We complemented each other

A conversation with Gianluca Vialli

Gothenburg, 9 May 1990. You scored twice to win the game for Sampdoria, and with three goals became the top scorer in the tournament. How do you remember that first European victory?

‘That final began a year before in Berne, when we lost against Barcelona. I played with a strained muscle, as Boskov wanted me on the pitch at all costs. “When they see Luca Vialli,” he said to me, “they are scared.” Just as well, because they won 2–0. After that defeat, there were players like Toninho Cerezo and Beppe Dossena who doubted that we would get another chance to win in Europe. Instead, with great persistence, we managed to make our way back to another final, against an easier opponent, less prestigious than Barça. We gained experience, we grew up as a team and felt stronger. It just felt right. And the stadium in Gothenburg was packed with our supporters. We went into the final with great respect for our opponents, but we also trusted ourselves. In extra time, I scored the opening goal. It wasn’t very nice: the ball bounced off the post, the keeper grabbed it but lost it again, and I came running and kicked it in. I simply took advantage of the situation and broke the deadlock. The match until then had been quite even. Then I scored again, meeting Roberto’s pass, but that first goal was so important – it is possibly the most exciting one I scored in all my Sampdoria years.’

Thanks to that goal, Sampdoria’s golden age began. You won the championship the following year, then reached the European Cup final a year later …

‘We had already started making our own history. We really raised the bar with Vujadin Boskov. He gave us a winning frame of mind: he made us aware of our skills and made us believe we could beat anyone. He was as cunning as a Neapolitan; he was a world citizen – he spoke six or seven languages; he was great fun to be with and a great expert on human psychology. He always said the right thing at the right time. Ours was a constant progression: Coppa Italia, Uefa Super Cup, Cup-Winners’ Cup, the league … we kept growing to reach the highest levels, when we were European Cup runners-up. We got closer and closer to the scudetto each year. It was almost inevitable – because of our willingness, our willpower, our talent, we knew we had to get there, sooner or later. We deserved it.’

Inevitable, also because the core of the team decided to stay until the title was won.

‘We kept saying to one another, over and over again: we must stick together, stay focused, and work towards that scudetto. At the time, there would be frequent – not to mention prestigious – offers: offers that would be beneficial to the club as well as in terms of personal rewards and satisfaction. It happened to many of us. We would think about it, we would falter, we would really be tempted by those calls … then someone reminded you that it wouldn’t be right to leave, that it would be unfair – maybe even a mistake – because winning a title with Samp was going to make us happier than many of our fellow footballers had ever been, gaining other achievements with better-known teams.’

These are the words of the other ‘twin’, the one that made such a remarkable pair with Roberto Mancini, the one with whom few in Italian football can compare. Young Vialli made his debut with his hometown team, Cremona, at 16. He then moved to Sampdoria, where he would stay for eight years, scoring 85 goals. After that, Juventus, then Chelsea: 278 goals altogether, in a career spanning over 500 matches. He then went on to manage Chelsea and Watford, a team where the chairman is one Elton John. Vialli is now a sport consultant for Sky Italy, appearing as a pundit and talking candidly about football. He has been living in London for quite some time: it is a city he loves, and it from there that he reflects on his and Mancini’s shared history, and comments on his former twin’s subsequent career.

When did you first meet Roberto Mancini?

‘I first met Roberto during the [Italy] Under-16 matches, but we started playing together and hanging out when Vicini capped us for the Under-21 team. I played for Cremonese; he played for Sampdoria. Mantovani had invested a lot in young, talented players such as Pari, Pellegrini, Galia, Renica. I ended up with them all in the Under-21s, and each of them persuaded me – or at least tried to – that, if I was choosing between Juventus (who were interested in me) and Sampdoria, it would make a lot more sense for me to go to Sampdoria, because those guys were already there, because of the environment, and because it was a growing team, willing to achieve great things.’

How was that eight-year relationship with Mancini?

