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Vieri, interviewed on the sidelines of the event with Serie A, made statements about his career and the present. Read Vieri’s words with us.

Present at the Iliad event in Milan, Bobo Vieri recalled the milestones of his career, reflecting on some moments. In particular, the former striker of the National Team paid tribute to three coaches and expressed his views on some players in our league.

Vieri’s words

The partnership with Serie A.

“Me and other legends travel around the world to promote our league, in my opinion, our football is recovering greatly. Not just in words: we saw Inter in the Champions League final, Atalanta winning the Europa League, Roma in the Conference League, and Fiorentina playing two consecutive finals. We look for the best young players in Europe: beyond the victories, all these finals show that teams are improving year after year”.

The solidarity around Bove.
“The group has always been fundamental, let’s leave out the journalists who always cause trouble. When you work in a group, the individual emerges if the group is strong, it’s the first thing. Fiorentina itself demonstrates this, loving and supporting each other among teammates is crucial. Fortunately, Bove has recovered, I hope he returns to play”.

Your relationship with your grandfather?
“My grandfather was the only person who believed in me. He had been a goalkeeper and coached the Santa Lucia boys: Diamanti’s grandfather was the president and they offered me to play there. I’ve known Alino since he was five years old. My grandfather promised me 5,000 lire for every goal, and I scored four in the first match. He was convinced I would become one of the best strikers in the world”.

Dreams and sacrifices.
“Not only in football, but in sports in general and in life. If you want to achieve goals, you have to give everything, otherwise, you’ll struggle. It’s not about a single sacrifice: it’s normal that on weekends you struggle because others go out and you don’t. But if you have a goal, you think about doing everything to achieve it”.

The beginning of a career

Your first memory on a football field?
“It was this, I was a kid and I was against. Just being able to say that I played in Italy and scored four goals when I was fourteen was a big deal. I wanted to test myself, I wanted to play football: kids often ask me if dreams really come true. Here I am, I had two dreams and I realized them. You always have to follow your own path, without listening to anyone. I played in Serie A and for the National Team”.

The start of a career.
“I was in Australia, I started as a left-back. Then after six months, I had scored more goals than the forwards, and I told my coach to put me up front. I was like a bigger Roberto Carlos. He moved me to attack, I scored 15-20 goals, and I continued like that. My dream was to play in Serie A and for the national team, I told my father who advised me to move in with my grandfather in Prato. And I never came back. My father had played football, they were smart to give me the freedom to choose”.

Your first official job?
“I never saw it as a job. My first official contract was in Pisa. I was happy, but that comes as a consequence of what you do, the first thing is wanting to play for a team”.

When did things turn around?
“Three coaches made a difference for me: Rampanti in the Torino Primavera, he always believed in me, even in the first year when I was younger than the others. Then Mondonico who made me debut in Torino and brought me to Atalanta: he kept pushing me, saying that what I did during the week I had to bring to the field on Sundays. And Cesare Maldini, I had him for 6-7 years between the Under-21 and the senior National Team. They put me on the right path”.

How important is the coach?
“He’s like a second father, in youth football, you don’t have to win but they have to prepare you for the real championships. It’s important that they tell you the right thing, from 14 to 18 years old, they are central figures”.

What did you do with your first money?
“I don’t remember, maybe I bought a car for my father, I think a Peugeot”.

Were you happy?
“Those who know me know how I am: I tease everyone, I like to make people laugh and have fun. Even now at 50, playing paddle. Di Biagio says I’ve been making the same jokes for thirty years”.

Your nickname?
“In the Torino Primavera, there was Brunetti who played with me up front, he said my father’s name was Bob and they would call me Bobo. It’s been 37 years”.

And being a striker?
“If you score, otherwise they call you an idiot. The title of the striker comes from what you do on the field, it’s the one who carries the team on his shoulders and tries to make it win”.

Would you have been a striker anyway?
“I would have played cricket, I would have been a striker there too. My brother and I are crazy about tennis, he teases me because I always said that if I played tennis, I would have been the world number one. I have this tough character, if I want to do something, I do it. Everyone told me I was worthless, slow, heavy, rough, technically weak, but I kept going my own way”.

Disappointments?
“Yes, when you lose games. Human? No. When I didn’t go to the World Cup because I injured my knee. The Champions League final with Juve, and the fifth of May with Inter. They are part of sports, but it’s nice to be there: I started from Australia, when I arrived in Italy, I used to watch Baggio in the stands and after seven-eight years, I played for the National Team and Inter with him”.

Players who resemble Vieri?
“Three to four: Vlahovic, Lukaku, Haaland, Dovbyk. In terms of characteristics, we are similar. Dovbyk is very strong”.

The characteristic that set you apart from others.
“You have to ask the coaches. I knew that the harder I worked during the week, the better I performed. The more I trained, the stronger I was on Sundays: I always trained a lot. I had to improve in everything”.

The Vieri of today

Do you miss the field?
“Like crazy, but we all do”.

Even Totti?
“I wrote to him the other day, I told him that if he wants to play again, he should, regardless of what others think. He shouldn’t have stopped in the first place, now if he wants to come back, he should. If it makes him happy, he should do it: Miura is playing at 57… They’ll say he’s slow, but who cares”.

One piece of advice for a young person?
“To train”.

What do you wish for the future?
“It may sound banal, but to be well”.

What don’t people know about you yet?
“Many things, but they should remain that way. I always say what I think: sometimes it’s okay, other times not. But with age, I’m letting go. I don’t talk nonsense, but I say what I think. What’s the point of changing now: I’m moving forward now”.

How do you define yourself as a sportsman?
“Overweight today. I’m a former athlete, who did what he wanted to do and is happy, after sports, I moved on and have two daughters: they are the most important goals I’ve achieved. The happiness they’ve brought me, I never expected, are the most important joys of my life”