Franco Baresi, a name associated with AC Milan all his life, is a legendary defender. He was interviewed by the famous British magazine 442. He talked about himself, the Italian national team and AC Milan.
"The trial of Inter Milan 14 years old was rejected ..."
4-4-2: The height is only 5 feet 10 inch. As a central defender, will this bring more trouble to your game?
Baresi: I think my specialty will never be physical fitness. I am a very fast player, but when I say fast, I mean my brain (patting myself on the head), which helps me a lot.
4-4-2: Is there anything you can teach future generations?
Baresi: (looking at the reporter, like a doctor giving a bad news expression) Unfortunately, no, of course, you can keep improving and gain more experience, but your mind is a natural gift.
4-4-2: Who gave you the nickname "Piscinin"? What does this mean? Have you ever been angry about it?
Baresi: (Laughter) Of course not. I was only 17 to 18 years old at that time. Because I am shorter than the others in the team, I got this nickname, which means "little guy" This is the nickname given to me by the physiotherapist on the team. He watched me grow up.
4-4-2: Who is your idol when you grow up?
Baresi: I have always been a Milan fan, and I am honored to play for AC Milan all my life. At first, I worshipped Rivera. He is my idol all my life, and I even have the opportunity to fight alongside him. Luckily, he is going to retire, and I just made the first team. After that, I also enjoyed Pilates, Boning Senna and Gigi Riva-all great stars.
4-4-2: But they are all midfielders!
Baresi: Oh, yes, among the defenders ... I admire Rudy Crowley. He is the kind of defender with elegant style and good thinking. He can not only defend, but also hold the ball.
4-4-2: I was rejected by Inter Milan when I was a teenager, and my brother was hired by Inter Milan. How did you feel then? Does this make you more determined to succeed in the future?
Baresi: No, the situation is that my brother is already in Inter Milan. He is older than me and I want to follow him, so I tried to train with Inter Milan at first, and then they said, "OK, come back next year." But my coach took me to AC Milan. After two trials, AC Milan hired me. Of course, they are a little worried about my height. At that time, I was only 14 years old, not so long.
4-4-2: Did the opposition between AC Milan and Inter Milan cause problems between you and your brother?
Baresi: Oh, no, absolutely not! We respect each other and have a deep friendship. No problem.
4-4-2: How did the early death of your parents affect your character? Has AC Milan become your real family?
Baresi: Oh, my brother and I must redouble our efforts and grow up as soon as possible. We all love football and hope to make it a career. We have some luck and got some help, but we have to say that our strong personality has helped us a lot. Yes, AC Milan has become my second family. I usually spend my spare time here.
4-4-2: As a person who has only played for Serie A clubs all his life, are you disappointed that the current players are not loyal enough?
Baresi: No, times have changed. Now, players are under more pressure and football is getting more and more attention, so they have more opportunities to transfer. So, it's hard to see another Maldini playing for a team for 20 years. Times are different, you can't compare them.
4-4-2: I heard that when you were in AC Milan youth team, you often avoided those big-name stars, such as Alberto, Rivera and Morini. Why? Will they hit you or take your lunch money?
Baresi: (laughs) No! At that time, I was very shy I was only 14 years old at first. At that time, I saw those big-name stars in AC Milan and felt that they were from another planet, but I didn't avoid them, but I did try to avoid meeting them because they looked so untouchable and inaccessible.
4-4-2: So, when you become a big name in the first team, do you see young people avoiding you?
Baresi: Yes, in the past few years, some young people were nervous at the sight of star players, but now it's different. Young people are not so shy now. They are more mature and good at communication than we were then.
4-4-2: You became the captain of AC Milan at the age of 22. What is the hardest job for such a young captain? Have any old players ever given you any trouble? How did you handle it?
"1994 against Barcelona ..."
Baresi: I haven't encountered any problems. It is really unusual to wear the captain's armband so early, but it is also an extraordinary era. AC Milan 1982 dropped to the second division, and they made me the captain directly. They want to rebuild the team and rebuild around me.
4-4-2: You refused to participate in the Mexico 1986 World Cup because you were not selected for the 1982 World Cup four years ago, and that Italian team won the championship. Is this the only reason?
