The words and memory of the 2000 Biancoceleste scudetto from the voice that recounted Sven-Goran Eriksson’s Lazio triumph
Riccardo Cucchi, for all Lazio fans he is the historic voice that told of the Biancoceleste’s second scudetto. His words will remain etched in his memory: “It’s 6.04pm on May 14, 2000, and Lazio are Italian champions”. A career keeping his white and blue faith in the dark, declared once his career was over. To the microphones of -.it he remembered those moments and the emotion in telling that legendary chapter in Lazio’s history.
“Only today do I realize how those words had this romantic effect. After the end of Perugia I cried at the station, I’m not ashamed to say it. I didn’t imagine what I’m experiencing now could happen, and it makes me so happy, especially because the people of Lazio associate the scudetto with my wordsat a strange time like 6.04pm on May 14th. After pronouncing those words, if you listen carefully, you can notice a strangled “o”, that of champions, which was the sob that was coming out and that I had kept at bay but it was appearing threateningly, like an incurable Lazio player (laughs). Once the connection ended, I had only one reaction: I cried at the stationlike any fan who enjoys such wonderful success. I also had the same reaction in the Curva Nord on 12 May ’74, when I experienced that emotion as a fan.
It was a singular circumstance that led me to shout that phrase. If it happened it’s because in Perugia there was a delay due to rain. If they had ended at the same time, that sentence would have been uttered by my friend and colleague Bruno Gentili. The day I was designated for Perugia, I imagined what would happen in the event of a miracle, it would be his turn; but fate came to me, allowing me to tell everything that happened next. What do I feel after twenty years? It’s beautiful, it affects me. I go to the stadium as a season ticket holder, among the fans, while I walk along the road to reach my sector I am repeatedly stopped by young boys, by fathers with young children who don’t know who I am, asking me for a selfie. But the best thing is when they stop me with their phone in front of my face, and in Roman dialect they ask me ‘Cù, tell us again’. I’ve repeated that phrase thousands of times, and it always makes me happy.
When for forty years they ask you what your favorite team is, and you promptly reply that they will only know at the end of my career, it makes you understand the type of orientation I had. The compass was always oriented towards objectivity, without revealing any sympathies. The banner of the Inter fans against Empoli was beautiful, I will thank them forever also because I shared the story of Mourinho’s treble. I imagine the surprise of those who thought I was a Roma fan, an Inter fan, a Juventus fan and very few Lazio players, and this gives me satisfaction, because my first objective was to respect the feelings of the fan. While I was talking about Perugia-Juventus I had two things in mind: keep the volcano that was exploding inside me at bay, and on the other hand not lose sight of the mood of the Juventus fans”.
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May 16, 2024 (modified May 16, 2024 | 6:02 pm)
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