awake. The real disappointment, however, was not making my Serie A debut. I was about to come on in Perugia, but then someone got injured and the coach, Chiappella, changed his mind and brought on Acanfora. The result: zero appearances for the Inter first team, only for the Primavera.”

De Biasi, a battle-hardened midfielder.

“I was actually born a central midfielder. Brescia was the team where I played the most and where I had Gigi Simoni as my coach. He called me his ‘little horse’, I would have jumped into a fire for him. A master. I arrived in Brescia as part of the Beccalossi deal. Marking ‘Becca’ was impossible, you could never take the ball off him, you had to beat him up to stop him. I send him a big hug.”

De Biasi, coach.

“I really worked my way up from the bottom, in the deepest province. I never had an agent, I turned down Gea twice. I climbed the mountain without using a helicopter. Those who reach the top with an ice axe enjoy a better view.”

At Brescia, he coached Robi Baggio.

“In 2003-04, his last season. Coaching him was very easy: ‘People want to see Robi Baggio,’ I told him, and that was it. His knees were shot, and that caused him back problems. I used a scooter and wore an elastic neoprene band around my abdomen to protect me from the wind. It was a kind of Dr. Gibaud belt. One day I said to him, ‘Robi, try this band. He took it, put it on, played with it, and never took it off: his back problems were solved, his posture stabilized. Now that I think about it: ‘Robi, you never gave me that thing back! Don’t worry, I’m joking.’ Baggio was an indescribable champion, driven by an unbridled passion. I could see he was suffering: ‘Robi, if you can’t do it…‘. And he replied in Venetian dialect: ‘Mister, io zogo (I’m playing, ed.)’.

Torino, another great chapter.

“Promotion to Serie A at the first attempt, dismissal, return and salvation. Then another round and another salvation. There were some misunderstandings with the president, Urbano Cairo, but they have all been resolved. I was very pleased that he invited me to his birthday party and said from the stage: ‘At the beginning of my journey at Torino, I did something crazy, I sacked De Biasi’. He told me I would be his Ferguson, and in a way I was, even if… in instalments. Cairo manages to create value in every venture.”

Albania, De Biasi’s masterpiece.

“Qualifying for Euro 2016, with a victory in Portugal against CR7. And the friendship with President Edi Rama, a Juventus fan, but who cares. Rama has modernized Albania and brought it into the future. Today, Tirana is a young and dynamic city. When Rama awarded me the Cross of Skanderbeg, the country’s highest honor, he threatened to revoke my Italian passport if I signed for anyone else… Rama granted me an Albanian diplomatic passport, which allows me to travel anywhere and has solved various problems for me in difficult countries. Whenever there’s a line, I just walk right through.”

In 2016, before the European Championships, you were one step away from Italy.

“Michele Uva, then general manager of the FIGC, called me. Coach Conte had announced that he would be leaving for Chelsea after the European Championships, and I was in pole position to replace him. It’s true that the president of the Albanian Football Federation, Armando Duka, told me that I couldn’t leave them, that if I went to France as a resigning coach, I would weaken Albania, but I think there was something else, I don’t know. I still have a lot of regrets, in fact, I’m terribly angry.”

Didn’t they ask you to replace Spalletti?

“No, and I was sorry. Today I feel thirty times better, I’ve learned a lot from the knocks I’ve taken. Experience gives you superior knowledge.”

“My daughter Chiara, an ophthalmologist at the Civile hospital in Pordenone, got married in June and I hope she’ll make me a grandfather. I’m the right age!”

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He is the only Italian to have won three tournaments this year, and is one of many exploits of an Italy that brings tennis joy every week. Luciano Darderi has dedicated his life to tennis. Together with his father, the explosive Gino, and his younger brother Vito, he has made every kind of sacrifice. When he arrived in Italy from Argentina, he was 14 years old and playing in Serie C: “Everyone helped me, many people took me in, friends to whom I owe a lot and who will always be in my life.” His sacrifices have paid off with a return to the top 40, just one step away from his best ranking of 32 in the world and, above all, a seed in New York. His latest success in Umag, in the final against Spain’s Taberner, left him with a badly bruised ankle, but nothing can stop this young man born in 2002, who has increasing confidence in his tennis and in the future.

Luciano, getting injured while celebrating a victory is quite a record. How are you?

“Actually… I twisted my ankle at the end of the match. I can’t play in Toronto, but it’s nothing too serious, and I hope to start preparing for the hard court tournaments soon.”

You’re on your third title of the season, first among Italians. Did you expect this at the beginning of the year?

“Honestly, no. After winning in Marrakech, I realized I had the level to win tournaments, but the two weeks in Bastad and Umag with two titles in a row were really special. I gained confidence with every match.“

In what areas do you feel you have improved the most in recent years?

”In everything, I would say. Both physically and technically, but above all mentally. Playing two weeks in a row on clay and staying focused is a challenge. Now I know how to manage my energy better, these are things you learn with experience.”

Clay, as his four career titles prove, is his preferred surface. Hard courts are the next test. What are your expectations?

“I think I have a good chance of doing well here too. Last year I had physical problems during the American season and wasn’t able to get any results, but now I’m feeling better. If my ankle holds up, I’ll give it a try. Hard courts are different, but I can improve.“

As you said before, you have few points to defend between now and the end of the season and your best ranking is within reach: is the top 20 a realistic goal?

”Yes, absolutely. I’d love to get there and I’m working towards that. There’s not long to go and I want to push hard.”

There’s a large Italian contingent on the tour. What’s the atmosphere like within the group?

“It’s great. We’ve grown up together, we’re all young, we know each other well. In London, we all used to go out for dinner together at Il Macellaio, an Italian restaurant, which was our headquarters. It’s important to have that support off the court too.”

Sinner was the last Italian to win Umag. Does having the number 1 “at home” push you to grow?

“Of course, he is a great example and a point of reference for all of us. What he did at Wimbledon, winning the title after losing the final in Paris, is crazy. Coming back so strong in another challenge against Alcaraz means only one thing: that mentally he is the best in the world.“

Your father is also your coach, your brother Vito is a promising tennis player. What is it like to share work and family?

”It’s great. My father and I still have a long way to go, but four titles in three years is a good starting point. We love this sport, we work hard, and it’s important for my brother to be able to count on my experience on the circuit. It was all new to me, just like it was for my father. If I’m here today, it’s thanks to him. We argue sometimes, we’re both explosive types, but the goal has always been to become professional tennis players, and we’re succeeding.”

Is it true that you nearly died in a car accident?

“Yes, once we were in the car with Marcello Macchione, after a match in Rimini, we were going to play another tournament. We took a big risk on a mountain road because a car tried to overtake us recklessly and there was a drop below us. The occupants of the car behind us died, but it wasn’t our time. Of course, experiencing such fear makes you appreciate everything much more.“

You are Argentinean and Italian. What do you bring with you from both cultures, both on and off the field?

”In life, definitely Italian food, and on the field, Argentinean ‘garra’, the desire to always fight. When I was little, I used to get very angry if things didn’t work out during a game, but now I’m more mature and calmer.“ We know you’re a Napoli fan. Is that because of Maradona? ”Of course, Diego unites everyone. Napoli is home.“

But you didn’t get the number 10 tattooed, did you?

”No, I have my grandmother, Elisa, tattooed on my arm. She’s no longer with us, but I always think of her. When I play, I look at that tattoo and feel close to her. She used everything she had, her pension, her savings, to help me in my career, so that I could become a tennis player. She gave me my first racket, and every time I win, I send her a kiss up there.”