A few days ago, in Altavilla Vicentina, he celebrated with his teammates the promotion to Serie D. A historic achievement for a club that returns after sixty-three years. Arrived at Magenta during the current season, in the month of December, Devis Nossa he played on Eccellenza’s pitches for the first time in his career, placing himself with all his experience at the center of the yellow-blue rearguard. From Inter’s youth team to his first taste of Serie B with Vicenza, to then debut in Serie C with Pavia and begin a long journey that took him to places such as Pro Patria, San Marino, Como, Pistoia and, more recently, Sanremo and Caronno Pertusella. The total? Almost five hundred attendees, most of which are in professional football. In addition to the stronghold built in the penalty area, three goals were scored by the Eagles from defender born in 1985who won his fifth title this year.
Can you summarize the emotions of the quest for uslast year and thisthe months at Magenta?
“I’ll start by saying that these last few years have been a bit special. In 2022, after having come close to winning with Sanremese, I found myself without a team and in December I signed with Caronnese, hoping to improve the ranking situation. Unfortunately I didn’t succeed: the year didn’t go well and I too took on my responsibilities. I think signing a thirty-eight year old player coming off relegation is a courageous act. Mister Lorenzi and director Salese did everything to bring me to Magenta and from the beginning I felt unconditionally appreciated. Even before taking to the field and being able to demonstrate my worth, I had already received all the trust possible, and when you find people like that, you’re already halfway there. Personally, this sense of responsibility and also of gratitude pushed me to do better and better every Sunday.”
Among other things, first year in Eccellenza, first promotion to Serie D. A new experience that could not have ended in the best way…
“Exact. Until now I had never dropped to Eccellenza because I had never found myself released at the start of the season. Personally, I am proud of not having given up in those months, because I knew that sooner or later the right opportunity would come and that I would have to be ready. I want to thank the club, the staff and obviously all my teammates. When I was young, it also happened to me to see a much older boy arrive in the locker room and I know that in those cases you might think that he no longer has the right motivations. As far as I’m concerned, it was clear from the first approach that I wasn’t there to pass the time, but that I wanted to make myself available to this team. When I saw her play, before signing, she seemed like a little gem to me; then I was lucky enough to be part of it and I can say that all the initial feelings came true.”
Let’s talk about Sunday. The finalsthe I am in itself very high voltage games. This one, perhaps, was a little more so: dto the double advantage following the opponent’s comeback, until the final whistle is released..
“I think the advantage was deserved, because even if the two goals came in two episodes, we could have scored more from open play. Then perhaps we were afraid of winning and Altavilla, which is a strong team, managed to get back into the game. After all, if it came second in the season and lost only three times, it means that it has some important value. We suffered, but with strength, desire and determination we achieved this objective which we had already tried to achieve in the championship. Honestly, at the beginning of the second half of the season we were convinced that we could do something more, then the match against Oltrepò took us away from the top and there was a month in which we did really badly. We recovered and did well to maintain our concentration until we went on to win Serie D.”
Winning the playoffs is perhaps more difficult than winning the championship. What was your motto in this series of direct clashes?
“All the playoff games were special because every Sunday it was inside or outside. The teams in our group were very strong. Against FC Milanese and especially against Ardor Lazzate they were superior category matches that helped us face the national stage with the right head and spirit. Meeting teams that weren’t very well known, we didn’t know exactly what level we would be facing, and for this reason we always prepared as if we were going to play Real Madrid. Perhaps it was precisely this mentality that gave us even more energy to get to the final, which was the apotheosis of the entire season. I think that moving up in category through the playoffs gives even greater satisfaction, precisely because of the fact that we have spent more time together and have participated in something important, always trying to maintain balance. Ours is certainly a particular group, made up of many young people and also some old people, me first (laughs, ed.), including out-of-class players who may have experienced unlucky episodes during their careers or made important choices for which this year we found ourselves in this team. Every member, even those who were employed less, put themselves at Magenta’s service, with his story behind them. And this was the key we relied on: training, having fun and winning together was fundamental to our success.”
There has been no shortage of strong emotions in your career. Do you think this could make the Top 5?
“Absolutely. So far I had won two C2 championships with Pro Patria, one C1 with Entella and the Serie D playoffs with Picerno. This is the fifth title and it is certainly the most exciting, not because it is the most recent but because it crowns the journey of a boy who is no longer very young who for four months after his relegation went running alone every day, without giving up, waiting for that call that would have made him return to the field, as time passed and his thirty-ninth birthday got closer and closer. Magenta has invested a lot in human terms and I hope to have given him back everything he expected from me.”
Identity card aside, on the pitch you have shown that you fight with the energy of a kid. What do you see in your immediate and longer-term future?
“It’s a question I often ask myself lately and I think it’s normal to think about it when you reach a certain age. For now I have taken some time to enjoy this victory, which will not end with the celebrations but will remain forever in my memories, together with the fantastic people I met along this journey, who allowed me to continue to fuel my desire to play at certain levels. Let’s say that these are the days in which we begin to realize what we have done, of the fans who followed us first in Trentino and then in Vicenza, of the perfect alchemy that was created and that could not fail to lead us to this victory. For my part, I don’t want to make hasty decisions. When the time comes, I will speak with the director and the coach to try to find together the best solution for Magenta, for me and for the team. I am sure that the future will take shape naturally.”
Silvia Alabardi