‘Well, technically, Roberto and I were very similar at the beginning. We were both modern strikers, who could do a bit of everything, who had quantity and quality. I wouldn’t want to go too far, but I’d say that we both could score, and create chances for others. In that respect, we were interchangeable­. Roberto could play as a centre forward and I would move further back, or the other way round – on the opposing side, this would make the defenders’ job a lot more difficult. Then he developed this wish, this skill he’d had for a long time – forever I would say – to always give the last pass, and instead I got used to being a centre forward. Roberto now says he used to make my day, that I scored all my goals because of him; I reply that it was the other way round, because I turned into great shots the completely impossible passes he would just throw forward. Let’s just say we always helped each other out, a lot. We did it all without envy; we actually thought about what was good for the team. In this sense, our relationship worked really well, and that was the case on and off the pitch.’

How was your personal relationship, outside the football field?

‘We were two young guys, same age, same life philosophy. Football brought us together, as well as the love for our team. We had different characters, but we complemented each other. It was fun to be together.’

What was the best moment in your relationship?

‘Please,’ Vialli laughs, ‘can you stop calling it a relationship?’ He continues, ‘Once, only once in so many years, we ended up quarrelling. Our bad mood only lasted two or three days. Perhaps we were too nervous, because things at Samp weren’t honey and roses all the time. Everyone thinks that our road to victory was quite light-hearted, but in reality we all swallowed some bitter stuff; we had big arguments and had our bad moments. I remember when I signed for Juventus, Roberto was waiting for me at the restaurant, together with some other dear ones … we all burst into tears, because we realised that our important adventure together – which had to do with our sport, but not only that – had come to an end.

‘Maybe the best moment was celebrating the scudetto at Carlini, the other stadium in Genoa. Mancini, Lombardo, Mannini, Bonetti and I went on stage in front of thousands of fans, dressed up like the rock band Europe [of ‘The Final Countdown’ fame], make-up and all. Until poor Lombardo lost his wig, no one realised it was us. We sang completely out of tune. There were many other good moments, though. Unfortunately, Roberto couldn’t play in the match that made us Champions of Italy: he was suspended. He could only come on to the field after the 90 minutes were up.’

And your worst memory?

‘Perhaps not the worst, but the most unpleasant, was the European Cup final. Even though we had been telling each other that it was an incredible achievement just to be there, to have got to the Wembley final against Barcelona in our first season in the competition, we still had a really hard time in the changing rooms once the match was over.’

You had already signed for Juventus before playing that final. How much did that decision affect your performance, and the team’s?

It did affect us, for sure. It is harder to prepare for a final under those conditions, even though it does not necessarily mean that the game is lost from the start. First of all, knowing that you’ve come to the end of an era – in other words, knowing that you won’t get another chance – will actually make you play harder. Second, that was not the only problem: I remember that the previous Saturday we played at home against Fiorentina, and we needed a victory to secure a Uefa Cup place. So that was an important match, too. Under different circumstances, first-string players would have been left out to get some rest, but our manager just couldn’t afford that. It was 30 degrees and I got cramp, so neither our heads nor our legs were really in the best condition­. I should add that we felt quite excited, playing such an important game for the first time, against an opponent like Barcelona. So apart from the final result and the fact that I missed two goals, it was still a really good game. You don’t very often see such open play in a final.’

In the press the next day, the player ratings indicated that Mancini hadn’t contributed much to Sampdoria’s cause.

‘That’s not true. I remember he sent a couple of good balls my way. To tell you the truth, I am more and more convinced that it was my fault we lost that match.’

For lobbing Zubizarreta, and having to watch the ball bounce to the side of the Blaugrana net, while thousands of supporters were already starting to cheer?

‘I must admit that, just before that last bounce, the ball was aiming for the post. I remember thinking, “I wonder whether it will hit the post and go in, or bounce off it and go out.” When the ball hit the turf, it deviated to the left and rolled out. It wasn’t my only regret in that game: when Lombardo crossed the ball in, I got there a little too late, and off balance. My shot went right over the goalpost.’

That was your last match wearing the Blucerchiati jersey. You moved to Juventus, and later to England – the same decision that Mancio made.

