Roberto D’Aversa, coach of Empoli, spoke about many topics in the very long interview given to Cronache di Spogliatoio, starting from the facial paresis that recently affected him: “I woke up and my mouth was no longer responding to commands. while brushing my teeth, I hadn’t tasted anything for two days. I went to the hospital, where the doctor from Empoli reached me. In those 4, even 5 hours of waiting, everything went through my mind I saw concern from everyone who looked at me. Even the director and the team manager reached me in the emergency room. The motivation was viral. or a herpes, or even a cold on a nerve, I didn’t hide, in front of the cameras, to reassure the people who love me, but above all because I put myself in their shoes lives with this problem permanently, with those who have to deal with physical problems since birth. I told myself, ‘It’s just a temporary thing.’ I identify with those who have lived with it all their lives. To those who are bullied for this. Prevention is essential, for everyone. We must be culturally more inclined to do it. Even for us former footballers, who feel invincible because we spend several years feeling praised, where we are always controlled. But that in the end we are not invincible. I recently read the story of Roberto Mancini’s daughter, who was discriminated against due to a facial malformation. It impressed me a lot. I believe there is nothing to be ashamed of. I’m just taking nerve medications, it’ll pass. If I look at the problems my mother is struggling with, I come to the conclusion that the problems are different.”
How do you rate your experience at Lecce?
“I could have done better. It’s a phrase I often repeat, also given the epilogue. I paid all the consequences that could come. I was ashamed when I returned home and my wife said to me: ‘What have you done?’. The dismissal, the 4-match ban on Henry haunted me: I made a serious mistake, I immediately apologised, and I immediately called the boy after the match with my son Simone, who is 16 and who I always tell not to argue on the pitch. I had to do it with Francesco, who is 14, who loves fishing and tennis. And to look at the youngest, who is 9, in the face purer, having to explain my gesture and my justification. Make it clear that I was wrong by being credible. I am sorry for having put Corvino and Trinchera, Lecce managers, in difficulty. I was unable to complete an amazing job for this I received a media attack, but the world of football has not abandoned me. Not everyone looked the other way. Many managers who I had never met in my life called or wrote to me to express their sympathy. And some coaches did too. I have their names saved in my phone notes. They hit a gesture that struck me. I know who those names are. My family still lives in Lecce, where we have given continuity to our children’s life path, and people have always expressed love and closeness to us. The fans showed solidarity, they understood that gesture. Was I afraid of having missed the Serie A train because of that gesture? The phone rang anyway. Of course, calls came from Serie B and I procrastinated. I didn’t want to lose Serie A. Cesena had made concrete progress, we talked. Every A club that called me maybe had other choices. And it is clear that after what had happened, D’Aversa was no longer in first place. Not even the second. I didn’t want to go abroad, I felt like I was running away from what had happened. I didn’t want to give that image. I had no certainties. In fact, I have to thank both president Corsi and director Gemmi for their courage. Here is a circumstance that I like, we want to stay in Serie A.”
What do you want to say to Empoli?
“I thank them for not looking at the label. I’m the first who doesn’t like prejudice. I’ll give you an example: Pietro Pellegri. They’ve always attached labels to him. I didn’t care: I just see that he arrives at the pitch first and he leaves after training time. Everything else doesn’t matter. In Empoli I found a company that knows how to dare hard, we went far beyond expectations The Corsi family’s thoughts are clear: they have been investing their resources in the youth sector for many years, this year they were also good at identifying players to valorize who come from outside. The result is only the consequence of how we are training never the level of attention and humility. Everyone in the squad has their own objective, clearly, but everyone is applied for the common good, for a common objective. It is a group in which the young people are important as well as the older ones playing a fundamental role both on the pitch than outside.”
Fazzini has already been injured a bit too much this season, don’t you think?
“There was superficiality on our part and that of the FIGC in the management. Perhaps we could have avoided the October call-up. I found a collaborative boy, I had an opinion about him, but I didn’t think he was so strong and determined. I don’t want to create expectations He has to get tough because he’s used to determining, he really likes to send his teammates to the goal, but he has to get tough physically: quick and resistant, he’s really rare for those in his role and with his technique. bad'”.
Is Goglichidze a surprise?
“Ours is a path and I believe that he could be an example. When he was sent off against Inter, he left the pitch upset. Already on the pitch, communicating with Viti, he understood that he would be thrown out. The posture of his course, with his shirt on his face, it showed how mortified he was. I would only have been angry if it had been a deliberate foolishness and out of line with our principles. speaks little English. Also communicate to us It’s not easy. But he works like crazy. I just told him to take care, I explained to him that with the new rules and with VAR he has to be even more careful about the slightest touch message we need.”
Vasquez is yet another goalkeeper for Empoli.
“The director was very good. Last year he only played 7 games for Ascoli in Serie B and they were relegated to Serie C. I don’t know how many would have had the foresight to entrust him with the goal of a Serie A team. He surprised me too: as I always say, getting to Serie A is difficult, but the real challenge is to confirm yourself.”