Interview with Libero: «He is a man of depth. I remember Vialli’s birthday before the European Championship final, the applause, the emotion”
Db Coverciano (Fi) 05/20/2014 – Italian national football team training / photo Daniele Buffa/Image Sport in the photo: Cesare Prandelli-Don Massimiliano Gabbricci
“Domma” the chaplain of the national team: «Conte doesn’t know how to hide his faith: he will do well in Naples».
Libero interviews Don Massimiliano Gabbricci, the chaplain of the national team. The players call him “Domma”.
The Italian triumph in 2021 was the culmination of a tiring journey, I remember the many Covid swabs to be with the kids in Coverciano, those dinners where there was a sense of magic, of community in the air.”
Does it mean that you knew that Italy would win the European Championship?
“Domma”: «There was a particular air from the beginning. With the Mancio who I often hear from, with Gianluca Vialli and Lele Oriali, we realized it immediately and proof of this are the many messages we exchanged. A crazy moment was the evening before leaving for the Wembley final. July 9th was Vialli’s birthday, we celebrated with the cake, the group photo and then his unforgettable speech. As soon as Luca finished, while the applause was still continuing, Donnarumma, Bonucci and Chiellini came to me and Gigio asked me: “Domma, then?”. “We win,” I replied. And they hugged me.”
How did you get into football?
«I really believe in sport, I have always supported Fiorentina. Once Buffon asked me to pray for him before a match and I told him “Yes, but the next one…”: there was Fiorentina-Juve… we won 4-2, Pepito Rossi’s poker. As a boy I played goal football in amateur teams, I also love basketball, the NBA and the Lakers. Imagine now that I am Director of the Pio II Recreation Center, at Costone, in Siena: with Costone we have just defeated Mens Sana in the derby, in the final for promotion to Serie B.”
And in the national team?
«Cesare Prandelli wanted me in 2012, I had met him at Fiorentina. A coach of great depth, as Antonio Conte was, another who cannot hide either his faith or his being: he will do well in Naples.”
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