Baresi: No, Belzeaux didn't call me at that time. For technical reasons, our views are different. He wanted me to play in midfield, but after playing for so long, the defender felt it was not easy to play in midfield, so he chose someone else.
4-4-2: Do you regret it now?
Baresi: Well, I don't think I can take part in the competition even if I go. I am either a midfielder or a substitute for Girella. Of course, I have always respected bearzot. He is one of the greatest coaches, and I am grateful to him because he called me into the national team from the beginning.
4-4-2: Many people think that the defense line composed of you, Maldini, costacurta and Tassotti is one of the best in football history. What other great lines of defense do you think can compare with you? For example, Arsenal's four senior defenders in the 1990s?
Baresi: Oh, they are better defensively than Milan. We are more like a group of Brazilians!
4-4-2: So who do you think the strongest defense line in history belongs to?
Baresi: In the 1980s, cabrini, Gentile and Girella had completely different styles and won the 1982 World Cup for Italy.
4-4-2: 1994 Champions League final, AC Milan beat Barcelona completely. You missed the game because of suspension. How depressed were you before that game? Do you think in modern football, the terms of cumulative yellow card suspension should be changed?
Baresi: I was really sorry and sad, but my life had to go on, and I didn't want to commit suicide (laughs). Personally, I think the rules of suspension should be changed, because a yellow card in the semi-final makes a player lose the chance to participate in the final, which is terrible. Look at Nedved in 2003. He is such an athlete, but he was suspended from the Champions League final because of a yellow card. If it is a red card, I can understand, but a yellow card should not deprive people of the qualification to participate in the finals.
4-4-2: Before the game, you were very unpopular with cruyff and others. ...
Baresi: Haha! They think that Barcelona is the champion of Spain, a luxury legion, and they have no problem. They are a popular team, and the uneven lineup makes us unpopular. But in the end, the victory of football still belongs to the team that focuses on the game and does not underestimate the opponent. Of course, what can't be ignored is our almost crazy team performance.
4-4-2: Tell me about Capello. Are you surprised by his excellent performance in coaching England? When he coached AC Milan, did you think he was suitable for English football and national team?
Baresi: I'm not surprised. An Italian coached England's national team ... England hired an Italian as a coach ... no one would have expected this. As for Capello, I always knew his level. I believe he will succeed in England, but I didn't expect him to succeed so soon.
"1994 world cup penalty shootout ..."
4-4-2: In 2002, you worked as a manager in Fulham for two months. At that time, it was widely rumored that you had problems with head coach Tigana, and some players did not welcome your arrival and left. Then what happened?
Baresi: Nothing happened. At that time, they invited me to go, so I went, ready to start work, but I never got a chance. At first I thought it was to replace Tigana as head coach, but they changed their minds and decided to keep him, so I said, "I can't stay here." If I can't start, what am I doing here? "
4-4-2: Your only hat trick was to score three penalties in the Coppa Italia 1989 against messina. 1994 before the world cup, did you consider yourself an expert on penalty kicks?
Baresi: Well, for a while, I was the penalty taker. The game against Marseille was too smooth, because it was too easy to punish three penalties in one game. ...
4-4-2: But in the 1994 World Cup final, ...
Baresi: (Laughter) Yes, that penalty was really important. Unfortunately, maybe if I missed a penalty against messina, or didn't score any, maybe the penalty in the World Cup would be scored. This is football. But I have to say that I was the first penalty, and two other players (massaro and Baggio) also made mistakes after me.
4-4-2: It is almost a miracle to participate in the 1994 World Cup four weeks after knee surgery. What's it like to take a penalty after 0/20 minutes in the heat of the final/kloc?
Baresi: I'm a little tired, but when it's my turn to shoot a penalty, I think I will be punished. But before the penalty point, I found out how the goal became so small and how the goalkeeper became so big! The opposing goalkeeper is Tavrell. At first I wanted to aim at his left, but at the last second, I changed my mind, but usually when you waver, you make mistakes. ...
4-4-2: Is it difficult to stand up again?
