The son of the legendary ‘Professor’ recounts the passion of his father, who died twenty years ago live on air during a confrontation with former Genoa president Preziosi: “He was a coach with total dedication. He was supposed to go to Juventus and Napoli, but Montezemolo and Moggi…“
Franco Scoglio changed the vocabulary of soccer, inventing his own. ”I don’t write poetry, I verticalize.“ ”You, back there, you have to stop. Otherwise, I’ll start talking nonsense.” “I hate Sampdoria and I never miss an opportunity to say so.” “What a thrill when I lose.” And so on, always direct and consistent with his character. Yet the former Genoa coach was not just a collection of cult phrases. Today marks the 20th anniversary of his death, a passing that a visionary like Scoglio foresaw almost like a sorcerer in terms of timing and manner. “I will die talking about Genoa,” was the Professor’s prophecy years earlier. And that is exactly how it happened: struck down by cardiac arrest live on television on October 3, 2005, while the former Rossoblù coach was arguing with the then president of Grifone, Enrico Preziosi. It was a heated but civilized confrontation. The tone became heated, then Scoglio gestured with his hand and tilted his head back in an unnatural movement, to the astonishment of those present in the studio. And then he was gone. He died talking about Genoa. Today, he is remembered by his son Tobias, German by adoption, the most passionate about soccer among the Professor’s four children.
Tobias, how many times have you watched the footage of the evening your father died live on air?
“Countless times, and at first it hurt a lot. For the first two or three years, it felt like a horror movie, but as time went by, I managed to come to terms with it. Also because the images aren’t very clear; it looks like my dad is falling asleep. I asked a friend to have them removed from the internet, but he explained that someone would just put them back online. It would have been a futile battle.”
Scoglio traveled a lot during his coaching career. What kind of relationship did he manage to establish with us?
“Of all my siblings, I’ve always been the biggest soccer fan. I have two sisters who don’t follow soccer and a brother who’s interested in tennis, while I used to travel 850 kilometers from Kaiserslautern, where I lived, to Genoa. My dad called me before agreeing terms with Genoa (he had three spells as coach of the Rossoblù, ed.) and said, ‘Hold on tight, I’ve got a surprise for you…’. And the biggest surprise was always the Grifone bench.”
When the relationship between Scoglio and Genoa ended, the Professor always suffered greatly…
“He was distressed, afflicted, devastated. Because he was a coach with total dedication, unlike the others: he didn’t work for money, but for passion. So much so that in 2001 he left, leaving most of his salary to the club. For Genoa. With other teams, he rightly took his money.“
His passion for the Rossoblù was visceral.
”I remember an episode before a derby in April 2001, we were together in a hotel room on the eve of the match. I woke up at 4 a.m. to drink some water and found Dad on the bed with about twenty sheets of paper and whiteboards studying the formation. He didn’t even notice me, he just said, ‘Wait, be quiet, be quiet, I don’t know whether to put Giacchetta or Malagò further forward. Or maybe Ruotolo…’. Franco Scoglio was like that, which is why I decided to name my son Francesco Scoglio Jr.“
And in fact, in order to save Genoa in Serie B, Scoglio gave up a World Cup as Tunisia’s coach.
”It was January, the national team had already qualified and was playing excellent football. The Grifone was doing very badly, it was second to last. The team went to Salerno with Onofri on the bench, but my father made the lineup from afar. A few days later, he returned to Genoa. The city had a stronger pull on him than even the World Cup. Then, in his head, he was making up great stories: he was convinced he would save Genoa and then leave for Japan and Korea, but the Tunisian executives were offended and did not accept the dual role. However, Genoa saved him in spectacular fashion, even winning a derby. If he had started the season from the beginning, he would have been promoted to Serie A.”
Juve sought Scoglio, but nothing came of it. Why?
“Not only Juve, but also Maradona’s Napoli. Everyone was courting my father. But then Montezemolo replaced Boniperti and decided to take Maifredi. Meanwhile, Moggi, at Napoli, after some consideration, chose to keep Bigon. That season, Spinelli asked my father to stay, but unfortunately he refused, and the following year Genoa went to Europe with Bagnoli. It was the biggest mistake of his career: he would never admit it publicly, but at home he did.”
Among the many quotes from your father that have become cult classics, which is your favorite?
“Without a doubt, ‘I don’t write poetry, I play vertically’. It reflects my thoughts with my son Francesco, who wants to become a soccer player. I try to give him the same advice that I think his grandfather, a legend to him, would give him. But the one about the 21 ways to take a corner kick isn’t bad either…“
Does Genoa need a Franco Scoglio on the bench today?
”I’m sure my father would do better than Vieira, as my father would: a man confident in his abilities. It’s true that Genoa sold players without replacing them, which makes it difficult for a coach. In fact, I myself thought that the team was stronger on paper. But Scoglio would easily save Genoa.”
