Angelo Peruzziduring his interview with Corriere della Seraexplained the very particular circumstances of his debut in Serie A: “17 years old, I was a reserve. After Tancredi’s illness Liedholm says: let the boy come in. The whole bench turns around and I, who was last, turn around: I see the stretcher bearers. Pruzzo from the field: moron, it’s your turn.”
Then a year in Verona.
“Far from home, it was tough. I played well, but I was alone. The Panini stickers saved me. They kept me company.”
The return to Rome, a great future ahead and Lipopil, the phentermine-based weight loss pills, banned: anti-doping controls, a 12-month disqualification for doping. A world collapsing.
“I was naive, a “big kid”. I ended up in that bad story. Only the great president Viola was kind to me. The others? Ruthless. I returned home: the journalists, the shame with the people of Blera. Months of hell. But I became a man. I no longer trusted anyone. And then the phone rang.”
Who was on the other side?
“Montezemolo. Juve wanted me: I went back to live. But then that Juve blew up and I thought: it’s over this time too. Instead Boniperti kept his word and called me to Turin. Peruzzi, he told me, short hair, civilian clothes. You think about playing and we’ll take care of everything else.”