Baresi: No, I mean, it's really disappointing, because it's my last chance, and we both entered the penalty shootout in the World Cup final. But since someone wins, someone loses. This must be fate. I think Brazil should definitely win more than us.
"diego maradona is unstoppable when he is in good form."
4-4-2: Who is the most difficult opponent you have ever played against?
Baresi: I have faced many superstars. In the early 1980s, Italy had Platini and Rossi, then Napoli had Diego Diego Maradona and careca, and Inter Milan had Altobelli. They are all great geniuses. If I had to choose one, I would choose diego maradona. When he is in good shape, there is almost no way to stop him.
4-4-2: There must be some classic battles between you and Diego Diego Maradona. Do you have any special memories? Did he ever fool you? What's your secret of spying on him? Did you foul as soon as possible?
Baresi: Fouls are possible, and there will be many. Diego maradona is very dangerous. He often scores goals for us. We must have a good defensive organization system, put double or even triple pressure on him and limit his talent, because if you let him fight alone, you will fail.
4-4-2: One World Cup, three European Champions Cups and six Serie A champions, which do you think is the highest honor?
Baresi: What I cherish most is 1989 European Champions Cup. There were 82,000 Milan fans at the scene. We were lucky that season. Our rival Bucharest Star Team didn't bring any fans. This is an extraordinary season. We won the league first, then the Champions League, the Toyota Cup and the Super Cup. This is really an incredible series of honors.
4-4-2: AC Milan had a difficult start in the 1980s, because the match-fixing case was demoted, but you ended up with a crazy ending. ...
Baresi: Yes, we sometimes look at ourselves and think it is a miracle. The arrival of Berlusconi really changed the club-I remember he told us that it would be the best team in the world. At that time, we were all a little skeptical, but within two years, we won everything with crazy football style.
4-4-2: Football became your home in the early years. How difficult was it for you to make the decision to retire?
Baresi: It's always a difficult decision to retire, but last season, I had too many injuries to train normally, so the idea of retiring began to breed. Then, 27 years later, it's time to retire.
4-4-2: Before you quit coaching, you coached AC Milan U20 and U 19 youth teams. What happened afterwards? Will you coach whip again in the future?
Baresi: At that time, the youth team I coached was 18 to 19, and the youth team was 17 to 18. I was a coach for six years, and then I felt enough. Of course, if I have a plan to coach an adult team, I might be interested.
4-4-2: Gentile, Cannavaro, Maldini, baresi, Nesta ... There are many great defenders in Italy. Why?
Baresi: I think Italy has always had excellent defenders, because knowing how to defend is part of our culture. At present, we are optimistic about chiellini, Bonera and gamberini. Of course, they all need to grow and improve, but it is difficult because there are too many foreign AIDS in their positions. It is difficult for Italian local players to find room for gaining experience and promotion. Besides, it's time for strikers.
"Inter Milan midfield has no skill or speed."
4-4-2: In the past five years, apart from AC Milan, no other Italian team has performed well in the European War. What should Italian football do to compete with Premier League and La Liga?
Baresi: Because the football concept of AC Milan is different from that of other Italian teams, we are pursuing technical football and footwork football, while other Italian teams are not, so it is difficult to step forward in the European arena.
4-4-2: But Inter Milan also has many technical stars.
Baresi: No! Don't! You gave me a name, no, two names?
4-4-2: Mai Kong, Cesar and Ibrahimovic in the past, and Eto 'o now. ...
Baresi: But did you see it? None of them are midfielders. In midfield, it's all muscles, no speed, no skill. We are talking about technology. Manchester United, Barcelona and AC Milan all have this type of players, but Inter Milan is short of them. I believe Mourinho may realize this this year.
4-4-2: How does it feel to work with Berlusconi?
Baresi: We don't see him every day. He has a lot of things to do, but he is the architect of AC Milan. He has everything today and pushed us to this height. I remember when he first came, and I still remember that at the meeting, we were taken directly from the training ground by helicopter to a stadium transformed from an ancient arena in the center of Milan! This way makes everyone silent. After that, he was always ahead of the times. He always knew the importance of building a strong team and what characteristics he needed to sign. They said he was just full of fantasy, but it turned out that everything he did was right and he got everything he wanted.