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

Present at the Iliad event in Milan, Bobo Vieri recalled the stages of his career, focusing on some moments. In particular, the former striker of the National Team paid tribute to three coaches and expressed his thoughts 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 finals in a row. We look for the strongest 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, leaving out the journalists who always cause trouble. When you work in a group, the individual comes out if the group is strong, that’s the first thing. Fiorentina itself shows it, wanting to love each other and stay close among teammates is crucial. Fortunately, Bove 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 boys at Santa Lucia: 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 game. 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 to struggle on weekends because others go out and you don’t. But if you have a goal, you think about doing everything to reach it.”

Early Career

Your first memory on a football field?
“It was this, I was a child and I was counting. Just being able to say that I played in Italy and scored four goals at fourteen was a big deal. I wanted to test myself, I wanted to play football: often children ask me if dreams really come true. I’m here, 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 in the National Team.”

Beginning of career.
“I was in Australia, I started as a left-back. Then after six months, I scored more goals than the strikers and told my coach to put me up front. I was like a bigger Roberto Carlos. He put me in attack, I scored 15-20 goals, and continued like that. My dream was to play in Serie A and the national team, I told my father who advised me to move to my grandfather’s in Prato. And I never returned. My father had played football, they were good to let me choose freely.”

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 result of what you do, the first thing is wanting to play for a team.”

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

How important is the coach?
“It’s like a second father, in the youth sector you don’t have to win but you have to be prepared for 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, a Peugeot I believe.”

Were you happy?
“Anyone who knows me knows how I am: I make fun of everyone, I like to make people laugh and have fun. Even now at 50, we play paddle. Di Biagio says I make the same jokes for thirty years.”

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

And the bomber?
“If you score, otherwise they call you an idiot. The bomber 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 bomber anyway?
“I would have played cricket, I would have been a bomber there too. My brother and I are tennis fanatics, 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 poor, slow, heavy, rough, weak technically, and yet I kept going my way.”

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

Players who resemble Vieri?
“Three-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 better I worked during the week, the better I was on Sundays. The more I trained, the stronger I performed 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 come back and play, he should, regardless of what others say. He didn’t have to retire already, now if he wants to come back, he should. If it makes him happy, he should: Miura plays at 57 years old… They’ll say he’s slow, but who cares.”

Advice to give to a young one?
“To train.”

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

What don’t we know about you yet?
“Many things, but they should remain that way. I always say what I think: sometimes it’s fine and sometimes it’s not. But I’m easing up with age. 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 and is happy, after sports I moved on and have two daughters: they are the most important goals I’ve achieved. The happiness they brought me, I never expected, are the most important joys of my life.”