On 5 October 1997, Roma hosted Napoli at the Olimpico. With the Roma captain’s armband there is an Argentinian, Abel Balbowho has 99 goals in Serie A. He will join the club of centenarians with a resounding hat-trick, also scoring the number 101 and 102, with Roma even winning 6-2. The Giallorossi are coached by Zdenek Zeman, with whom the center forward has a love-hate relationship, because Balbo makes mistakes in front of goal and is physically not up to the level of previous championships. Because if it is true that in five championships he always scores double figures, with Zeman he struggles to understand the game. The break then came in March 1998, when Zeman replaced him after an assist, a post and a crossbar.
Balbo calls the coach a Lazio player, getting a 30 million lire fine. Then he will blurt out: I suffer from Zeman’s football, I don’t understand it, I always find myself with my back to the goal and the manager keeps telling me that it’s my fault, but I don’t think that’s the case. With this game it is impossible to make the most of my features. Then he will remember: “That insult was an outburst dictated by the bitterness of the moment. Today relations with Zeman are cordial. There has never been any rancor between us.”
Balbo was Franco Sensi’s first striker in his presidency at Roma. “Sensi? I remember him with great affection, he was more than a president for me, like a father. I remember that, when he took me to Rome, he helped me choose the house, in the best place to take it. A president of other times who you can’t find it anymore.”