‘I was 32, and Juventus hinted that they weren’t going to renew my contract. So you wonder, where do I go from here? To another Italian team? Well, not really, I’d rather choose England. I had always loved English football, and I was quite lucky in the fact that Chelsea wanted me. So it all came naturally to me. I believe it was the same for Roberto, he must have thought that England was worth a try, he wanted to experience it himself. After a while, you start liking Italian football­ less and less – you stick with it because you’re addicted, but then you understand that you can live without it and there’s more out there. You realise that you can have fun and live better in England, so you pack your things and go. Roberto first experienced English football when he played for Leicester; he then had a long spell [in management] at Fiorentina, Lazio and Inter Milan, which was much needed; and in the end, he probably thought that it wouldn’t be at all bad to get some work in the UK. He made the right decision and he had the patience and the willingness to start afresh.’

As a football commentator, what do you think of Mancini’s last couple of years with Manchester City?

‘He has done an extraordinary job. Sure, it helps to have a president, an owner, who is a sheikh. Anyway, you must know how to use your money, and spend it wisely. This is the manager’s summer job, or at least 50 per cent of it. The rest of it comes during the season, when you are actually managing players. Roberto is very good at spotting the players he needs, and at managing them well. These are two fundamental skills that not everyone gives him credit for. They argue about whether it is going to be 3-5-2 or 4-4-2, but tactics are only a means to achieve an aim. The difference, though, is made throughout the season, when issues come up and you must solve your problems as they arise. Roberto handled Tevez very well, and also dealt wisely with the difficulties his team experienced, when it looked like Manchester United had already won the Premier League. Mancini is a coach whose merits are not yet fully acknowledged.’

He handled Tevez all right, but it didn’t work with Balotelli, did it?

‘That’s not true. Look, maybe Roberto went mad a few times, but in the end he got some good stuff out of Mario, with all his highs and lows. I don’t know how another coach would manage Balotelli – if another coach ever would. Mancini is doing a good job.’

What did you think when City and United were head-to-head?

I was leaning towards Manchester United, but Roberto and I texted each other just before the last week of the Premiership. I believe that City deserved to win the league, and that United still had an awfully good season. Well done City, you were stronger.’

Manchester City–QPR. The final minutes of the last game. What were your thoughts, during those moments?

‘Knowing British football, I was aware that anything could have happened, right to the end – not necessarily something good for City. You must also remember that the Stoke v. Bolton game ended three minutes before the one at Etihad Stadium. The happiness of the Queens Park Rangers fans was infectious for those on the football field, so perhaps they stopped fighting tooth and nail – they were still fighting of course, but not all guns blazing. Man City were creating three goal chances every minute, so I calculated that, with three minutes left to go, there would still be seven, eight good chances for them to score. And that’s how it went: two went in, and it was a beautiful end to the season not only for City fans but for neutral supporters. It was a unique experience, something that won’t happen again, maybe. We hadn’t seen anything like that in the Premier League for 25 years, not since that time when Liverpool and Arsenal played for the title until the last second [in 1989].’

And what did you think of Mancini during those moments?

‘I saw him jump, I saw him run, and stick his hands into his pockets. So later I asked him, “Why did you have your hands in your pockets, what were you holding? Were you worried that something would fall on the ground?” Roberto told me why, he told me what was in his pocket and then I realised.’

So, are you going to tell us then?

‘No, not really.’

So, how do you see City’s future, both in Europe and in the Premier League, now that they have won this title?

‘They could win the Premiership again, but we are not talking absolute and lasting supremacy, because Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea will always turn it into a tight race. With respect to Europe, the Champions League is Roberto’s next aim. I wouldn’t call it an obsession for him, but he came so close, both as a player and as a coach, and never won it. But Europe is a complicated scenario: if your legs don’t work for a week you’re out, while in the championship you have a whole season to show that you’re the best. I also think that City need to grow before they can class themselves as favourites; they still need to rise through the ranks, just like Chelsea did in recent years. When you’ve paid your dues, you either win the Champions League big time – or you have fucking good luck, just like Chelsea did.’