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Landing an interview with the legendary defender of yesteryear, Giuseppe Bergomi, is a hard job and I fortunately managed to do it after four days of trying hard. Bergomi was an Italian legend who played in four World Cups for Italy and was a symbol of Internazionale, the only club he ever defended in his career which spanned from 1979 to 1999, thus going down in the history of the illustrious club as a timeless legend.
Amiable and very talkative, Beppe spoke about his thoughts on the current Serie A season, the work of Leonardo as Inter Milan coach and praised Massimiliano Allegri, the AC Milan coach.
“The Uncle”, as he was known on the pitch for his austere appearance, also recalled his vast experience of two decades marking big football stars like Maradona, Gullit and Van Basten. For him “if the injury had not hampered Ronaldo, today he would be compared to Pele and Maradona”. I bring you the exclusive chat he had with me for Sportskeeda.
Is the present Milan team the most pragmatic and the least charming ever to win the Italian title? They had no opponent teams in this season, but I think that AC Milan champion team from 1999 was less stronger than the current team. It’s important mentioning Massimiliano Allegri’s great work because he showed that he was able to coach a team full of great players like the ones the current team has. There were doubts about performers this season, especially in the ??midfield with the absence of Pirlo, and Allegri knew very well how to manage the situations.
What is your assessment of Leonardo’s work at Internazionale? I think he did well and the result is positive. Leonardo arrived and brought a new energy. The problem happened in big matches where he and his team were both very poor. I analyse his stint as positive because the job of Inter Milan coach was not an easy situation for him, mainly because he has a strong identification with the arch rivals AC Milan.
Are the present times the most delicate moment of Italian football? Each country has it’s own football culture. Unfortunately we suffered a major setback with the scandals and it affected various levels of Italian football. Nevertheless, I believe that Italy is still a difficult country to play in because of the pressure from journalists and the violence of some fans. But there’s no denying that today English, Spanish and German Football Leagues have been most attractive and possess more technical quality.
World Cup 1982: He was champion with only 18 years old
What are your memories of the 1982 World Cup, where you became World Champion at only 18 years of age? Wonderful memories! Actually it’s the most beautiful memory I have of my football career. That was a national team with good players, but mainly great men who went blazing through the tournament.
And the unbelievable victory against Brazil in the quarterfinals from that World Cup? What do you remember about that?(Laughter) That was a victory (3-2) that no one expected. Even today I still have the jersey of Brazilian midfielder Socrates from that game. I entered in the first half of the game and marked players like Socrates and the striker Serginho. When the game ended, Socrates came to me and very kindly gave me his jersey. He was a genius then and I was just a boy. It was a special gesture on his part and I was overwhelmed with emotion. It is to savour that emotion that I have the jersey with me till today.
You played twenty years for Internazionale. Could you say that Ronaldo was the best player who you played with?(Incisor) Yes, yes, yes! Unfortunately the injuries plagued his career. His match-winning power was as high as Lionel Messi‘s, the little Argentine who is taking the world by storm today. Had injuries not ruined his career, Ronaldo would now be talked about in the same breath as all time greats Pele and Maradona, for he possessed that magical set of skills. No doubt about that.
Bergomi considers Maradona the best player he ever marked
Who were the best players you marked during your long and illustrious football career?The best was Diego Maradona because he was intelligent and possessed fantastic talent. He was a star because he used his talent to lead his team to glory. This aspect is what differentiates the stars from others. To be a star, one must use his talent to benefit the team. There were also other spectacular players like Ruud Gullit, an unstoppable playmaker with great physical performance. A great pillar of the AC Milan team. Marco van Basten was also a splendid talent because of his gifted technical skills.
We sincerely thank the timeless Italian legend whose name will be etched in football history for eternity, for taking the time out and speaking to us.
