Left-footed, with superior technique, with innate geometries, with undisputed class. Giacomo Modica on the pitch represented the model of a midfielder capable of moving the team around, dictating tempo and bringing order with personality and sense of position.
With the Licata shirt, he played from 1985 to 1988, protagonist of a historic three-year period which culminated with the promotion to Serie B which he achieved but did not play personally. That summer he moved to Messina, of which he would also be captain and today coach, with fresh salvation in C achieved well in advance. If you say Modica, you also say Zeman, a life together on and off the pitch.
In Licata they begin by writing pages in indelible ink, creating a group with values beyond the playing field, esteem and respect, a sense of belonging and the desire to reach the top with work and sacrifice. “The experience in Licata was absolutely fantastic, we found all the Palermo boys with Zeman as coach, one of the best in Europe. For me he was very, very much, I practically owe him everything. We were decades ahead, in those years we played innovative, dynamic football. Concepts of pressing, attacking the goalkeeper, in short, modern football, that Licata was on autopilot because of how synchronized we were, a wonderful team. For me Zeman means growth from a professional point of view and not only that, he taught me sports education, respect, work culture, after forty-three years we are still together, it means a lot. But in that Licata, Cerantola was also of considerable importance, with him we went to Serie B winning the c1, a great technician and a great man, he had different methods compared to Zeman with whom we grew up and to whom we were accustomed, after a period of adaptation we we dropped and the rest is history with enormous results.”
For Modica, one of the decisive stages towards promotion to the second division was that of Reggio Calabria, 0-1 with a goal by Tommaso Napoli: “Tommaso scored the goal with which we won in Reggio, from there in my opinion something significant started , culminating in success, is an important stage.”
With an average of five goals per season, he also ensures his contribution in terms of scoring even though it is obviously not his job to score: “Not many but not even few my goals for the role I played, I remember the one at debut against Siena or the double in Caserta, how nice really.”
Scoring was the attitude of others, Romano, La Rosa and Schillaci who was of a different category for Modica: Maurizio Schillaci, was of a clearly superior level, a phenomenal winger, the best of all but not only at Licata, in those years he was a top, if he did wonderful things on the pitch during the day, technique and talent in abundance. I also played with cousin Totò, they were different. Totò was a deadly striker, fantastic in the opponent’s area, incredible instinct, fast and strong in space, Maurizio was an attacking winger, he could reach high levels, truly high, what a truly wonderful player.”
No regrets as a player, a high-level career with a missed move to Lazio which could have turned it even further: “Zero regrets, I did what I had to as a player, perhaps by going to Lazio, I could have made the leap even further, it was all done but I decided to stay in Messina, maybe I lost something as a player but recovered as a coach.”
And it was certainly an important recovery, Giacomo Modica includes on the bench, a CV of notable merit, six seasons in total as deputy and technical collaborator of Zeman who initially followed in Turkey at Fenerbahce and then Naples, Salernitana, Avellino, Brescia, a path independently between Cosenza and Lecco with great years in between with Celano and then again alongside Zeman as a technical collaborator at Roma and Cagliari. Today he is the coach of Messina, the team with which he celebrated his stay in Serie C.
“Happy with this season in Messina, I coach the thirteenth city in Italy, we did very well, a great championship despite the cloudy period between November and December. What if I stay? I’m thinking about finishing the season and then we’ll talk about it with the club, I’m proud of the season and the group I coach.”
In three seasons, for Giacomo Modica, eighty-seven appearances and eleven goals with the Licata shirt of which he remains, one of the most beloved protagonists of that football novel written with passion and colored in yellow and blue.
Vincenzo Montana
